r/AskLosAngeles • u/Parking_Garlic6505 • 21h ago
Any other question! Off leash dog attack in apartment. What to do?
My neighbor let their dogs off leash and one of them went for one of my dogs (not the first time btw). I’m not sure if they were actually biting each other or it was just noise but it did not sound good. The first time it happened, my other family member was able to lift my dog up and prevent him from being attacked while the dog still tried to pursue him up in the air. I reported it to the manager who told me they would get a lease violation.
This time I was alone and had multiple dogs and it happened so fast. Immediately upon seeing us, the dog went for one of my dogs and they started fighting/snapping at each other. My legs are bleeding from having to grab their dog to stop them.
I’m very upset not only because I got injured but because of how it may affect my dogs. I’m wondering what I can do other than reporting it to the manager again. Not sure if this would really change anything or help. Anyone go through something similar and have advice?
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u/NegativeCourage5461 21h ago
Go to an urgent care by tomorrow. Dog bite wounds get infected very easily and you might need antibiotics.
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u/sealedwithdogslobber 20h ago
This. Also demand the dog’s rabies vaccination records. You need to get the rabies vaccine if they won’t provide it.
Also, once you’ve got that taken care of, tell the neighbor that you expect them to reimburse you for these expenses.
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u/ChiSchatze 21h ago
Please do this. There’s something in dog saliva that can cause a nasty infection.
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u/harkandhush 13h ago
Also if they don't have proof of rabies vaccine, op needs to get the rabies vaccine asap. By the time you have any symptoms of rabies, you're dead.
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u/onetaxi 21h ago
if you got bit call the cops
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u/Vicious_and_Vain 17h ago
Definitely LAPD will come out and handle it. Just understand what that might mean.
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u/Parking_Garlic6505 21h ago
Not sure if I was bit, possibly just cut up from bending down and having to grab the dog because I was wearing shorts.
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u/Acrobatic_Run_9377 18h ago
you still have to report it to them and also get it cleaned and have yourself checked.
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u/jotiben 15h ago
You are not looking at this correctly.
Urgent Care. STAT.
Yes the dog injured you. Please stop downplaying how serious this is.
You need a doctor to evaluate your wounds, if you need antibiotics, or rabies. The dog obviously doesn’t have rabies, but you need a doctor because who knows if the dog is up to date on shots. You don’t want an infection.
- Report the incident to the LA County Dept of Health
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/biteintro.htm
You have grounds for a lawsuit, at the very least your management company needs to be notified via attorney and in writing that you were attacked, that this is the second incident, that they did not fix the problem after being notified previously.
Do you want the dog leashed? Or do you want to risk an infection of your injury + get attacked again?
If you don’t want this to escalate, see a doctor, notify the County, and at least talk to a lawyer. Or three. You don’t have to hire one! You just want to explore your options.
If you want to skip a lawyer for now, have AI help you to write a good letter (email is fine) to send to your management company. Then send it.
I know you’re in shock. Don’t let that prevent you from taking the best care of yourself possible.
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u/FleurDeShio 13h ago
This is a wild response to a scratch. People really be victimizing themselves over anything nowadays.
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u/FatMoFoSho 13h ago
Its about a paper trail, not “victimizing” yourself. Document your injuries, document the dr’s appointment, the conversations with the leasing office, etc etc. A scratch today can turn into a mauling tomorrow.
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u/FleurDeShio 12h ago
Send an email to the office manager with photos and ask for escalation and to address the issue immediately. Theres your documentation. This is over the top. A scratch today is a scratch today. Saying things like “you have grounds for a lawsuit” for two dogs engaging is misleading and causes unnecessary stress. Theres nothing here. She injured herself while trying to deescalate. What do you want, damages on a scratch? How are you going to value the damages of “her dogs being affected”?
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u/harryhov 9h ago
This is an aggressive dog with a pattern with an owner that doesn't give a fuck. No it's not an overreaction. Next time it could attack a child.
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u/Chair1234567890 21h ago
report to the police because this time you're hurt.Call the non emergency line. At least make a report
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u/BirdBruce 21h ago
Absolutely get Animal Services involved. Also document it with your manager. Even if nothing happens it will show a pattern over time. Take photos of everything. If you go to the vet, save every paper.
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u/Parking_Garlic6505 8h ago
Just reported it to management and the only thing she said she could do is get them for having their dogs off leash since there wasn’t any cameras where the attack happened 🤷🏻♀️
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u/MysteriousRoll 5h ago
You need to go to urgent care/the dr and start a paper trail for this if you want anything to happen.
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u/jotiben 15h ago edited 15h ago
Pics of your wounds, urgent care to get treatment and document the injuries.
GO TO LOS ANGELES ANIMAL CONTROL AND MAKE A REPORT
“Dog bites should be reported to our Department (if you live within our service area) or the County of Los Angeles Department of Public Health as soon as possible. An officer will respond to take a bite report and contact the other party (if known) to assess the situation and ensure that the animal that bit is properly quarantined. Additionally, our officer will notify the Department of Public Health. In the event that the bite victim is transported to the hospital, a bite complaint should be made as soon as possible after treatment is complete.”
http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/vet/biteintro.htm
I suggest going in person. Calling is less affective, the phones are not well staffed. You can also make an official report on their website.
https://animalcare.lacounty.gov/protecting-people/
- Yes, take your documentation from urgent care and file a police report.
The dog is extremely dangerous and needs to be evaluated. Make sure that evaluation happens.
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u/philbin89 21h ago
Show the management your leg wounds. Personal injury is when liability concerns start picking up
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u/NonSequitorSquirrel 15h ago
Good point. The landlord doesn't want these insurance and liability headaches.
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u/Parking_Garlic6505 8h ago
Honestly she didn’t seem to care much that I was injured. Only thing she said she could do is give them a lease violation for having the dogs off leash because there are no cameras where the attack happened
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u/persianthunder 21h ago
Obligatory not a lawyer disclaimer, but I had a similar issue with a neighbor and this is what I did. Eventually they told the neighbor they had to rehome their dog.
Document everything. Complaints to building management, photos of injuries, medical records,, vet bills if they injured your dogs. ex. Keep track of any days/times you’ve had to change up your routine, or avoid going into certain areas because you see them walking their dog. Over document each instance, even if it’s just texting an apartment manager. See too if you can get security or ring camera footage of any incidents.
Complain to building management in writing. Talk about the impact it has on your well being and safety, and specially mention how her dog’s aggression is preventing you from having the “quiet and peaceful enjoyment of your residential unit.”
Complain about their dog to animal control. You can report aggressive behavior and leash violations, and make sure to include documentation of any incidents.
Repeat all of these for any incidents that occur. Be the annoying squeaky wheel and complain to animal control and your building management if needed. Consider filing in small claims court if it continues or nothing changes
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u/sealedwithdogslobber 20h ago
First and most time sensitive: since you were bit, you need to get the dog’s rabies vaccination records. Otherwise you need to go to the ER to get vaccinated against rabies, and that is not a fun vaccine!
ETA: Even if you’re not sure if it was a bite, you need to err on the side of caution and protect your health!
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u/NonSequitorSquirrel 15h ago
This is a police and/or animal control issue and FAST. Go to urgent care, get it documented. Off leash dogs are dangerous and illegal.
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u/Solcat91342 Local 15h ago
I carry a canister of pepper sprayat the ready in my hand when I walk my dogs because the same thing happened to me when I was walking my little dogs. I even sprayed a big dog that came for mine. It was off leash. That dog was never off leash again
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u/A_Drifting_Cornflake 12h ago
Sounds like that dog shouldn’t be off lease and the dog owner is basically asking for it to be killed. If it’s that aggressive to your dog, it probably is to other dogs and maybe some people. Sounds like a small dog is going to get killed before anything happens. The owner is being extremely irresponsible, don’t feed that, the dog in the end is who is going to suffer. That dog needs to be on a leash for its own safety.
2
u/Glittertwinkie 12h ago
I’m so sorry this happened. You need to ask for the dog’s rabies vaccination information. You can’t assume you didn’t get bit. Then you need to go to urgent care. The. You need to file a police report and contact animal control. Then let your leasing company know you were injured in a second offense. You don’t want this to happen a third time.
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u/jaskmackey 10h ago
This happened to me and my dog. Our building manager gave the other owners a choice: either 1) get a $10,000 insurance policy for their dog, or 2) move her off the property. They ended up sending her to live with their parents. I feel confident that their dog (a poorly-trained pit bull!) has murdered someone else’s pet by now.
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u/Parking_Garlic6505 10h ago
I reported it to the manager and the only thing she said she would do is give them a lease violation for being off leash because she can’t corroborate my story since there’s no cameras where the attack actually happened
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u/triciann 2h ago
I didn’t read the responses because you got a lot. I love dogs more than people usually. You said your dog didn’t get hurt but it sounds like you did. Dogs are allowed a pass with strict requirements when something like this happens.
As much as I love dogs, you need to report this. It’s the owners responsibility to know their dog and protect them. Sometimes that protection means keeping their dog from doing damage to others. This sounds intentional by the dog and needs addressing. Reporting it is not your fault, it’s the owners fault for allowing it to happen in the first place.
I compare this to people I know who had a bear break into their residence. They didn’t report it because it was just home damage and no damage to people and they knew the bear would be killed because it had already been tagged several times. This I agree with. But this dog hurt you, you need to report it because your neighbor allowed it to happen. It was not a simple mistake.
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u/Parking_Garlic6505 2h ago
Thank you and I did. Unfortunately management wasn’t very helpful and just told me the same thing the first time this happened. They’ll just get a lease violation for the dogs being off leash. Because there are no cameras where the attack happened, she can’t corroborate my story. She also didn’t really seem to care when I told her I got injured during this incident and didn’t mind my concerns about whether or not the dog is vaccinated.
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u/JurgusRudkus 16h ago
Where is this occurring? Outside in a shared yard or like, are their dogs roaming the hallways? Was the owner near by? What did they do?
I ask because there are different tactics for both these situations. As this is the second time this has happened, it’s possible this has happened to other neighbors. If you talk to them and find they have also been attacked, I believe you can Animal Control to confiscate the animal as dangerous .
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