thanks

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Hi all,

Yesterday afternoon my 3-year-old daughter was bitten on the face by a dog outside JP Licks in Davis. I just wanted to say a general thanks to all the Davis Square denizens who came over to help us out, calling 911, bringing napkins to try to stop the bleeding, water, ice, and so forth. I didn't catch any names or, honestly, see any faces since I was so focused on my daughter, but I know there were a lot of people offering help and I appreciate it.

FYI, she needed nine stitches and will have some scarring, but she's doing fine. It remains to be seen whether she'll ever want to go near a dog again (or whether I'll let her!). We didn't get home from Children's till midnight so we're pretty wiped today.

Comments

[lbmango.livejournal.com]

was it a leashed or at least collared dog? if so, did the owner get severly yelled at? if not, did the dog get caught to be tested for rabies?

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Yes, the dog was leashed, and from what the police told the EMTs, it had tags indicating that it was up-to-date on shots. The police took the owner's contact info and gave me a copy, but I'm not sure what actually happens beyond that, from a legalistic standpoint.

[docorion.livejournal.com]

From here the owner gets to talk to the Animal Control Officer (April Terrio, she's very nice). The dog goes into 10 day quarantine (essentially house arrest with walkies privileges-stay away from people and other dogs), after which April comes back and evaluates the dog; if she's rabies free (most likely), that's it from the legal standpoint (for now).

Don't ask me how I know this.

And as you mention below, I feel pretty sure the dog owner is feeling pretty down right now. Also-if you're on any kind of insurance, the ambulance ride is totally medically justified (I'm an ER doc, and I Say So; if they give you a hard time, feel free to ask me to say so in my Official Capacity), as is all of the care your daughter received (obviously, but it bears saying). I hope your daughter heals well (and any scarring is likely to be impossible to find by the time a few years pass)

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the input. I just got a message from the Animal Control officer so it will be interesting to hear what she has to say. I wonder what they do about the "stay away from other dogs" part when the family has another dog?

As far as the medical insurance stuff I am sure it's medically justified and so forth, it's just that I don't have a huge level of confidence about what MassHealth covers. But if I have to go after the dog owner to pay some of it back, I will.

[cutieperson]

if you're on MassHealth proper i wouldn't worry overmuch. their coverage is fantastic. i've never had to worry about ambulance trips or ER visits, and i've had a lot of them.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I hope so. Right now we're not actually on anything (long story, sigh) but my MassHealth application is processing and I have every reason to believe that it'll be approved and made retroactive to Aug 1st. Fingers crossed.

Just a head's up...

[blackdove24.livejournal.com]

If your plan/her plan winds up falling under MassHealth (or Commonwealth Care Plan Type I... I think), then you should be fine, since the point of it is that you don't have to pay anything for medical care--even if a provider tries to bill you (which they shouldn't!), you're not liable for it. However, if your plan/her plan winds up being Commonwealth Care Plan Type II or III (the ones that involve paying a monthly premium), then I don't think retroactive coverage would apply. Coverage doesn't kick in until after your application is approved and you choose one of their insurance companies.

(While I am no means an expert on this stuff, I did work as a temp in the customer service department last year for an insurance company that only works with Masshealth and Commonwealth Care, so I remember this much!)

[anyee.livejournal.com]

Really? I was taken (against my requests) to the hospital in an ambulance when my ex decided I was suicidal and called the cops. For a less-than-2 mile drive, I got charged 800 non-negotiable dollars. Sheesh. We could have walked and it would have been pleasant.

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

And here I thought I was being paranoid when I sidestepped a leashed pit bull outside of JP Licks this morning. I mean, I know that most dogs are not likely to lash out, but how can I tell the difference? Especially with dogs I don't think I could take in a fight.

[shaxxon.livejournal.com]

I once got bitten in the leg as I was passing by an Australian sheep dog and ever since then have avoided walking too close to unfamiliar dogs. I'm so sorry this happened to you, but happy that so many people in Davis Square helped out. I hope she has a swift recovery.

[whaler.livejournal.com]

Oh my god that's terrible. The poor little thing. I was bit as a kid and I had a friend who was bit in the face (and needed a TON of stitches) and neither of us are afraid of dogs now.

I can't even imagine how angry you must be.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Thanks. I'm actually not angry at the dog or its owner. It was on a leash and I must presume that if he had any inkling that the dog might bite, he would have warned us. I've worked hard to teach my daughter how to interact cautiously with dogs, and she does pretty well, although of course, she's only 3. Still, it seemed pretty safe; the dog was leashed, the owner was right there. But things happen. I mean, the dog was being a dog, so I can't really be mad at it, if that makes any sense.

Of course, if my insurance doesn't cover all the hospital costs, and I don't get cooperation from the dog-owner on that, THEN you'll see me get really angry.

[veek.livejournal.com]

I'm so sorry this happened to your kid, but am also glad for your attitude towards the dog and its owner. Not a dog owner myself, I still get disheartened when they're treated by others as a dangerous nuisance and nothing else out of hand.

[koshmom.livejournal.com]

My dog (see userpic) is really good with kids, as in, he ignores them, and tries to walk away from them / look to me for help if they start to crowd him. He does a lot of cute tricks too. If you'd like, I can introduce my dog to your daughter, to hopefully show your daughter that not all dogs bite.

What a horrid experience for a young child! And her mother!

[obie119.livejournal.com]

Oh gosh, I'm sorry to hear this! Hope she is feeling better soon!

Wow... Glad she is well..

[nvidia99999.livejournal.com]

Probably, the best thing is to have her go near dogs you trust, or else she may fear them for the rest of her life.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_mattt/]

First, I would contact a lawyer. I don't like this ugly reality of life any more than everyone else, but you (or your daughter) might be entitled to significant compensation.

Second, as others noted, I would try to get her near other dogs as soon as possible. Many dogs are wonderful around children, and I would hate for her to grow up having a fear of dogs.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Thanks for your input. I honestly am not interested in "compensation," except if I end up with expenses that aren't covered by my insurance. (We're on state insurance at present, so I'm worried that it might not cover the ambulance ride, among other things.) I don't feel a need to "punish" the dog owner -- I feel like having seen his dog do this is probably punishment enough, especially since he had a baby in a stroller, so now he and his wife/partner have to worry about whether their baby is safe around the dog.

As far as interacting with dogs, we'll see how it goes next time I'm walking around the Square with my daughter. I'll pretty much follow her lead based on how I see her reacting to the sight of dogs. She has always loved them, so it's hard to believe that this incident is going to totally change her attitude, but who knows?

[icecreamempress.livejournal.com]

I was bitten by a dog at around that age, and still have some fears of barking dogs, but interacting with dogs is usually a joy for me.

My best wishes to you all, and especially to her for a quick and full recovery from her injury.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

Yikes, how scary. Can you describe the dog? My toddler *loves* dogs, and I have been trying to teach her she cannot just run up to them without me asking first how they feel about kids...I would definitely not want her running up to this one.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

The guy actually had two dogs and I'm sorry to say I can't remember which one it was that bit her! It all happened so fast and I was in such shock. Talking about it afterwards, I thought it had been the black dog but my daughter insisted it was the yellow/white one, so I'm not sure. Possibly the animal-control officer will be able to tell me.

I would highly recommend teaching your toddler to say "Can I pet your dog?" first, which is what I've been working on with my daughter for months now, and she's actually very good about remembering it now. Though she doesn't always remember that jumping up and down with excitement next to a dog is a bad idea. However, in this particular incident, she was just standing calmly next to the dog when it snapped at her. :(

The man said that the dog had never done that before, which I'm sure is true. Unfortunately, there's a first time for everything...even the friendliest dog can snap unexpectedly.

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

I've been working hard on teaching her we have to stop and ask (generally I ask because she doesn't really have the hang of saying things as directed). But dogs are so! exciting! The stopping part is hard.

So scary :(. Glad she will be OK.

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Thanks. Yeah, and I know just how exciting dogs can be to a toddler. Mine usually races over to them, yelling "CAN I PAT YOUR DOG!" at the top of her lungs, with me running behind yelling "Don't run at the dog!" And there are always SO many dogs in the Davis Sq area!

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

same situation with my 2 year old... he's gotten much better about waiting by our sides until we ask if we can pet the dog, then pets them on their sides, not their face. but still, i could totally see him running up to a dog on the bike path...

[soft-shoulder.livejournal.com]

I was bit by a dog as a child and I'm a dog loving fool!

Breed

[chrunk.livejournal.com]

Wow that's scary, but you seem to be handling it well. Do you know what breed the dog was?

[emcicle.livejournal.com]

I was bit by a dog on my face (on my cheek, just under my eye... it's actually really lucky that it didn't get my eye) when I was around 5 or 6. There is the tiniest of scars, but you would really have to know it is there to see it...

I was also scared of dogs for quite some time after that, but I did get over it, and love dogs now.

I'm glad it wasn't anything to serious!

[jenskot.livejournal.com]

My sister was bitten in the face by a dog when she was three (tore off her eyelid, apparently - looks fine to me), and she's a perfectly well-adjusted mom of two kids and a bunch of yapping shih-tzus now. Hope your girl recovers emotionally and physically just as well as my sis! :)

[ron_newman]

I'm so sorry to read this! I was bit several times as a very young kid, and it too me well into my late 20s or early 30s to be able to act at all normally around dogs. I hope your daughter is able to adjust more quickly.

[purpless77.livejournal.com]

This is so sad, I hope she is ok. Nine stitches on a tiny face is a lot.
Kudos to you for teaching her how to approach dogs.

Most young kids get bit for teasing dogs and yet the dog gets punished. There was a news story a month or so ago about a little girl who got bit. Her parents said they couldn't believe the dog bit her, "this dog was fine with her sticking her fingers in his eyes and pulling his tail". That's seriously what they said on camera on channel 7. Once she sat on him he had had enough and bit her yet he got killed for it.

It's just refreshing to see parents who actually teach their children how to interact with animals. Even with her getting bit you know you were doing the right things and that it wasn't anything she did. I think you're handling this scary situation amazingly and responsibly. I just hope this doesn't make her fear dogs though:(

Looking at your avatar, your kids are adorable:) I hope she heals quickly.

[tt02144.livejournal.com]

The fact that the dog owner had a baby with him could explain the dog's behavior. Most dogs are very protective, especially of babies/children. I'd be curious to know if they have often had the baby and dogs out together. The dog may have simply felt that your daughter came too close to the baby and perceived it as a threat. Best of luck with her recovery and your medical issues!

[elements.livejournal.com]

I had a bad experience with a dog when I was a toddler (not bitten, but roughhousing from a dog older than you are as a little kid is tough), and was terrified of dogs for years, but I learned to work through it. I'm sure your daughter will be able to do the same, though it may take her some time. As others have said, being around friendly, laid-back dogs in controlled situations can help a lot.