Dog bites - who's responsible for the vet bill?

[Anonymous]

Hi DCUM,
Question re financial responsibilities of the dog owners vs pet sitters
here is the deal - my friend fosters dogs regularly, and sometimes takes relative's dog in when they have to travel (free of charge). All was ok until it wasn't: relative's dog attacked foster dog out of the blue, foster had wounds were serious enough for emergency vet visit. Initially, the rescue covered all of the bills, but now is asking for reimbursement.
Who is responsible for that bill? Dog owner or pet sitter/dog foster?

[Anonymous]

I’m also a dog foster (haven’t done it in years though), but I’d never take a dog sitee when I had a foster. IMO it’s the humans fault. If I’m paying someone to sit my dog, I expect them to be safe. If I’m a rescue ams send a dog to a home to be taken care of, I expect that animal to be kept safe. The person should have been supervising, I highly doubt the dogs attacked “out of the blue”. She was careless and lazy at best not to keep them separated, negligent at worst.

[Anonymous]

I think the bill should be split between the sitter and the owner. The rescue should not have to foot that bill, and unless there are mitigating circumstances, I would consider striking that foster volunteer off the rescue's list.

- foster and sitter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the bill should be split between the sitter and the owner. The rescue should not have to foot that bill, and unless there are mitigating circumstances, I would consider striking that foster volunteer off the rescue's list.

- foster and sitter.

+1 agree. And I’m sorry to hear about the poor victim dog.

[Anonymous]

The owner

[Anonymous]

The dog owner, IMO. Your pet does something, it's your responsibility.

Dog needs to be reported to animal control as well.

[Anonymous]

Dog foster pays the bills.

[Anonymous]

The person who owns the dog who bit should pay the bill in full.

If your dog attacks, it’s your responsibility. Period. End of story.

The owner should be GRATEFUL their dog isn’t going to be put down. It’s a huge red flag that they didn’t immediately offer to pay.

[Anonymous]

The owner should. If not the foster as they put the dog at risk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m also a dog foster (haven’t done it in years though), but I’d never take a dog sitee when I had a foster. IMO it’s the humans fault. If I’m paying someone to sit my dog, I expect them to be safe. If I’m a rescue ams send a dog to a home to be taken care of, I expect that animal to be kept safe. The person should have been supervising, I highly doubt the dogs attacked “out of the blue”. She was careless and lazy at best not to keep them separated, negligent at worst.

I agree with this. It was my first thought that this situation never should have been allowed to occur in the first place.

[Anonymous]

The rescue organization should not be paying for any of the expenses.

The dog owner and the foster should be footing the bill. The dog owner, because it’s their dog who attacked and the foster for lack of supervision.

[Anonymous]

The owner of the dog that attacked without provocation pays the entire bill.
If the dog was provoked on some way, like food was related or something I would differently. But out of the blue, it’s that owner that pays.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think the bill should be split between the sitter and the owner. The rescue should not have to foot that bill, and unless there are mitigating circumstances, I would consider striking that foster volunteer off the rescue's list.

- foster and sitter.

Agree

[Anonymous]

If foster was careless with the dogs, then foster pays. If the non-foster dog attacked the foster dog without the foster having been careless, then owner pays full boat. Rescue organization should not have to pay anything, and take the foster person off their roles.

[Anonymous]

Did the relative know there would be another dog there? If yes, both parties split.
If the relative didn't know then the foster pays the entire bill because they didn't warn the relative who may know their dog doesn't do well with other dogs.