Woman Refuses To Pay $3,000 After Her Dog Bit A Neighbor Who Broke Into Her House

Sometimes, even the most responsible pet owners find themselves in tough situations. In a post on r/ApartmentLiving, Reddit user Medium-Audience5078 shared how an elderly neighbor wandered into her home while she stepped out for a moment to take out the trash. As the security camera footage revealed, the lady sat on the sofa, confused the woman’s dog for her own, and got bit. Though the injury was minor and the Redditor apologized, the lady’s son is demanding she cover the medical bills and other expenses.

This woman stepped outside just for a few minutes, but when she came back to her house she found out that her dog had bitten her neighbor

Dog barking behind bars outside house, related to incident involving neighbor.

Image credits: Manel Vazquez/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

However, the animal was inside when she left

Text about a woman whose dog bit a neighbor intruder, questioning responsibility for medical bills.

Text describing an incident where a woman's dog bit a neighbor who mistakenly entered her home.

Text describing a dog biting incident involving a neighbor breaking into a woman's house.

Elderly woman sitting on a beige sofa in a bright living room, looking pensive.

Image credits: shotprime/Envato (not the actual photo)

Text describing an incident where a woman's dog bit a neighbor who entered her home.

Text detailing a woman's refusal to pay $3,000 after her dog bit a neighbor during a break-in.

Text discussing a woman's legal stance after her dog bit a neighbor who broke in.

Image credits: Medium-Audience5078

In many places, determining if it’s the victim or the owner who’s responsible for a dog bite depends on whether or not the animal was provoked

We got in touch with the author of the post and she said she’s new to the area.

“I just moved into the neighborhood a few months ago, and [this incident aside] I do like it!” the Redditor told Bored Panda. “My pups love it too.”

However, “I’ve never seen the elderly lady before at all. I don’t even know where she came from! She completely got away from her caregiver and I’m unsure for how long,” the woman added.

According to a survey by FindLaw, the most common neighbor conflicts are about:

• Noise (48% of all disputes). Whether it be from raucous late-night parties or maybe different sleep schedules that result in one neighbor waking up the other, noise is the number one way to annoy people living around you.
• Pets and animals (29%). Pets and animals can be tricky to deal with directly, since it is the animal that is causing the problem and not the owner. However, at times the issue stems from the owner’s failure to properly handle or train their animal.
• Children’s behavior (21%). Much like pets, children being loud or even running onto your property can be the result of their parents — i.e., your adult neighbors — not properly looking after them. Local laws may even hold the kids’ parents liable for damages.
• A visual nuisance, the property’s appearance, trash, etc. (18%). Many eyesores, such as unkempt lawns, offensive signs, or overflowing trash cans can also lead to infighting within neighborhoods.
• Property boundaries (17%). In these types of disputes, neighbors often are mistaken about where their property begins and ends.

While pet-related issues are quite frequent, this particular one is different. It’s difficult to refute that the dog was simply reacting to an unexpected intruder.

Dog barking near open door; incident in woman's home defense dispute.

Image credits: Konrad Koller/Unsplash (not the actual photo)

The experts at Hernandez Law Group say that determining who’s at fault for a dog bite – the victim or the owner of the animal – depends on whether or not the victim provoked the dog.

“By law, provocation is any action from an individual that elicits a radical change in the dog’s behavior. This principle determines who is at fault when a victim seeks compensation for medical expenses and damages after a bite,” they explain.

In Texas, for example, it is known as the “one bite rule.”

“This rule states that an owner will be held liable for damages caused by an animal known to be dangerous or that has the potential to be dangerous. However, if the animal has no record of being aggressive, the defendant must prove that the animal was aggressive before they can gain compensation for their injuries,” the legal experts say.

Examples of provoking behavior include:

• Hitting the dog;
• Trapping the dog in a small space;
• Startling the dog;
• Stepping on its tail;
• Pulling on its tail, ears, legs, or fur.

It sounds like an unannounced “visit” such as the one described in the Reddit post could definitely be considered a provocation.

What’s worse, the author of the post learned that the lady’s son was deliberately trying to take advantage of the situation. “My dog literally just nipped her, it was nothing major at all. It turns out he never took her to the doctor and he thought he could get money out of me. I guess he didn’t look up the laws in my state… They see it as she broke into my house and I’m not liable at all.”

“Honestly, I just want the elderly lady to get the proper care that she needs!” the woman added. “The fact that she was able to get away like that is insane.”

As her story went viral, the woman provided more information in the comments

Text exchange about a woman's legal stance on not paying $3,000 after her dog bit a trespassing neighbor.

Reddit comment discussing a dog biting incident involving a woman's refusal to pay damages.

Discussion about dog's behavior and break-in incident between users in an online forum.

Reddit discussion about a woman refusing to pay $3,000 after her dog bit a trespasser in her home.

Online forum discussion about dog bite liability and home intrusion.

Comments discussing a $3,000 dispute after a dog bite incident involving a neighbor entering a house uninvited.

People have had a lot of reactions to the whole ordeal

Text from a legal forum comment discussing a dog bite incident involving a house break-in and refusal to pay.

Comment on a forum discussing a case involving a woman, her dog, and a trespassing incident.

Comment on a post about a dog bite, discussing trespassing and refusing payment.

Comment advising to consider pressing charges for trespassing incident.

Comment on trespassing and refusing to pay after dog bite incident.

Comment discussing legal stance after a dog bite incident involving a home intruder.

Comment suggesting to keep video evidence ready for court regarding a dog bite incident.

Comment discussing liability after a dog bites an intruder, mentioning an elderly woman's confusion.

Text of a comment advising to call a lawyer after a dog bites an intruder breaking into a house.

Comment supporting woman whose dog bit a trespasser in her house.

Comment discussing legal action regarding a dog bite incident.

Comment by JeanCerise advising not to pay after dog incident with neighbor.

Discussion text about legal responsibility and caregiving issues in Reddit forum.

Comment discussing a case where a dog defended a home from an intruder.

Comment discussing legal advice on refusing to pay for a dog bite incident with a neighbor intruder.

Comment about refusing payment after dog bite incident involving trespassing.

Comment discussing a dog bite incident where a woman refuses to pay after a trespasser entered her home.

Reddit comment supporting woman whose dog bit intruder.

Comment suggesting calling police for trespassing after a neighbor was bitten by a dog.

Reddit comment about a dog bite incident involving a neighbor breaking in.

Text defending a woman not paying after her dog bit a trespasser.

Reddit comment advising to seek legal counsel regarding dog bite liability after home break-in.

Comment defending woman whose dog bit a neighbor after a break-in.

Online comment discussing legal and emotional aspects of a dog's response to a house intruder.

Comment discussing a woman's refusal to pay after her dog bit an intruder.

Reddit comment defending a woman whose dog bit a neighbor during a home invasion.

Reddit comment on a legal situation involving a dog bite incident and a neighbor entering a home.

Comment on a legal issue about a dog bite incident involving a home break-in.

Text exchange discussing legal advice on a dog bite incident involving a neighbor breaking in.

Reddit comment discussing a woman refusing to pay after her dog bit a neighbor who broke in.

Eventually, the woman got in touch with a lawyer, and her worries disappeared after learning she wasn’t liable

Text update on refusing to pay for medical bills after a dog bite incident involving a home intruder.

Text describing a dog bite incident and refusal to pay, citing minor injury without medical records.

Text about a woman's lawyer advising her to contact animal control and the police after a dog bite incident, deemed provoked.

Text about woman refusing to pay after her dog bit neighbor during a break-in.

Image credits: Medium-Audience5078

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