dog was attacked by another dog - how best to seek justice?

Sadly, this story's not over yet.

Mrs Jock sent the letter to the Council, Environment Dept as requested. Couple of days later, she calls them to see what's happening.
The response: We can't do anyting about it because it happened on private land, you'll have to involve the Guards.
I've sat on this for days to prevent myself from an anti-council rant but you might just be able to consider just how frustrated I'm feeling.
Anyway, Friday evening Mrs Jock decides to risk taking the dog to the beach again. Walking home back up the boreen, she hears dogs barking, our dog naturally barks back, then she sees the dog which attacked her & our dog tearing up the boreen towards them. Luckily, she had a good head start & got home safe, and the dog didn't follow as far as our garden. It was nowhere to be seen, and neither was it's owner, when I went out looking for them carrying my trusty 3 wood.
So, further calls to the Guarda, the one dealing with it is either off shift or out on enquiries.
Whatever eventually happens, I've learned that no-one we've contacted gives a crap about either my wifes' or my dogs' safety. Absolutely stinks of "keep fobbing them off & ignoring them & it might go away". I'll repeat what I mentioned in a previous post here - we do not live in an area where crime is commonplace. I'm sure the Guard will have some other things to do, but this has gone on since the last Bank Holiday weekend.
I don't feel we've had, or likely to get, any kind of justice. I'll know better next time. :mad:
Rant over, thanks for bearing with me.
 
Did you try the ISPCA (or similar) route Jock?

I'm sure they won't (and can't) get too involved but they might be familiar with your predicament and may have specific advice/recommendations.

Probably worth a try anyway?
 
Caveat said:
Did you try the ISPCA (or similar) route Jock?

I'm sure they won't (and can't) get too involved but they might be familiar with your predicament and may have specific advice/recommendations.

Probably worth a try anyway?
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Thanks Caveat.
Yeah, it might be worth a call to ISPCA, but you know what, it's stressfull making all these calls & being reminded of what happened & how everyone seems happy to wring their hands & do nothing. From a happy family day out, we've gone to Mrs Jock and her dog being injured, getting the run-around from everyone we've contacted & Mrs Jock both stressed by the continued hassle & actually now very nervousto leave the house on foot.
If it had simply been a dogfight I could've lived with that. But Mrs Jock was attacked & left with nasty cuts to one hand & a lot of bruising to both. And still we can't get any officials to show any interest.

My faith in official bodies - nil.
 
Caveat said:
Well somebody has to say it, and it may seem over the top ... solicitor?
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Well, I'm glad it was you!

To be honest, Caveat, I think it would be pointless.
The owner is a constantly drunk, caravan-dwelling, picking cockles to supplement his welfare cheque waster.
A solicitors letter would not, I think, faze him at all, and even if he was willing to pay compensation I wouldn't want it. I honestly doubt that even the threat of court action for being complicit in an assault would bother him one bit - what is a court likely to do to him?

Brighter news in a call I just got from Mrs Jock. She had phoned the Guards again this morning to see if any progress. (Was told yesterday that the Guard would be on 9am to 6pm shift today.) First got told he was on shift at 12. Called back at 12:30 to be told he was off until Friday. I'll spare you how she & I both felt at that point!
Anyway, eventually got put onto another Guard who said he would check up. Sure enough, a few minutes later he calls her back to say that the original Guard had logged 3 visits to the caravan, but no-one home on any occassion.
So maybe, just maybe, there will be some progress on Friday.
You'll excuse me for not holding my breath while I wait!
 
At this point, would you consider a letter / phone call to your local TD or councillor?

Tell them that you and Mrs. Jock are in constant fear of being attacked (again) by the dog and the despite reporting it to the authorities, nothing has been done.

There's nothing to lose.
 
stevec said:
At this point, would you consider a letter / phone call to your local TD or councillor?

Tell them that you and Mrs. Jock are in constant fear of being attacked (again) by the dog and the despite reporting it to the authorities, nothing has been done.

There's nothing to lose.
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Thats a great idea - our local councillors are always willing to help out in situations where the authorities are doing nothing - although in this case the Guards seem to be trying to do something but the man isnt in anytime they call.
 
I'd have been reluctant to involve anyone else in case it put the Guarda's nose out of joint - we have to live here, in our small community.

I am more hopeful now that we know there have been attempts at action, wish we had known that last week. Would've saved a lot of worry & stress.

Thanks for all the advice folks, hopefully I can post a positive closure on this soon!
 
I would give a time limit of one week to the Garda and if no result (or Garda doing nothing) go down to the station and make sure they take a written report and include the letter from the Dog Warden, phone calls to officials rarely work. You don't have to complain about the Garda in your report, be polite, but I'm guessing they will be more proactive when it's written down. Alternatively send a registered letter to the station with a list of your complaints.
 
Well, this isn't the update I hoped to post but.................

Call from the Guarda to Mrs Jock last night. He's been down to the dog owner, told him there was a complaint, owner says he controls his dogs.
Guarda says he is not empowered to remove the dog, so basically....tough. He will, however, go back to the owner with the Dog Warden & further warn him about his dog, if we want him to. Woohoo. If we want to proceed further, she has to make a formal statement & go to court to give evidence. Next local court is in June, dog owner will get a solicitor supplied by the state & we will have to go back to court the following month when he presents his defence. So, no walking our dog this summer. Mrs Jock tells him about the further incident when the dog chased her up the boreen, Guarda sees nothing here that will spur him into furher action.
During the course of the phone call, Guarda claims to have only heard about this matter last week and we should have reported it sooner. Mrs Jock reminds him that he actually phoned her the day after the incident, to say he had been advised by the Guarda we reported it to on the day. He also makes comments which Mrs Jock took as being a "friendly warning" that the dog owner was a bad lot. Guarda's final offering is that we should pursue the matter through the Dog Warden, as " the law does not allow him to remove the dog." Mrs Jock reminds him that she was also attacked - the Guarda we reported it to saw her hand pouring blood-, and had it been a person, they would surely be dealt with, but a dog seems able to bite a person & no action taken?
"Ah, well, that's the way the law is".

So, to get a dangerous dog off the street, Mrs Jock has to lose more time off work, hire a solicitor & go through the stress of 2 court appearances, with no guarantee of justice.
Am I wrong to feel we've been totally let down, dismissed as a nuisance, fobbed off? I don't know whether I'm more sickened or angry.
 
That is a disgrace. Get on to your local authority, to the dog warden, tell him your wife has been attacked by this dog and he has the power to seize the dog. Get on to your local councillor for good measure to ensure action is taken quickly. The action should be taken by the County Council and you will not need to hire a solicitor of your own.
 
Hi Vanilla
Thanks for the advice - I was kinda hoping you'd show up!

Unforunately, as you'll see above, when we reported to the Dog Warden, he asked us to confirm in writing to his superiors. This we did, only to be told that they wouldn't/couldn't act because the attack happened on private land. The fact that the dog chased my wife & her dog along a public road & followed them into the garden seems to make no difference to them.
 
Jock04 said:
Hi Vanilla
Thanks for the advice - I was kinda hoping you'd show up!

Unforunately, as you'll see above, when we reported to the Dog Warden, he asked us to confirm in writing to his superiors. This we did, only to be told that they wouldn't/couldn't act because the attack happened on private land. The fact that the dog chased my wife & her dog along a public road & followed them into the garden seems to make no difference to them.
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That is where the local councillor will come in- if their initial problem was that the attack was on private land then now they have no excuse- push, push, push- it is the only way they will take this seriously. I really think it is outrageous that your wife cannot walk the dog without fear of being attacked. I think you are correct however in stating that a solicitor will be able to do nothing for you except take a civil action against this man which would ultimately be useless and will just cost you money.
 
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