New York: After her elderly Husky is mauled by two Pit Bulls, owner finds out that courts can't order vicious dog owners to pay up unless you can prove they knew their dog was vicious. Now she's stuck with a critically injured dog and the bills.

NEW YORK -- This is Blaze, a gentle 11-year old Husky face-licking machine whose favorite thing to do  is to hike on trails and country roads.  Because she is a “wolfdog,” and because old age and arthritis are creeping up on her, her owner is diligent in the goal of walking her at least three miles a day.

Which is what we were doing one fateful Saturday evening when we got attacked by an unleashed mother and daughter pit bull duo on a country road.

The pit bulls pounced on Blaze, the mother locking onto Blaze’s throat and dragging her to the ground; as the daughter proceeded to chow on Blaze’s front legs like they were Thanksgiving dinner.  I desperately screamed for help, but no one responded.  

For what seemed like 10 to 15 minutes, I tried to pull the dogs off, hit them with rocks, branches, etc. but this also had absolutely no effect, and I endured multiple puncture wounds that had to be treated at the emergency room that evening due to infection. 

Ultimately, I was able to grab the choke collar of the smaller dog and drag her into an unlocked car that was parked nearby.  But when the mother saw the choke collar in my hand, she became threatened by it, and she finally let go of Blaze’s neck and trotted back towards her home.

With the neck lock broken, traumatized Blaze was finally able to stand, and limped down the road, the leash dangling on her side, and a trail of blood behind her.  My friends helped me bring her to the vet, who said the wounds were serious and he wasn’t sure if she would make it through the night.  Before shaving off her fur and cleaning up the wounds, he said it would cost $600 to euthanize and cremate her; or about $1,500 to proceed with emergency care.

But when I picked her up the next day, the bill had increased to $2,200 that I simply did not have.  In addition, the vet cautioned that the wounds were serious, and further vet visits would be required.

Blaze came home and started a long process of recovery.  The antibiotics that she was on had very little effect on the wounds, so she had to go back to the vet to get a different antibiotic and more painkillers.  This time, the antibiotics worked, but it took a full three weeks from the day of the attack until the last “plug” of puss came out of the deepest puncture wound.

At that point, the vet said he would no longer see Blaze until we cleared the $2,300 bill.

In the meantime, the pit bull owner refused to help with the bill and was brought to small claims court.  The judge was sympathetic to Blaze’s case, but he ruled this October 2017 that while the pit bull owner had a moral responsibility to pay for the medical expenses, the Judge could not mandate it.  

Turns out there is a law in New York State that says if there is no previous indication of an animal’s viciousness, then the owner can’t be held legally responsible for damages when the animal's behavior changes.  

I don't know why the judge couldn't rule on property damage. After all, animals are considered property. If this guy had knocked down your mailbox, he'd have to pay for damages. If he had let a shopping cart hit your car in the parking lot of the grocery store, he'd have to pay for damages. I think a creative judge could have figured something out...

Because of the long recovery, Blaze’s muscles have atrophied and the injuries and/or arthritis settled in.  To this date, Blaze still has not regained her former speed or gait, and she often limps and trips.  In addition, about six months after the attack, Blaze came down with urinary and/or kidney infection, likely a candida overgrowth or damaged kidneys from the antibiotics and medications that she was on.

Despite this, Blaze is eating well, drinking (maybe a bit too much), and still loves her walks on the rail trail.

However, she desperately needs a follow-up visit with the vet to see if anything else is blocking her recovery.  As of this point, the medical bills are about $2,300, but she needs lab work to find out if she has a UTI, yeast overgrowth, decreased kidney function or arthritis from all of the antibiotics and painkillers she was on.  This could be up to another $500.

Please consider helping Blaze come to a full recovery so she can enjoy her senior years without a lot of pain.  As a wolfdog, she needs to walk and run 3 to 5 miles a day to maintain flexibility and joint health.  If unresolved medical issues from the pit bull attack prevent her from doing this, she will certainly have to be put down a lot sooner.

We would be grateful for any help you can give!!!!!!!!!!

GoFundMe: Blaze's Vet Bills From Dog Attack
Created October 19, 2017
Debra Durstewitz
  Animals
  SOUTH FALLSBURG, NY
$100 of $2,800 goal
Raised by 1 person in 3 days