Before we ever got Greta, I debated the virtues of the dog park.

But once she came into our home, we went a few times and had so much fun it became a daily ritual. 

In August 2007, we were at that dog park on a Sunday morning romp with other greyhounds, and Greta was bit by another dog. After an exchange of contact information and a trip to the vet, the owner of that dog refused to pay our vet bill.

From August through November 2007, I conducted extensive research and got to know the local Animal Control for the City of Sacramento very well. My goal was to make them enforce the rules posted at the dog park, in an effort to get the other dog’s owner to own up to her dog’s actions.

When that didn’t work, I had to file the papers to take said owner to small claims court. Even then, she owner refused to pay the bill.

In January 2008, I had my day in court, where I presented an overwhelming case. The defendant was even cut off early on because she had no defense–while I had three witnesses who saw her dog bite Greta, and she admits she wasn’t watching her dog!

I subsequently won, and then, finally, was repaid weeks later (including all various fees associated with taking the owner to court). I also became a reluctant expert regarding dog park lawsuits in the process.

While I am very happy with the outcome (justice served!), the fact that I had to wait a full seven months after the incident still rubs me the wrong way.

I know most people are responsible, and most would do the right thing in this situation.

And, as luck would have it, I probably ran into the one individual that’s ever been to that dog park who refuses to do what’s right and take responsibility for their dog’s actions.

But all the time and money I had to invest to earn my victory left me exhausted and swore me off dog parks.

I think dog parks are great in theory, but when something goes wrong, it takes a herculean effort to enforce rules and regulations.

During the ordeal, I used to say that the dog park is, in essence, the wild, wild west–a place where anything goes.

That’s why I’m not going.

(Greta’s wound, which required a drain between the upper and lower bites.)

• Seven Tips for Preventing A Dog from Biting Your Children [/caption]Even if your family already has a child-friendly dog, this doesn't guarantee that your children won't face an aggressive dog and the potential for a dog bite some time in their life. That's why it will be important to not only have a dog around the house to let your......
• Weight Lost: 47 pounds in 7 weeks... Under 1 Pound Weight Loss This Week After 7 weeks on the medically assisted weightless program JumpStart medicine with Dr. Sean Bourke, I have lost 47 pounds in 52 days. This week I lost 0.6 pounds and achieved only 11.1% of my weekly goal. I highly recommed Jumpstart. I have a special offer for anyone in wanting......
• Getting Fired... For those that know me well, they can attest to the fact that I just can't keep my big mouth shut. I ask a lot of questions, and I make sure that I am not ignored. This goes for pretty much every aspect of my life. Especially when it comes......
• When Reputation Is Everything, It's Smart To Have A Good Bedside Manner I want to tell you a story about myself, The Sheconomist, and The Boxer. If you've heard of the $6 million man, then you will probably understand why we call our boxer, the $6 thousand puppy. He has a knack for getting himself hurt, and over the years has had......
• 4 Things to Know about Pregnant Dogs [/caption]If you've never owned a pregnant dog before, the new challenges can seem a little bit overwhelming. Not only do you have the specter of a dog in your house, you have the added twist that your dog will be producing puppies within a short amount of time - and......

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.

You know what I’m talking about…the collar that’s more of a cone, and makes your dog look like a crazy drunk party-goer who took a lampshade and decided it would make a nice upside down hat.

Fortunately, Greta has only had to wear her “Elizabethan collar”, as the vets so kindly describe it, once. Oh, it’s not a pretty story, and I will share it in a day or two, but the gist is she was bit by another dog at the dog park, and she wound up with a drain and several stitches, and the lovely collar.

And, of course, it happened the day before we were heading to Lake Tahoe for vacation, so here is a pic of Greta’s first experience with Lake Tahoe.

(That’s Greta on the left, fyi.)

All in all, she was a good sport about the whole thing, up until the day before she was supposed to get her sticthes out, when she got all excited and decided to do it herself. That got her a few more days with the E-collar.

Since then, I’ve done some research, and think I may get one of these or these to have on hand just in case.

Hopefully I’ll never need it!

• Eastland Women's Solstice Polyurethane outsole for long wear, comfort and flexibilityPillow sock insole for cushioned comfortOpanka stitch to sole construction on the forepart for improved flexibility and comfort Product DescriptionThe Solstice is a perfectly wonderful shoe to have and wear. This shoegives you the classic boat shoe look, cushioned insole, rubber sole,and......
• Wolf Run Golf Club, Lake Tahoe, CA Wolf Run Golf Club is located near Lake Tahoe, CA Phone: (775) 851-3301 Website: http://www.wolfrungolfclub.com/ Course History: Wolf Run Golf Club is a very nice course that is a little expensive to play but well worth the trip. The course was designed to fit right into the landscape, which means......
• Foghorns Outdoors California Recreational Lakes and Rivers -- Book Review When I first purchased my boat I received a copy of Foghorn Outdoors California Recreational Lakes and Rivers: The Complete Guide to Boating, Fishing, and Water Sports (Foghorn Outdoors) from my in laws as a birthday present.  At this point I have read the book cover to cover and I can......
• Northstar at Tahoe Golf Course, Lake Tahoe, CA The Northstar at Tahoe Golf Course is located near Lake Tahoe, CA Phone: 530.562.3290 Website: http://www.northstarattahoe.com/info/summer/golf.asp Course History: This resort course has something for the whole family, including tennis, horseback riding and many other activities. The staff here are incredibly friendly and the course has built up a reputation of......
• Las Vegas, Reno, Tahoe '95: With Gambling Tips and Trips to Lake Mead and the Mountains Product DescriptionA guide to Las Vegas, Renoe and Lake Tahoe, a region that is host to over 30 million tourists a year. It provides details of the hotels and restaurants, as well as the golf courses and ski resorts throughout the region. The guide contains a whole chapter on......

No related posts.

Related posts brought to you by Yet Another Related Posts Plugin.