Yorkie Killed By PitBull in New York City
 

Dior, My precious little baby. My Everything.
I celebrated Dior's 3rd birthday on April 22, 2008. I usually dont let 4lb Dior sleep on my bed, but the last week things were different.He would bark and bark to come into my room, so for the last couple of days, Ive been sleeping with him.

It was a beautiful Saturday, I decided to get some doggie treats for Dior, We usually pace back and forth on the block, We were 2 minutes away from my apartment, when with no advance warning, a Pitbull Attacked My Dior. It was with one bite on the neck,the pitbull shaking his head and never letting go. I tried so hard to unjaw / unlock the hold it has on Dior, but at the end. The pitbull did let go,I saw blood everywhere. But most , my Dior was gone. Eyes open with his toungue sticking out.He was gone.

I was also injured during the struggle and bitten by
the pit bull. I went to the emergency room and got all the necessary shots
but follow up will be needed.

I found out that the lady that was walking the dog was not the owner of the dog, I have not gotten any more information on this case yet.

What can I Do as in a Lawsuit? What will happen to the Pitbull?

- Im Writing this for my friend as her, since she is devistated . I will tell her this information and forward this thread to her, once she finds some peace.

Thank you so much. My avatar is a photo of Dior. It was her Life.

I don't know what else to say except I am so terrible sorry for your friend and poor Dior. What a tragic story.
I will pray for her and again, I am so sorry this happened

I'm so sorry for your friend. I'm not sure about the laws in New York, but I think that the pitbull sounds dangerous, and maybe the local animal authorities step in? Hopefully someone can offer more help than me.

I'm so sorry for her loss. How terrible. I do believe that pit bulls have the ability to be nice dogs. But sooo many people who own pit bulls get them bc they want a "big, mean, fighting dog." And some owners train there dogs to be cruel like that by hitting them and so on...

So sad.

I am so sorry! That's aweful. I can't imagine...:(

OMG! I am so sorry for your friend. I hope something can be done to the owner of this dog. People need to be responsible for their animals. Maybe call the humane society and they can point you a direction. Prayers to your friend.:(

i am so sorry for her loss...and being that i have not been thru that i can\'t offer any help ...i just hope that justice is found and she can finally lay Dior to rest...sending prayer and strength her way...

I am so sorry for your friend..... :(

Horrible! Were the police called? Did she get their information?

That\'s where you need to start ... NOW.

that\'s sooo terrible!!! I\'m very sorry about this. i would say that your friend need to talk to a lawyer, the owners of the dog need to take responsibility.

OMG I am sooo sorry :( my prayers and well wishes are with her

Thank you
 

Yes , the police were called, we are still waiting for the police report.
The other dog is locked up. What happens if the owner cannot be found?
What happens to the pitbull? Do we have any legal rights in this matter?
Thank you everyone for your fast and caring reponses. I really appreciate it.

If the owner of the pit can\'t be found then the dog will more than likely be PTS, which sounds lke it would be appropriate action in this case.

So the lady walking the dog wasn\'t the owner? Doesn\'t she know where the owner could be reached? that just sounds odd...

Do you have the info for the person who was walking the dog?

I am so sorry for your friend. I don\'t know what the dollar limit in Small Claims Court is in New York, but in many states it\'s $5000.00. If this would cover the cost of her own injuries and the cost of the dog, than this is one way to go because your friend would not need to hire a lawyer, and the case is pretty clear-cut. If she has the money to hire a lawyer, that might be the way to go. Some lawyers work on a percentage of the amount awarded.

It does not matter that someone else was with the dog at the time the owner is still responsible. She needs to inform the authorities about the bite and what happens to the dog depends on them whether or not she seeks civil justice.

Sometimes they just reimburse for the cost of the average yorkie so she might want to have receipts for her dog and perhaps neutering expenses especially if hers was an expensive dog. I would think if she can afford to hire a lawyer she has a good chance at getting punitive damages as well, because a pit bull\'s owner should be aware of the dangerous behavior of this dog, and many insurance companies won\'t even offer coverage if they know the dog is a pit bull. It\'s kind of you to help your friend like this, but the very first thing she should do is contact authorities. The next victim could be a child.

I didn\'t see your last post until I posted this. I wouldn\'t worry about the pitbull if I were you.