Is she aware that if it had been a stranger that the possiblility of her dog being put down is high?

That is a fucking excellent point.

Oh bonny, I'm sorry. Please let me know if there's anything that I can do. I can be fearsome when properly motivated.

smonster, I hope the day gets better for you.

bonny, I am speechless, but I think smonster has the right of it:

She is telling herself a story wherein she is not at fault. her financial stressors are likely part of the unconscious impetus for that story*, but that doesn't really matter.

I'm sure she wants to believe that she bears no responsibility in this matter, and perhaps the fact that she wasn't there plays into that as well. But when you own an animal, you take responsibility not only for their needs, but also for their actions, as much as possible. She is the owner, and her dog badly injured you while you were trying to keep him safe. The LEAST she should do is take responsibility for your medical bills, if she can't be arsed to care about anything else.

Man, I'm just imagining a situation in which one of my cats scratched and bit the hell out of someone. I would be falling all over myself to apologize, and for damn sure I would pay for any medical bills incurred as a result. No question. Sheesh.

(OK, I guess I wasn't speechless after all...)

We're all carrying a debt like this and I'm certainly not clearing mine with what I'm chipping in... but maybe its a debt we never "clear". Maybe it's an honor to carry it. Maybe it's a trust. Maybe you get to pay it back forever as much as you can.

I love this, and I believe it strongly. Very well said, Trudy.

Is she aware that if it had been a stranger that the possiblility of her dog being put down is high?

Not just a stranger--a less dog-sensitive person than bonny, period. Hell, is she confident that her dog will only repeatedly bite adults? On the arms?

Awful as it is, bonny's the *best* person in the world for her dog to bite, because she's going to think of the dog first the whole way through, and put the dog's safety and wellbeing ahead of her own. Many many people, no doubt also some of her friends, will not (and some could not, if children are involved) make that same call.

She should be throwing money at bonny's treatment and recuperation in gratitude for still having her pet.

Jesus.

DC law would probably not hold this woman legally accountable for the bites (it's weak on owner responsibility). Morally, this woman should pay, and she should be apologizing all over the place. Legally, she's probably off the hook.

(Sorry to be the bearer of bad news, esp when I'm never much around anymore.)

We're all carrying a debt like this and I'm certainly not clearing mine with what I'm chipping in... but maybe its a debt we never "clear". Maybe it's an honor to carry it. Maybe it's a trust. Maybe you get to pay it back forever as much as you can.

Echoing everyone else's sentiments. While the largesse I've received has not been monetary, it has saved my life and my sanity. What everyone did for me after Rob's cancer diagnosis and his sudden death is simply amazing. I still cannot adequately express how much it means to me. It's not something I can ever pay off. I can only hope that I pay it forward.

Don't panic, bonny. Givers and nurturers find takers sometime, though I think you know their Queen.

Thanks for chiming in, Sparky. That seems very odd to me, but laws are often odd.

Thanks, Maria, I just drove all the way home because I'd forgotten to refill my pill case and need to take my antidepressant... only to realize that my bottle of pills is also in my work bag. So that's a half hour of work I lost for nothing.

And I'm in pain and that plus work stress is triggering a panic attack. I'm trying to ward off a nasty downward spiral here and I don't know if I can. Feeling very insecure and defensive and imposter-y.

Sorry, don't mean to detract from other conversation. I'm not sure what I need, either. What I want is to give in, eat a bunch of chcolate, and nap instead of going back to work. But that's not really an option. It may be time for me to look for a therapist, or at least a support group of some kind.

((( Smonster )))

Bonny, I hope you are feeling better today. And yes, do not stop caring for others. It's so much a part of you, I'd hate to see that leave.

Aims, how is MiracleBorn household doing?

ND & Pix, I'm itching to know what the CU says. Clearly y'all are more patient than I am. Still have digits crossed.

{{{Smonster}}} I'm sorry you're feeling that way.

Bonny, I'm sorry that your former friend is being such an asshat. She needs to pay the whole bill.

I need some advice from the buffista parents for a friend of mine. Her 5 year old is starting kindergarten soon and they went to a gathering with the other kids who were going to be in his class. A couple of the kids were pushing him around, and now he doesn't want to start school. He's been in the same daycare/preschool since he was little, but this school has all new kids.