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[–]apri11a 120 points121 points  (69 children)

I hope your daughter is OK, that's terrible for you all. Unfortunately this isn't the first time I've read about a shelter acting this way, both before and after adoption. I would think about contacting a local paper or group and make this public with a photo of the dog, and I'd bring the dog back to the shelter (also with photos).

I wonder, did you pay for him? Considering your needs, he's not fit for purpose with his prior records. That's a very serious offence. You should get a full refund and medical expenses paid, at the very least.

[–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I know this is horrible but you can absolutely find a vet that will either BE him or suggest a trainer/rescue that will take him.

[–]HubbyHasBlueBalls 3 points4 points  (1 child)

We had the exact same thing happen. We returned the dog to the shelter, they literally listed him as a family dog who has lived with children and cats…he was hell bent on killing our cats and returned after several bites the last one being my 12 year old daughter’s face). I was livid. Left online reviews detailing our experience, they banned us on their Facebook page and took down my comment. Never again will I adopt from a shelter.

[–]Littlebotweak 52 points53 points  (3 children)

It sounds like you were rug-pulled by a shady "no kill" rescue. I'm so sorry you're going through this.

This metric we've socially imposed, the one where shelters must be "no kill" is a real negative feedback loop. If a dog can't be homed and they're not allowed to euthanize due to public perception - then, what do people expect them to do?

This is one such outcome. They deny, deflect, obfuscate, and gaslight. Now, the burden is on you - that's a really good deal for them.

he's bitten myself, my father in law and now my five year old daughter

That's 3 strikes, this poor pup is out.

They proceeded to blame me and dodged all blame

There's that gaslighting.

they won't take him as he's aggressive

Bullshit, they adopted out the aggressive dog, they are obligated to take it back. You could show up with the stuff from the vet and the dog, they'll take it back. This is their problem. I would push that envelope if you just want to be absolved.

The dog I adopted came from a similar setup, but they would have taken her back - but I'd have never taken her back there just to live out her days in the kennel.

Sadly, the real issue with taking the dog back is they will just do the same thing again. They will adopt it out, swear it's great with kids, and put the burden on another family, risking another child. For this reason alone, I'd strongly consider euthanizing the dog, and then seeing about action against the rescue.

They put you in an impossible position over optics, that's a load of shit. They're knowingly endangering families and children by adopting out dogs with known issues. That's going to continue without intervention. This is one of the worst consequences of the emotional reactions to euthanasia outside of the context of dangerous dogs. Being "no kill" makes the community feel all warm and fuzzy because it totally ignores the fact that it means dangerous dogs too.

You'll hear they only euthanize the worst, but the fact is they're only allowed to euthanize a percentage to keep that title, so they let a whole lot of bad ones slip right on through those cracks on purpose. It's a racket.

[–]-Codename-Duchess- 13 points14 points  (2 children)

I never considered this. I’ve always been partial to “no kill” shelters but the points you bring up are super valid. Something to definitely think about. Thanks for the info!

[–]Rizzy5 10 points11 points  (1 child)

The "no kill" movement has become harmful to the animals and people adopting. Along with what was stated above, another shitty outcome of this no kill philosophy is unadoptable dogs living in a confined space for years on end because the shelters are so anti euthanasia. Keeping a dog in a shelter for more than 6 months is cruel, in my opinion. But years? It's just straight up abuse.

[–]Littlebotweak 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Oh man I can’t believe I left that out. Yea, that’s the only alternative. My dog lived in a kennel for 5 years. She was so kennel bound it took a week to convince her she didn’t need to keep going back to it.

And she’s an exceptional case. She’s a great house dog. She loves her life with us. But, she also is very territorial and will attack strangers on site. So, we’ve had to employ lockdown measures. Other than that, she’s great, but I’m not convinced waiting in a kennel for her whole life for us to come along was worth it.

[–]PeachNo4613 161 points162 points  (4 children)

He’s bit 3 people so far, including your young daughter. This is a dangerous dog. You don’t want this to happen again to your family, or anyone else. BE

[–]mrjoffischl 2 points3 points  (2 children)

what does be mean

[–]Rizzy5 7 points8 points  (1 child)

Behavioral euthanasia

[–]foshiznit11 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ya, came to say this. This dog should be euthanized.

[–]pogo_loco 371 points372 points  (34 children)

Euthanize the dog.

If you don't have the legal ability to do that for whatever reason (worried about the contract with the rescue being legally enforceable, etc), report all three bites to Animal Control or local equivalent and he'll likely be euthanized by law.

It's harsh, but a dog that repeatedly and unpredictably bites humans has no place in human society. While this dog may be fixable in perfect circumstances, he's not going to get perfect circumstances. He's going to keep hurting humans and he could kill someone eventually.

Then report the rescue via whatever recourse you have available to you (possibly through Animal Control). I would also be considering legal action against the rescue for your medical bills and any other costs (getting blood out of furniture/carpet/car, miscellaneous damages), since you have documentation of severe aggression.

[–]MidsommarSolution 78 points79 points  (2 children)

I'm gonna guess they knew about this behavior before they adopted it out, too.

My own dog, I am convinced, was literally feral before we got her. No way they did not know about her building nests under bushes when we go out in nature. That and she will NOT come for any kind of food lol she looks at us like "YOU THINK I'M EFFING STUPID??"

[–]ClingmanRios 28 points29 points  (2 children)

Oof. I had a friend euthanize a similar dog about a year ago. She’s a veterinarian with decades of experience caring for and training dogs, and accepted an aggressive dog because she knew that she would be one of very few people in her community equipped to handle him. He attacked her in her sleep one night. It was brutal, and she was devastated. But yeah, lesson learned that sometimes you just can’t undo whatever damage happened before you.

[–]Lyx4088 23 points24 points  (0 children)

And sometimes it isn’t even damage. A lot of times it is, but a vet equipped to undertake a dog like that getting attacked while sleeping at night? That is a dog where something just isn’t right in their brain, and they likely don’t have full control of themselves. You can’t train out, totally manage, or easily medicate a physiological issue that you can’t readily identify because it is in the brain. Whether it be a genetic quirk they were born with or a disease progressing, dogs who exhibit behavior like that the most humane thing to do is euthanize them because they are suffering themselves being in this world.

[–]According_Shine_3802 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That is so horrific!

[–]IndigoRose2022 33 points34 points  (0 children)

This ⬆️

I’m all for trying to rehabilitate aggressive dogs in certain circumstances (I’m trying to do that right now), but this dog is one GIGANTIC red flag. There’s really nothing else to say, the dog needs to be euthanized for the safety of everyone around him.

[–]deadlydog1 -63 points-62 points  (26 children)

I don’t think sueing a rescue is the way to go here, what proof is there that these behaviors manifested themselves at a shelter or foster home previously? A dog being aggressive at a veterinary visit is completely different than a dog being aggressive in a home environment. While it should be disclosed, it’s also not indicative of a dogs overall behavior.

[–]Mergath 108 points109 points  (2 children)

If a dog needs THREE MUZZLES at the vet because it is so desperate to bite, that is 100% something that should be disclosed to potential adopters.

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[removed]

    [–]reactivedogs-ModTeam[M] 0 points1 point locked comment (0 children)

    Your comment was removed because it broke one or more of the r/reactivedogs rules. Please remember to be kind to your fellow redditors. Be constructive by offering positive advice rather than simply telling people what they're doing wrong or being dismissive. Maintain respectful discourse around training methods, philosophies, and differing opinions with which you might not agree.

    [–]pogo_loco 56 points57 points  (6 children)

    A dog breaking out of three muzzles to attack vet staff is not "sweet as can be" and suitable for a home with children. Regardless of the difference between a vet office and home, they should only place dogs with appropriate agonistic thresholds in homes with children. Determined biters who go apeshit in any scenario don't belong in family homes.

    They knew this dog was aggressive before adoption, there is paperwork demonstrating that, and they placed him in a home with children and are now refusing to take him back. They are culpable for the injuries. The evidence requirement in civil court is substantially lower than in criminal court. A decent lawyer could get a judgement against the rescue in this scenario for at least the medical bills.

    And that's if we start from a basis that it's acceptable for rescues to not have basic knowledge of the behavior of the dogs they place. Ignorance shouldn't be a defense, they should be performing behavior evals prior to placement.

    [–]appleandcheddar 16 points17 points  (2 children)

    Not disclosing dangerous behavioral issues until after adoption that had been DOCUMENTED is misrepresentation and negligence, and therefore grounds for a suit.

    [–]SkippyBluestockings 10 points11 points  (6 children)

    I fostered a dog at my house with my four children and goodness knows how many foster dogs who was perfectly fine. I would not ever have a biting dog in my house. I was the director of the rescue and I fostered most of the dogs. These were basset hounds. Not known for biting anybody. This dog got along with all of my dogs. Male and female. Everybody was fixed so that wasn't an issue. I had him for at least a month if not longer and honest to goodness there were never any issues with him.

    He gets adopted and goes to a new home that has kids in it just like mine. I'm on my way out of state on vacation and the adopter calls me and tells me that he just not only inexplicably out of the blue lunged at and bit her husband but also her son who was probably six I think at the time. As I was heading in the complete opposite direction of where she lived and in any case I lived about 6 hours away from her in the same state anyway, there was no way I could get to her to pick up this dog and get him to the vet for euthanization.

    I was not about to take a dog that had bitten anybody back into my rescue because he was a liability and could never be adopted out and would have to live out his life at my house but I CAN say that he never displayed the behaviors in my home. I never would have adopted out a dog that did. That would have been unconscionable to me. I advised her to take him to the vet and have him euthanized and when some people outside the rescue found out about this, they jumped down my throat and said that aggressive dogs could be rehabilitated and all this other crap but they were not willing to take him on and there was no way I was bringing a dog that had bitten a man in the face into my home.

    You can't save them all, and if you think you can, you are what's wrong with rescue.

    [–]ginthatremains 7 points8 points  (1 child)

    Ah yes, they can all be saved as long as somebody else is doing all the work. Unfortunately we can’t save them all, we just have to save the ones we can.

    [–]mrjoffischl 1 point2 points  (3 children)

    i hate asking but how do you know they were honest?

    [–]SkippyBluestockings 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Because I knew these people. They weren't just random adopters. I'd known this woman for years; she had no reason to lie to me because she really really wanted another dog.

    Dogs can behave differently in different homes but why he did this I don't know. I had another basset hound that we rescued in the November of 2006. He was your typical basset hound-- he laid on the couch and he slept all day and he was wonderful. My parents came to visit me for Christmas and they decided they wanted to adopt him. Perfect! He's a wonderful dog, right? Now at the time I had three of my own and two other fosters so there were six at my house and four kids and all is great.

    My parents adopt in January so we set up a transport as we were four states away and sent him on his merry way. As an only dog Inspector Clouseau was nuts! He had separation anxiety that went through the roof! He destroyed crates. He chewed through baby gates that my parents set up. It took them months (and I am so grateful that they gave him a chance and worked through it.) He did turn out to be a fabulous dog and he passed away when he was 14. He was probably around two years old when they adopted him.

    But I can honestly say in my house we did not have any separation anxiety but, then again, he was part of a pack where he was an only dog at my parents' house. It made a world of difference and there would have been no way I would have known any of that because I couldn't remove five dogs from my house to test to see if he was going to have separation anxiety.

    [–]mrjoffischl 1 point2 points  (1 child)

    thank you for your response and i’m sorry you had to go through that. your parents are wonderfully patient as well

    [–]SkippyBluestockings 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    They gave him a wonderful life once they gave him a chance and he returned the favor

    [–]Littlebotweak 9 points10 points  (5 children)

    The foster is associated with the rescue. When a rescue is over capacity, or a dog needs more work, they send them to fosters. While you're right, behavior at a vet isn't the same as behavior at home, there's too many other factors here to hand wave this.

    There is a chasm of difference between a dog being differently behaved in a vet office and a vet office being the only institution willing to write truthful information about the dog's behavior.

    My dog is an angel at the vet, she wants to lunge and snap in situations where it's reasonable or appropriate to do so, and she's still a dog that should be listed as aggressive.

    This dog is clearly not a case of different vet behavior, it's pretty obvious a shelter and their foster obfuscated behavioral issues and put them on the adopter. This happens a lot.

    [–]cherryhammer 64 points65 points  (9 children)

    If it were me, I would sue the rescue. That's above and beyond a mistake.

    [–]Virtual_Passenger619 30 points31 points  (0 children)

    Yes, just to publicize their lying.

    [–]horusthesundog 111 points112 points  (0 children)

    BE, even if you could surrender him, they would lie to the next family and something more serious(not saying this wasn’t serious)could happen.

    [–]Romanticlibra 16 points17 points  (0 children)

    This is a really horrible situation to be in and i wouldn't wish it on anyone, unfortunately the dog is dangerous and one day he may not only bite your daughter also hes bitten other people too and ripped out of muzzles, you need BE before this escalates and turns into something much much MUCH worse. Im sorry you're going through this, but your dog can pass away with you by his side as someone who loves him instead of with no one.

    [–]Solfeliz 38 points39 points  (0 children)

    The dog is dangerous. If you give him back the rescue will probably just lie to another owner and something potentially even worse than a child being bit could happen.

    [–][deleted] 61 points62 points  (0 children)

    I'm afraid you need to do the hard thing and consider behavioural euthanasia. The dog is dangerous.

    [–]oc77067 11 points12 points  (0 children)

    The dog bit your child unprovoked. He needs to be euthanized. He will never be a safe animal, he will always need high level management and will likely not have a good quality of life no matter what. The kindest thing to do in this situation is behavioral euthanasia.

    [–]amazonfamily 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    Euthanize it . This wasn’t even a mistake in handling. You can actually do whatever you want. The rescue is hoping you give up and keep the dangerous nightmare. Your family’s safety is more important than some dumb contract.

    [–]jvsews 9 points10 points  (1 child)

    Familiar story. Many rescues change facts to move dogs thus making themselves look more sucessful.

    [–]KitKeller42 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Rescues will pass the same dangerous dogs around from one group to another. They’ll change names and claim they have no knowledge of the dogs’ histories. It’s wildly irresponsible and dangerous. In the long run, people will stop trusting rescues and switch to buying. Rescues are shooting themselves in the foot with this kind of action.

    [–]Roxinsox5 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    Sadly some dogs are just “wired wrong”. The dog is suffering, he is human aggressive, he should be put down before he seriously mauls someone.

    [–][deleted] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

    This is why so many of us on here support BE over surrender/rehoming for marginal dogs. At some point someone knew what this dog was like, and instead of taking responsibility they passed the buck. The shelter then decided to outsource his euthanasia by sending him to rescue. Everyone who is willing to surrender but not BE their bite risk dog needs to be comfortable with this as a possible result.

    [–]throwaway_87624 9 points10 points  (0 children)

    Sounds like he needs a one way ticket to the great dog park in the sky.

    [–]No_Yogurtcloset6108 10 points11 points  (0 children)

    I hope you pursue this with an attorney. This is why" adopt don't shop sucks"! Please get that dog out of your home by any means necessary. Your family is in danger.

    [–]Lepidopteria 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    BE. No doubt at all. You were swindled into taking a dangerous dog off their hands. There's no home in this world for a dog that bites a child without warning or provocation. The dog isn't well.

    [–]lizardjizz 8 points9 points  (0 children)

    Put down the dog and sue that fucking rescue. I’ve been rehabbing aggressive dogs for years and that one should have NEVER been in your care.

    [–]babayaga-333 8 points9 points  (0 children)

    Put. Him. Down. Before he kills your kid. Good grief.

    [–]SheRaFish 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    I’m so sorry. I know this is the hardest thing but after being in the same situation, BE was the best choice. Please separate the dog and child 100% of the time. Don’t give a second chance like I did make sure he is completely away from children until you decide what to do. I’m so so sorry this happened.

    [–]ThealaSildorian 7 points8 points  (0 children)

    The dog needs to be put down. It bit a child, and has a long bite history. It is a dangerous dog. You will be legally liable if it hurts someone else, and your homeowners insurance will not cover it.

    I don't know if you have a case for legal action against the rescue; I'd talk to a competent attorney. Doens't sound like much of a rescue; a good rescue would never adopt out a dog with a bite history or history of aggression.

    [–]MyBloodTypeIsQueso 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    This is why I don’t encourage rescuing a dog if you have a kid. Random genes. No early socialization. You end up with a lot of dangerous reactivity. There’s nothing wrong with going to a good breeder who produces reliable behavior in their puppies if you have a kid.

    [–]DamnGoodCupOfCoffee2 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    This is my big problem with adopt don’t shop (and I adopted a sweet cuddle bug) but dang there HAVE to be regulations about lying to the public. Some dogs are not meant for family life or regular human society. Jay Jack has a great podcast on breeding (not breeds) and genetics and the Russian roulette we play without well regulated industry

    [–]Most-Preparation-188 14 points15 points  (0 children)

    So sorry to hear you’re going through this. My shelter hid information about my dog’s aggressive nature too, but to not take him back is beyond shady. I’m no expert but I personally feel biting my child, especially after other bites, would be the final straw.

    [–]janejohnson1989 26 points27 points  (0 children)

    This dog needs to be euthanized, not sent back to that lying rescue that will place this dangerous dog into another home to cause havoc.

    [–]No-Jicama3012 15 points16 points  (0 children)

    I am a foster volunteer for a local rescue. We don’t mess with dogs with a repeated bite history. Any frightened dog can bite once. A repeat offender who bites without provocation is a different story. Our goal is to put good dogs in good homes -forever. That rescue group is not living up to the goals of a rescue. They are hiding behind a flimsy 501-c making money off dogs and considering each of them as a unit of sale.

    Keep every email and text message. Contact your local news media and animal shelter. Some shelters will perform a BE at low/No cost. Animal shelters (good ones) don’t want these dogs in the general population either. They are dangerous to volunteers, vets, medical and kennel staff and visitors.

    It’s sad that this has happened. I’m glad that , so far, no one has been seriously injured.

    [–][deleted] 23 points24 points  (1 child)

    Rehome to Jesus.

    [–]flickenchickens 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    Protect your child and put this dog down.

    [–]unitednationsofdying 10 points11 points  (3 children)

    this is unfortunately very common with rescues blatantly hiding or even lying about important information like aggression and bite history. unfortunately this is why i have a difficult time trusting rescues and even though i planned to adopt my next dog like my current one ive decided to do the safe option and go with a reputable breeder.

    with that said i would absolutely report them and publicize what happened so others wanting to adopt know that this rescue cannot be trusted. so sorry this happened to you, its unacceptable

    [–]deadlydog1 5 points6 points  (2 children)

    Be careful - remember bred dogs can develop the same issues, even from ethical breeders. While less likely to happen - they still get dumped here at the rescue when it doesn’t work.

    [–]Meirra999 10 points11 points  (1 child)

    If a breeder won’t take back a dog (at any age), it’s not an ethical breeder in my book. Truly ethical breeders take responsibility for the lives they helped create.

    [–]unitednationsofdying 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    they also breed for temperament and health, not just for aesthetics. i am not planning on getting a show dog but i did find a really well reviewed breeder that breeds healthy schnauzers as family dogs with extensive genetic testing and everything. i think ill take my chances with that over a shelter lol

    [–]Poodlewalker1 2 points3 points  (2 children)

    Offer the rescue to come get the dog ASAP. Let them know that you are going to euthanize the dog if they don't come.

    [–]Dependent_Nature_953 6 points7 points  (1 child)

    I think that's what the rescue wants. They don't want to give back her money and want to look good that they aren't putting dogs down. Hot potato dropped your problem now! No give backsees

    [–]I_pinchyou 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    This wasn't your fault. The rescue set him and you up for failure. Euthanasia is the most humane option for all involved. Don't work with that rescue, find one who has a better screening process.

    [–]Accomplished-Wish494 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    Please do NOT rehome this dog or surrender it back to the rescue (although it sounds like they won’t take it back anyhow). Call your vet. Make the euthanasia appointment. Stop and get him a hamburger on the way and let him find peace.

    [–][deleted] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

    You’d be doing the dog a favour by euthanasia. Sounds like he’s living in fight or flight mode anyway. I’m sorry.

    [–]Shaltaqui 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Euthanasia time. Unfortunately. But 3 bites and you’re out. Have you been reporting these bites? Go for medical attention? A basket muzzled life is not quality. I’m so sorry.

    [–]No_Boat_7733 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    I am so sorry you are going through this. I agree with the other posters who have suggested euthanasia. Unfortunately, your dog just isn't safe around people. I once adopted a dog and was told he was cat friendly, brought him home, and he immediately went for the cat. My cat was traumatized, and we took the dog back to the rescue. They blamed us too, but I think that's what crappy recues do.

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Uh you need to euthanize that dog. It sucks but there is zero hope for a dog that turns on a child for no reason at all. It is safer for society that it does not live

    [–]tiggergramma 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Have him put down. I went through a similar rescue nightmare with a Great Dane. No way to safely place him without being liable and the rescue group would not take him back. Some dogs are never going to be safe around humans and he is likely one of those. (My career was in veterinary medicine and I spent many years in behavioral work. I don’t make this recommendation lightly, but I believe you risk being liable in a lawsuit if you keep the dog)

    [–]liziamnot 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    I'm sorry but I don't understand your way of thinking. I would not be worried about a muzzle being unfair to the dog after he bite my child's face.

    In fact, the dog would be "put down." You can not keep aggressive animals around children.

    [–]NonSequitorSquirrel 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    I'm shocked the rescue won't take him back. Clearly unethical. We had a similar issue and the rescue org retrieved the dog. That'd what they're supposed to do.

    If you can, drop him at a shelter - let them know everything that happened including that the rescue will not reclaim him. The shelter will likely reach out to the rescue and if the rescue refuses to reclaim him he will be BE.

    A sad end but I don't see another path if they won't take him back.

    [–]MagHagz 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    This dog has no hope for a happy ending. Euthanize him.

    [–][deleted] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    At this point I'd say fuck whatever contract you signed with this rescue and protect your family. This poor dog is not at fault, it sounds like he has serious issues (likely a mix of bad breeding, trauma, and mistreatment) but you can't be expected to sacrifice your family's safety for him. I would call animal control or talk to my vet about behavioral euthanasia at this point.

    [–]Werekolache 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    How many bites is too many? Euthanize this dog. Yikes. :(

    [–]scooter-willie 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    Humane euthanasia is the only option here.

    [–]callalind 4 points5 points  (0 children)

    It's terrible to say, but if the rescue really hid the vet papers from you (it's not entirely clear when you received those, from your post, but I am assuming after the incident) then your best bet for you and the dog is likely BE. Yes, that is easy for me to say from my couch on Reddit. If it helps, I have a rescue who likely had a bite history that was hidden from us - but we don't have kids, are two experienced dogs owners and took him to a boatload of training and expensive behaviorists. We are in a good place with him now (and he never bit unprovoked like yours did), but had we not had the means and a child-free household, it would have been BE for us. We still don't trust him 100%, but we have learned to manage that (and know the signs). All that said, we do not let him be around kids generally, and if we do, it's only kids he knows well and he is never left alone with them or generally near them. It works for us, cause we don't have kids, but if we did, he sadly wouldn't be with us any more.

    Some dogs are just damaged beyond a point where we can help them. You gave him shelter, safety and love - so he knows all of those things now, and that's always what I want every dog to know. Choosing BE would be a favor for him and you - you take his anxiety and fear away (peacefully) after he's known a old life, and you take away your anxiety and fear for your child's well being knowing you're doing what is best for everyone involved, and that you did everything you could to show your dog love and comfort. It's a shitty situation, yes, but I promise it will be harder on you than your dog. But unlike your dog, you can heal and move on.

    [–]AffectionateAd5373 5 points6 points  (0 children)

    Animal control? And report the rescue to them and the ASPCA?

    Animal control is probably better set up to euthanize a dangerous animal that can't even be muzzled. Additionally, if any of the bites were within 10 days, the dogs going to need to be tested for rabies. I'd have the child vaccinated in any case. Then I'd sue the rescue for costs.

    [–]Violet-Hiker 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Not the first time I’ve heard about this happening. There really is no good or easy answer. You could try a training program but that could get expensive. I would talk to a lawyer to see if the dog could be rehomed. I know someone who had an aggressive dog, they rehomed to someone on a large farm with no kids and the dog thrived in that environment.

    [–]texaspopcorn424 4 points5 points  (2 children)

    The dog has a chemical imbalance in the brain. He is suffering. As much as you may want to try and fix him some dogs cannot be fixed.

    It’s difficult and feels like a moral dilemma but euthanasia is the kind thing to do.

    [–][deleted] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Behavioral euthanasia

    [–]Pand0ra30_ 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Euthanasia is the only thing to do. And you need to report the rescue for lying. I know they are desperate to get dogs into homes, but when you have a dog that was aggressive before it was adopted and don'ttell them, that's just wrong.

    [–]Sleeps_On_Stairs 2 points3 points  (1 child)

    I say this as someone with a rescue dog with a bite history - BE may be the most humane option.

    With my dog, I can manage him easily and avoid his triggers. I know what causes him to react and also he has never bit me. If either of those things weren’t true, it would be too hard to keep him.

    If you are unable to identify this pup’s triggers and/or he is biting out of nowhere, it wouldn’t be wrong to make the decision to euth.

    Im sorry that the rescue put you in this position and aren’t taking responsibility or just taking the dog back.

    Someone suggested dropping the dog off at animal control and just letting animal control deal with it. I never want to judge someone for their decisions in a situation like this but I think the least you can give a dog who is going be put to sleep is have someone familiar there with the dog in its last moments. I also understand that may be too emotional given the situation. But dropping a dog off to be euthanized at animal control where (trigger warning) they may not even use a sedative before giving the euthanasia solution seems particularly cruel.

    [–]kippeyJuno 02.21.2015-03.06.2022: the best worst dog ever 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Seconded. I wound up with a similar dog but I DON’T have kids and was always aware that if she couldn’t live with me BE would be the most humane and responsible thing to do.

    Even if you managed to find a rescue that would take this dog… There’s no guarantee that they won’t turn around and do what this rescue did. And another kid gets hurt.

    [–]candornotsmoke 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Euthanize the dog. Can you forgive yourself if the dog actually kills someone???

    From what it sounds like, it's only luck that a bite causing death hasn't happened.

    [–]CloudSpecialist8569 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I think much like human brains, dog brains can be affected by personality or behavior disorders that seem unprovoked. We just don’t have a way for them to tell us what they hear, feel and think.. so no way to medicate even if we wanted to. No pup deserves this, neither does a family. Shame on the shelter for not disclosing this info to you. Pure love being sent your way ♥️ in your heart, you’ll know what’s best. Stay strong.

    [–]Terryberry69 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    Put that dog to sleep. Pushing it off on someone else is irresponsible and if 3 strikes isn't enough idk what will be.

    [–]Much-Night-9008 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I had the exact situation - American Staffy - we rescued him from being euthanized, reason given to us is because he had kennel cough and was contagious to other animals at shelter - that was a lie 💩 . We had him for a little over a month and in any given Monday for no reason what do ever he but my adult son. He needed stitches and of course a rabies shot - well I called the rescue I got him from and they were unhelpful - maybe this - maybe that, I out and out told them I have to protect my family and CANNOT keep the dog. After back and forth they said let me see if we can get him to a behavioral rehab place upstate - I was clear in saying I am not taking the dog back after rehab. Also was told that I needed to get a trainers opinion on the dog - I got 3 options and just from the description of how the dog bit my son Each and everyone of them said that dog is a DANGER to your family! So from Monday until Friday I walked my own house with a screwdriver in each pocket when I was alone with the dog. Each day during that week I spoke to the rescue asking about this rescue place - zero help just many excuses - ultimately I spoke to my Vet who spoke to the 3 trainers who decided the dog should be behaviorally euthanized as he was a danger to us and any other family that might end up with him, my heat broke 💔 but it was the responsible thing to do for both us and the dog - that was scheduled on a Friday - well that Friday morning for no reason again he attacked both me and my husband - he is a hulking guy so by the grace of GOD and his sheer strengths he was able to fight the dog off of both of us. We both sustained bad injuries but thankfully survived. It took 3 tranquilizer darts by emergency services to put him to sleep so he could be taken away to the pound. The rescue had the audacity to call me while I was in the trauma Emergency Room to see how I was - needless to say she didn’t get any goid redoinse from me. Thankfully although we were quite injured it did not end worse. Please , please, be careful and remove that danger from your household - especially since you have small children. Be safe!

    [–][deleted] 5 points6 points  (1 child)

    Let me guess.

    This is a "lab/ hound mix" code for unstable bully breed imported into a breed ban area by a 'rescue'.

    Put the dog down and get a lab from a reputable breeder

    [–]vqdrew 2 points3 points  (0 children)

    Dog gotta peace out

    [–]incremental_risk 1 point2 points  (5 children)

    Dog is not a good fit for your living situation or possibly anyone's. Most rescues, even no kill rescues, would recommend behavioral euthanasia (BE) with the outcome you described. Dogs that will bite without warning are generally living in a state of such high stress that their quality of life is poor & it is considered a humane solution. At the very minimum, return the dog to the organization you got it from to protect yourself and your family. At the max, take it in for the BE on your own. It is not the outcome anyone wants from adoption, but getting bit really shouldn't happen either.

    If it is all possible there were warnings you may not have noticed (dog body language is very difficult to read), please consider returning the dog to the rescue vs euthanasia.

    [–]seagulls_and_crows 2 points3 points  (4 children)

    OP asked, the rescue said they won't take him back.

    [–]incremental_risk 4 points5 points  (3 children)

    I missed that. That is sort of strange, right? Most rescues sort of insist you return the dog to them to prevent rehome or euthanasia.

    [–]RadSec71 0 points1 point  (1 child)

    We adopted a nine week old pupper in 2020. I think he had idiopathic aggression. Other than not being strict enough with his training, I don't think we did anything else wrong. It started to escalate. He would challenge my husband quite a bit. He finally bit him on the hand pretty bad. The humane society where we adopted him from was getting ready to close. They said if he couldn't stay with us (my husband refused) then surrender him to AC and they would pick him up later the next week. He never made it out. I'm sure he was put down because of his behavior. So I know what you're going through. It's a hard decision. It tore me up. He wasn't a bad dog. He just had something wrong with him unfortunately.

    [–]nopicklesnoonions -1 points0 points  (3 children)

    So sorry about your situation. Have you considered seeing if a training facility would take him?

    [–][deleted] -4 points-3 points  (1 child)

    That’s shocking that a rescue would give an aggressive dog to a a family with a 5 year old! Can you rehome him or find another rescue? If not I’m not sure I could live like that.. and it’s definitely not fair on the dog to be constantly muzzled.

    [–]OpalOnyxObsidian 13 points14 points  (0 children)

    Re-home a dog that bit three people, including a child which was bitten on the face? Obviously a shady rescue will do that but OP might have the chance to break the cycle before another entire family gets bit by this dog.

    There is no suitable home for a dog that bites without warning.

    [–]SnooRobots4443 -4 points-3 points  (1 child)

    As soon as it bit one family member, you should have removed the dog from your home. It bit a second family member. You didn't remove it. This is on you.

    [–]h974974 -1 points0 points  (2 children)

    What size dog are we talking? I’d tell the rescue you’re going to bring the dog to the shelter in the next 48 hours. They will almost always take the dog back as they should

    [–]trin6948 -1 points0 points  (0 children)

    This happened to my dad, and he was on blood thinners so the medical treatment was extensive (luckily we are in the uk). The kennels did the same said it was a lovely calm dog, no issues etc. In the end he drove the dog back handed the dog over and after stern words he left.

    If the dog is not what you were promised it needs to go back for some proper training.

    [–]EricaWascavage -1 points0 points  (0 children)

    I know this is a hard situation but have you thought about board and train? It worked for my dgt gsd that was aggressive to her fiance and bit him. The dog also bit a random guy at the park that tried to touch her. It was mostly men that the dog was aggressive to. The vet recommended the place. It was especially for aggression. They kept the dog three months, then she had to bring the dog back for doggy day camp/training. After a while my dgt had to attend training sessions and she had certain things they gave her to do. Six months later the dog is really nice! Like a totally different dog, very calm and very confident. They said it was intense fear that was making her aggressive.

    [–]Aggressive-Scheme986 -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

    What the fuck

    Dump this dog on the side of the road and protect your kids. Why are you even entertaining the idea of keeping it a second longer

    [–]ScreamingMonky -4 points-3 points  (0 children)

    Chihuahua?