'AITA for making my neighbor pay my vet bills after their ‘angel’ of a dog almost killed mine?'

A young woman took to Reddit to share a shocking story of how her dog narrowly escaped a life-threatening attack by her neighbor’s off-leash golden retriever. The vicious incident left the woman's pet severely injured, requiring surgery and over $3,000 in vet bills.

When she confronted her neighbor, they dismissed the attack as “just playing” and refused to take responsibility. Undeterred, she took the matter to court and won. However, she soon found herself in a dilemma as some neighbors criticized her for “overreacting.”

Teen explains how her neighbor's golden retriever attacked her 6-year-old dog

A 19-year-old woman shared her ordeal on Reddit's Am I The A**hole (AITA) forum, explaining an alarming incident involving her neighbor's dog.

Giving some context in a post titled "AITAH for making my neighbor pay my vet bills after their “harmless” dog almost KILLED mine??", the original poster (OP) began, “Ok so i (19F) live in a quiet neighborhood with my little dog, he’s a 6 y/o terrier mix and literally the sweetest, most harmless dog ever."

"My neighbor has this huge golden retriever that they’re obsessed with, always going on about how he’s a “gentle giant” and “wouldn’t hurt a fly.” well. tell me why last month their “angel” nearly murdered my dog,” she continued.

Recalling the incident, the OP said, "I was just walking my dog (ON A LEASH, like a responsible human) past their house when their off-leash dog SPRINTS out their front door (cuz they just left it wide open like absolute idiots) and full on ATTACKS my dog." 

She continued, "This thing grabbed my dog by the neck and started shaking him like a chew toy. my dog was SCREAMING. i was SCREAMING. i literally had to PRY this beast off my dog while my neighbor just strolled over like it was some minor inconvenience. like HELLO???"

The woman explained that her dog was bleeding and in shock, so she rushed him to the emergency vet, where he needed stitches, surgery, and treatment, totaling over $3,000. 

She then confronted her neighbor, saying, "Hey, your dog nearly killed mine. you need to pay this.” and this psycho LAUGHS and goes, “ohhh he was just playing, your dog probably freaked out for no reason.” i’m sorry, did you just say playing??? PLAYING???”

"I tried to be civil, but they completely ignored me for WEEKS. so i took them to small claims court. and guess what? I WON. and NOW they’re pissed, acting like I’m some evil villain for making them take responsibility for THEIR DOG. even some of my other neighbors are saying i “overreacted” and it was a “harmless accident.” WHAT???” she asked.

The OP ended her post with a question. "Like, am I missing something??? Their dog nearly KILLED mine and i’m the bad guy for not just eating a $3,000 bill??? am i actually crazy or are these people completely out of their minds???" the woman asked. 

Internet backs OP after she asks her neighbor to pay vet bills 

Fellow Redditors rallied behind the OP after reading about the ordeal her dog faced after being attacked by the neighbor's golden retriever and declared that is she "Not The A**hole" (NTA).

One Redditor declared, "NTA Seriously, they’re acting like u’re the problem when their dog was the aggressor. They’re responsible dog owners, and they failed miserably."

Another suggested, "NTA. Similar thing happened to my daughters dog. Neighbors dogs literally ripped through a stockade fence, attacked her dog and nearly killed it. Oh they paid. In full. And they had to put down the one which did the most damage. Extreme? Nope." 

One person commented, "That owner is a piece of s**t and now he will hopefully learn their lesson and not leave their door open like that. NTA."

Another Redditor wrote, "You have the vet bill to prove that it wasn't just harmless play. NTA."

One individual remarked, "A good leash for a large dog is only around $20. Common sense and being a responsible dog owner would have saved them $2,980. Remind them of that every time someone brings it up. NTA"

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.