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Hi

I just read your comments and I feel sick!

Such a b***

You have done absolutely nothing wrong.

You have all the right to walk in the public street and they are responsible to keep the dogs inside. They could have attacked a child or anyone else.

I would call the Police so they can give her a little scare.

Sorry that this has happened to you.

They are allowing their ego to come in and have written an emotional response to you, which is not fair. Being pet parents, they should be extremely apologetic.

Though they have agreed to foot the bill, they are invoking arguments just to feel good about themselves. Resorting to an argument of "learn our language" is a typical recourse taken by people in any disagreement, not just in Portugal but world over - so pls ignore that and attributed it to their immaturity.

The amount of nonsense in that message is incredible! There is a little bit of everything! Annoying like hell as you said but total nonsense.

Please make sure they get your details so they can foot the bill in full.

I'd be tempted to reply in kind but what's the point in getting down to their level.

@JJ K80

Should you wish to accept the payment or not, the attitude, arrogance (& racism?) is obvious .

Rather than apologise, they wish to score points..

Report formally to police and that way there is a record of the owner failing to keep control of their dogs in public.

That would mean they will now, forever, have to be very vigilant should another similar event happen.

They are lucky that all they were asked to pay for was the vets bill and not for trauma and physical discomfort to your pet.

@JJ K80 Very interesting to read. You should have called the police or GNR right away. Alternatively, your vet should have reported the owner of the attacking dog to the GNR, who would have (hopefully) looked into this. If something happens, always take pictures with your phone.

The fact that the owner wanted to pay for the vet let's me think that he/she is fully aware of some wrongdoing.

I'd expect you are legally allowed to walk the streets past open gates with vehicles manouvering BUT having had one encounter maybe you'd take a slightly different route if in the similar situation.  Reporting the incident is sensible but, as in a lot of disputes between people,  if you say one thing and she/they say something different (like your dog went for one of their's first) the police can't really do much as they need some evidence to support what people say.   In the letter she/they don't say that their dog attacked yours outside their garden.   Unfortunately I think you'll just have to accept their money and move on.

Not passing in front of an open gate is not part of any country's culture, as she says. Although it seems to me that when a car is leaving, you should wait for it to leave and simultaniously, they should lock their dogs when the gate is open. It is a common sense for both sides.

You should give her your NIB so she can pay for your dog's treatment. Besides, she was arrogant in her answer, indeed.

If you make a complaint to the police, she can be called to show her dogs' registration in the SIAC system. As you know, dog registration is mandatory. If you live in Portugal and your dog doesn't have a chip, bear this in mind too.

Because we are on the topic, let me also admit that Portugal is one of the best countries to raise our furry babies. People here are so very kind towards dogs and pets in general. I came to Portugal from India and got my 2 rescue dogs here. One of the key reason to choose Portugal (Lisbon) over mainly Dubai (and also other European cities like Amsterdam and Berlin) was the Portuguese culture and society's amazingly positive attitude towards dogs.

I know such an incident hurts, but please treat this as an anomaly and not a standard. I am a guest in this country, but have made so many good friends on daily walks (who were complete strangers) because of their love + kindness for my dogs. I have nothing in common with them other than our love for dogs.

There are countries and cultures which purge stray dogs - search for a mayor declaring $5 reward to kill dogs just for the heck of it (not posting the link to avoid the risk of making this discussion a political one).

Portugal and it's people are such a breath of fresh air for my dogs - they love it here and people (complete strangers) here love them back!!

If you compare Portugal to other European countries, I would say they are at the bottom regarding animal welfare.

You just need to follow any dog / cat charity on Instagram, like IRA (intervençao e resgate animal)

In Portugal is still very common to keep the dogs tied to a short leash and keep them outdoors permanently as a live house alarm (it's illegal but very common) , many people does not vaccinate the dogs, and keep them full of ticks like nothing happens... (And I dont live on the countryside).

They don't neuter them and then throw their babies to the bin or the river.

This is one of the reasons I am thinking of moving out of Portugal.

Thanks for all the responses. I have responded to the lady that it is not about the money. In fact, I have told her that she can keep the money, because sometimes an apology or good manners is worth more than forty euros. From the very first moment, her son instantly apologized and felt terrible, but she started pointing out that I was irresponsible.

In any case, lesson learned, I will report it to GNR and in future I will definitely take into account that when a fence is open, a dog can always run out. I just think it is a shame that neighbors cannot resolve such a simple matter in a friendly manner.

Regarding the remark about learning the language, I recognize this from my own country. In Europe we have this a lot. Some people expect foreigners to speak the language the moment they arrive. It is not realistic and we should understand that sometimes people are making an effort, but it takes time.

    Thanks for all the responses. I have responded to the lady that it is not about the money. In fact, I have told her that she can keep the money, because sometimes an apology or good manners is worth more than forty euros. From the very first moment, her son instantly apologized and felt terrible, but she started pointing out that I was irresponsible.
In any case, lesson learned, I will report it to GNR and in future I will definitely take into account that when a fence is open, a dog can always run out. I just think it is a shame that neighbors cannot resolve such a simple matter in a friendly manner.
Regarding the remark about learning the language, I recognize this from my own country. In Europe we have this a lot. Some people expect foreigners to speak the language the moment they arrive. It is not realistic and we should understand that sometimes people are making an effort, but it takes time.
   

    -@JJ K80

Hi,

You could suggest she donate the money to a local dog charity.