Name: NTR3
Victim: Adult
Location: Apartment complex, Indiana
Year of attack: 2021

Tell us about the attack

In August 2021, I went to pet an apartment neighbor’s pit bull, and the dog lunged at me and ripped my clothes in half. The attack also left a small bite mark, and the owner asked to make sure I was not hurt. I told her I was not… but I was shaken, and would have been seriously injured had I reacted a split-second slower.

The apartment staff, when notified, gave written notice that the animal must be removed. But they then gave several wink-nod extensions of the removal deadline, of which I was only told when I continued to see the animal around and followed up. Once the “final” deadline had passed, I saw the animal again, took photos, and emailed to the building management.

Twenty minutes after taking the photos, I was assaulted in my apartment parking lot by the alleged father of the pit bull owner, causing several head contusions.

How has your life changed as a result of the attack?
The alleged father (i.e. the assailant) was masked, and thus local law enforcement never followed up with the pit bull owner, argument being that mask = can’t identify in a lineup.

The black-and-blue marks covered my face and took three weeks to heal. I incurred $4,000 in medical expenses from the attack. Attorneys informed me that the apartment management did just enough to cover itself to make civil damages an iffy proposition.

I have since relocated to a different city in Indiana.

Legal Consequences
The pit bull owner was told to leave the apartment premises, and I was released from my lease without the contractual buyout fee. But to the best of my knowledge, nothing ever happened to the pit bull, and the apartment refused to cover my medical expenses despite their negligence.

What would you like people to know as a result of your attack?
Document everything… no matter how small. The wink-nod extensions of the deadline for the animal’s removal were conveyed to me over the phone, and only when I followed up. I did not record nor take detailed notes on those conversations after they happened. Doing so may have strengthened my legal case for a meaningful negligence lawsuit against the apartment.