My Brother’s Dog Viciously Attacked My 6-Year-Old. His Reaction Has Left Me Shaken.
Last month, while visiting my parents, my brother’s dog attacked my 6-year-old son. My son was running after a ball when the dog ran across the yard, knocked him over, and attacked. Luckily, he was bundled up in layers and a puffer coat. His clothes were ruined, and he had nasty bruising on his neck, shoulder, and upper torso from the bites, but his skin wasn’t broken. It would’ve been so much worse if it had happened in warmer weather.
Of course, I reported the attack to the county and gave my brother a heads-up. Well, he was LIVID and said a lot of hurtful, dismissive things to me, even comparing his dog to my son in terms of importance. We had a falling out over his reaction. (By the way, nothing even happened to the damn dog besides the dog warden coming to talk to my brother.) Before this, my brother and I got along fine but weren’t close. Most of my son’s contact with him has been at family gatherings with my parents. I have decided we won’t be going to any gatherings with my brother for the time being. His callous, selfish response to my son’s attack has shaken me.
My parents “don’t want to get in the middle of it” and invited both our families to Easter as long as the dog doesn’t come.
Should I explain to my son why we aren’t going to Easter at Grandma and Grandpa’s like we usually do? Or do I just tell him we’re doing something different this year for fun? If I tell him the truth, how do I ensure he doesn’t feel like it’s his fault?
—Change in Plans
https://slate.com/advice/2025/03/dog-attack-reaction-care-and-feeding.html
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