Neighbor's unleashed dog is hit by a car, 'MY dog was trying to escape.' AITA for refusing pay the vet bill?

"AITA for refusing to pay my neighbor’s vet bill after her unleashed dog got hit by a car?"

So, my neighbor Lisa is one of those people who thinks rules don’t apply to her. A few months ago, she got a husky and, from day one, never kept it on a leash. This dog was constantly running loose - digging up gardens, jumping on people, chasing cars - and every time someone told her to control it, she’d laugh and say, “Oh, he just loves his freedom!”

Well, that “freedom” finally caught up with her. One afternoon, I was walking my dog - on a leash, like a responsible owner - when Lisa’s husky came barreling toward us. No hesitation, no stopping, just full speed, straight at my dog. My beagle is tiny compared to this thing, so of course, he got scared and started barking. Before I could react, the husky lunged at him.

It was full-on aggression. Snarling, teeth out, trying to pin my dog down. My poor dog was yelping and trying to escape. I was doing everything I could to pull him away when suddenly, Lisa’s husky turned and bolted - straight into the road. And just like that - BAM. A car hit him.

The driver had no chance to stop. Lisa’s dog was running loose, unsupervised, and straight into traffic. Lisa came running out of her house, screaming at ME. Not worried about the driver, not even acknowledging that she let her dog run wild - just screaming: “THIS IS YOUR FAULT! YOUR DOG MADE HIM RUN!”

Excuse me? MY fault? Her dog was the one attacking mine. Her dog was the one off-leash. Her dog was the one who ran into the street. I had zero control over what happened. She rushed her husky to the vet, and a few days later, she showed up at my door with a $5,000 bill. Surgery, medication, everything. And then she actually said, “You need to pay for this since your dog caused it.”

Yeah. Not happening. Look, I feel awful for her dog. I’m really glad she’s going to be okay. No animal deserves to go through that, and honestly, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. But at the end of the day, we all have bills to pay, and she’s acting like I just have thousands of dollars lying around to clean up her mistake.

I tried to be understanding, but she’s putting everything on me like she had nothing to do with it. And now I hear she's been badmouthing me for not helping. I don’t know. Am I really in the wrong here?

Here's what top commenters had to say about this one:

mrsmae2114 said:

NTA, this woman sucks. I love dogs, but entitled dog owners are really the worst. I had an unleashed dog jump on me while I was on a run in a park (NOT a dog park) the other day and the owner just waved it away like it wasn't a big deal. SO FRUSTRATING.

GrouchyEquivalent693 said:

NTA. You are not responsible for her dog.

FosterPupz said:

NTA and I agree. File a report with the police AND Animal Control.

Impressive_Rub_7054 said:

NTA. Your neighbor’s dog was not only off-leash but also being aggressive. The moment her dog ran into traffic was a result of her own negligence, not your actions. You can feel bad for her dog and still not be responsible for paying the vet bill. She’s blaming you for something she should have prevented.

EarthBelcher said:

NTA. But you already know that. Just report her to the authorities for her neglect as well as her dog being overly aggressive. Hopefully the dog it taken to someone who will take better care of it.

ginalook said:

NTA, and if you and your dog were not there, it would have been another owner and their dog being blamed for her negligence.

Clean_Permit_3791 said:

NTA. File a police report for the dog attack. She clearly has not learnt and once that dog is healed he will come for your poor beagle again or someone else’s dog.