I am with tuckervill - I wouldn't settle but then I am not in a financial position to eat $500. small claims court is pretty painless and they can go to their insurance company - yes their rates will go up for a couple of years but that is the price they pay for owning a dog that runs loose


On a related note I learned the VERY hard way to never go directly to the dogs owners to work out the problem. I was dealing w/ my next door neighbors who never had shelter for their lab even in -25 weather, the dog would sleep on the ice and snow, also it would bark all night.

As things are normally done in this neck of the woods I tried talking to the owners first (who are from out of state) on numerous occasions with no results.

I finally told them I had called the Humane Society and would be calling the police and animal control in the future. In response they filed a tresspassing notice on me and also a disorderly conduct (claimed I came barging in their house ) - they lied all the way through it and no one EVER asked my side - it finally got thrown out - after I had been arrested, posted bail, and spent $500 on a lawyer.

Luckily they have rid themselves of the dog

So moral of the story is start with the police