My doggie was attacked by an American Pitbull!!!!!!!

I am mad this morning and shocked. Yesterday my 16 year old daughter who is only 87 pounds soaking wet was walking my 19 month old Jack Russell Terrier and the little girl she is watching (along with her dog, a bulldog) in base housing and the American Pitbull that my neighbors are dog sitting broke his collar and leash and ran after my dog. He pummeled my dog and then pounced on him and was trying to get to his neck but my dog is a squirmer and he got out of his grips and took off running (he can run like an olympic track star) and the dog kept chasing him until my dog got him in the house. Well, the neighbors came over and began apologizing profusely and asking if my dog was okay and I told them he was shaken up but he seemed okay. After they left and I was comforting him that is when I saw all the cuts he had on his front and hind paws and he had a bruise in his groin area that looked like someone balled up their fist and punched him! Well, I got in my car and went over to talk to them and get their info and that is when they told me it wasn't their dog and they are just dog sitting. The wife tells me she doesn't even like the dog, and she has a chihuahua that they won't let near the dog. She said the dog has all of his shots and is nice to people but aggressive with animals. I told them that I tried calling my regular vet and they were closing and couldn't see my dog so we have to take him to the emergency room (which I knew would not be cheap), so they told me to keep them posted. I took him in, they ran test checked his bruises and cleaned him up and said he was lucky and that he had no internal injuries. They gave him shots for pain and antibiotics and when I left their I felt violated...the bill was $191.45!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so now money I had other plans for is gone. The neighbors came by after we got back to see how my doggie is doing and they were happy he is okay but they didn't offer to help pay any of the vet bill...they just LEFT!!!! I didn't ask for any money last night, but I need some QUESTION: Is it wrong for me to ask them to pay his vet bill since they weren't outside with the dog (even if they couldn't have stopped him from attacking) and it's not their dog they were just sitting?

Since they were taking care of the dog they might be held accountable but most likely it will be the owners to pay.. and $191.... isn't that much they got off lucky... They must pay if you took them to court they would have to pay.... so they can do it the easy way get the job done or the hard way but don't let them slide... I am not saying that 191.00 isn't alot when you don't expect it.. But our dog bit a girl and the bill was $7500. plus the law suit we will have hanging over are head.. but unfortunatly it wasn't our fault or my dogs he was sleeping... so now we are being sued by my husbands B brother that be stands for something... and it isn't a sweet word.... good luck

I haven't been here in so long...thanks for your post...we have since gotten it taken care of and my puppy is growing like a weed and as rotten as ever.