I’ve been a signing agent for 5 years and have always let pets be present during signings, but I’ve never had this happen. The second I walked in the door 2 dogs ran to greet me (as they normally do). I don’t mind this at all and I’m not even a dog person. One of the dogs bit my leg once he got to me. The signers were unapologetic and said he was just marking his territory. I showed them the hole in my pants and the blood from the wound and asked for a paper towel. I even had to request the dog be put away myself. I’m currently sitting at urgent care to get a tetanus shot just in case.
Has anyone else had an experience like this?? Does anyone on the signing side need to be contacted for any reason? I would love to hear similar stories!
Wow - how clueless are these dog owners…marking his territory?? At that point I would have immediately asked to see the dog’s vaccination records. Also, urgent care may be required by law to report this dog to authorities, and I hope they did.
Good luck and I hope you are okay. Sorry this happened to you. I’ve had many signings with dogs present and never bitten (thankfully).
OH MY GOSH!!! I’m so sorry that happened to you!!
This is why I ALWAYS TELL (not ask) the signer if
they have an animal, it needs to be in a SEPERATE ROOM FROM THE SIGNING
ABSOLUTELY NO EXCUSES! no offence to little\big “sniffles”
I asked one signer on the phone “Do you have a dog?”
He said “No”
I walked to the door and heard
two different tones of “wolf”: a big dog and a little dog…
wow.
So sorry, that’s terrible! I’ve been a mobile notary for 14 yrs and have never been bit. Had plenty of barkers but fortunately my clients always dealt with it.
Do you have a fear or dislike of dogs? I’m told they can sense it. Also, although unfair, I’ve known of dogs that are aggressive to men only.
You have options, like one of the posters suggested. You can ask that the animals be in a separate room or outside. I like animals but if I had been bitten it would probably change how I did business. I think it wouldn’t hurt to let them know why, especially if they have reservations, so they’re more understanding.
If they have issue with that, you could arrange to meet in another location. I’ve met plenty of times at coffee shops but it was mostly for general notaries, not lengthy signings. Maybe someone else has experience with that?
I’m so sorry you were bitten. One of my worst fears and I AM afraid of dogs although I do love them. Weird I know. But as someone else said, in my confirmation text I ask that they place the dog in a secure place away from the signing table. Had a couple ignore that but the dogs truly were lame or bearable.
The most disappointing thing is their attitude in this scenario. I do hope the urgent care reported the dog and you request their records and have them pay for any care you’ve received.
I don’t dislike animals, but I am not amenable to them being nearby during signings. I have never been bitten, but if I had, I would let the owners know that I would be going to emergency and that I will be submitting any bill I had to pay as a result of their animal attack, even if it was a co-pay as low as $5. I have had animals jump on me when I enter the home. Once I told a woman with a particularly frisky canine that “these pants are silk I will present the bill to you for any damage to the garment that needs repair”. She was not happy but the signing went quickly.
Yes I have. I have been scratched by cats and snapped at by dogs (not fully bitten). I now tell the clients they must stow away their animals prior to my arrival. I have had success with that and they have complied.
I totally agree with you. We are doing them a service coming to their homes to conduct business. They should be ready to conduct business in a business atmosphere. I would not hesitate to sue. Especially that my skin was punctured.
I actually ask pet owners to please put their pets away while I’m there. I only had one that did not want to comply, and he was a very large dog salivating while barking at me at the door.
So, I left.
Im an experienced dog and cat owner. But, like children (had a bunch of those too), they dont belong where people are signing documents for 100s of thousands of dollars. It is hard to read and absorb whats on the documents. I’ve had cats who would not get off the table, dogs who slept on my feet and a dog who yapped from the other room tge entire time.
I emphasize the importance of understanding the paperwork.
Case in point, a buyer in denver did not read the title work that had a caution about wiring money. They also did not listen to their agent’s caution. They used wiring instructions emailed to them and lost all of their money. Now its everyone elses fault.
I love animals, but im not here for a sunday bbq. Hope these homeowners have insurance. So sorry this happened.
A few years ago I was bitten by a dog, went through my sweater and broke the skin on my abdomen. It burned like fire. The owner tried to dance around it, and said that the dog that bit me was his sons, and not his, and I informed him that it didn’t matter. I came into his house, and I was going to have to get it checked out. He seemed disturbed, too bad, if I had notified his homeowners insurance, they would’ve dropped him. I did go to a walk in medical office and got treatment and forwarded the bill to them.
In a quarter century I have encountered every type of house pet imaginable. The most annoying are the puppies of large dogs. Jumpers that are big enough to knock you off balance and super friendly. Fearing a potential lawsuit most signers wisely put those dogs outside. That really bothers the dog because this stranger who’s smelling of another dog (mine) now has all the attention. I like Cats but cat people seemed brainwashed by the constant exposure to cuteness and will allow them to climb all over the signing table. I once thumbprinted a signer and her cat was right there on the table watching, totally curious of the procedure. The borrower remarked " oh kitty wants to be fingerprinted", so I grabbed it’s paw and pressed it firmly on my Inker and pressed it down of the journal page. The signer loved it. However the cat immediately hopped of the table and spent the rest to the signing sitting in the corner shaking its paw. I like the "whatever poos and Oodles who tend to curl or sit on my feet throughout the meeting. Though I’ve never been bitten I still proceed with caution.
If I know ahead of time that there are animals I ask if they could be put in a kennel or a place with a door. Usually the clients is very understasnding in this. No one wants to deal with animals while conduct business.
Really sorry to hear what happened. I had one with a home with dogs, as I could see them and hear them. When the owner opened the door to let me know, I requested the they put them in a room. I will always make this policy no matter how “friendly” the owner says they are. They have no place.
I always INSIST pets be placed somewhere else during signing or else signing will have to be reassigned to someone else. Only exception was for a government security couple that had a dog that responded to military commands ~ actually very impressive.
Prior to being a loan signing agent, I was a real estate appraiser. An appraiser must inspect the property to be appraised, inside and out. The property I was inspecting had a main house and an accessory dwelling unit. The owner walked the property with me while I went to the ACU. The tenant was not home. As I rounded the corner, I noticed a dog house. I heard and saw nothing pertaining to a dog, and the owner didn’t mention that there was a dog. As I walked past the dog house, a large pit bull bolted out and clamped down on my calf. My new slacks were ruined and the bite was severe enough to draw blood. Not much was said by the owner, who took no responsibility for the dog attack and the injury that I suffered. Lesson learned. As you may know, pit bulls have jaws that can clamp down on their prey; if the dog does not release his hold, it is next to impossible to remove him without some assistance.
I’m so sorry that happened to you!!
