loose dog attack

[pregnantpause]

Hello,

My garden has no fence ATM. It was damaged and we are saving to replace. This means that quite often dogs come into my garden as we are very rural and people let their dogs run off lead in the fields behind.

Today a dog came into the garden and chased my dog barking and growling into my house, knocking dd over as he flew to attack. I am confident with dogs so went to grab it, only to find it had no collar.I chased the thing out of my house and out of the garden, but it kept coming back. I was fifteen minutes repeatedly chasing it away before the owner turned up. Aibu to report this owner to someone (God knows who, the council?) I did shout at the owner (who I know briefly)I'm afraid, but IMO if your dog is loose it should
A, be close enough to call back/see
B, have a collar on so if the his damned thing attacks another animal their owner can hold it?

[pregnantpause]

Poor dd has asked why the big bad wolf was in the house

[Sparhawk]

I'd report it to the police, they'd do something about it since it wasn't on private property and you know the owners.

[pregnantpause]

But it was on private property- mine. I have in the past reported people camping in my garden and the police said that I need to put up a fence and can't call them whenever people come onto my property if I haven't secured it (it was the first time I called I hasten to add)

[CocktailQueen]

I'd get a fence put up ASAP. Maybe ATM it's not clear that it's a garden? But, yes, the owner should have had the dog within calling range. So yabu and yanbu.

[Sparhawk]

Sorry, I misread your OP and thought it'd actually bit your dog. Yeah, the police won't do anything if the dog didn't actually hurt your DD or dog. I was saying that if it had bitten your dog/DD and was on their private property there was nothing you could have done about it, 'cos at the minute that's legal.

[pregnantpause]

I would if I had the money it is very clear. There is a clear boundary and the gardens next to it which end in the same place, so there should be a continued fence but isn't iyswim. I'm just so furious. I can't believe it didn't even have a collar on. The owner couldn't give a monkeys either when I shouted at her.

[Bakingtins]

YANBU to expect owners to keep their dogs under reasonably close control, but YABU to expect dogs to be able to see a 'clear boundary' when you haven't got your garden fenced. Can't you stick some chicken wire up as a temporary fence until you can afford a proper replacement?

[Mabelface]

Agree with the chicken wire. Cheap and easy.

[VivaLeBeaver]

Yy to chicken wire. Get some electric fence posts which are cheap and you can push in the ground. Then twist tie the chicken wire to the posts.

May look rough but will keep dogs out.

[somewhereaclockisticking]

Legally all dogs have to have a collar with their name tag on so the fact that it didn't might get the police interested - also from how I read your thread it actually entered your house?? You can tell the police it was very aggressive - the owner can't say it wasn't because they weren't there to witness it and you can say that the only reason your child wasn't bitten is because you managed to bundle it out of the house in time. It should not have been off lead with no collar.

[pregnantpause]

Thanks some- yes it entered my house. I don't want to be er 'breedist' either but it was, I think, a pitbull. I'm not sure on the legality of them. I will speak to the council dog warden tomorrow for advice. For even chicken wire and posts with 100ft + to cover it would cost about 100 quid and IMO I don't want to spend money that could go a good way to the proper fence

[maddening]

could you - in the meantime - pop up temporary metal fence poles with rope to at least define your patch? They are £28 for 10 or £48 for 20 on amazon and rope isn't expensive - wouldn't stop a dog but at least would clarify to the public that it is private land?

[pregnantpause]

Oh, we do have a chain along the poles. As I said, clearly defined. but thanks. I'm calmer now as earlier was quite worked up, partially through fear as well as rage. I shouldn't have shouted or sworn at the owner. But my dd and dog were terrified. Other dogs run on the garden all the time, no problems owner calls them, or comes to get them. It was the fifteen minute delay and lack of collar to control the brute. And no dog has ever gone so far as into the house before

[maddening]

sorry didn't realise that "clearly defined" meant a run of poles with a chain.