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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

AIBU boyfriends neighbour sets his German shepard on the foxes

126 replies

Lhun96 · 18/01/2022 00:26

My boyfriend lives on a neighbourhood close to several large parks. There are plenty of cats that roam freely here, I know foxes don't attack children/cats/dogs and luckily most of the people here have that sense too. One day however I was watching a familiar pair of foxes roam the back gardens when my boyfriends next door neighbour emerged from his house and set his German shepard on them. I immediately freaked out, I'm completely against fox hunting and I was terrified that I was about to see a fox be mauled right before my eyes. It escaped luckily but I just KNOW that this guy wants to see his dog kill the foxes. He was watching the scene, bemused, hand on hip. I hear barking out there often now but I don't go to look. I know what's happening. My boyfriend informed me that his last German shepard had killed foxes before too.

I don't think my boyfriend quite understands how utterly disgusted I was by the situation. This is their home too. We build on their habitats, all they're doing is trying to survive. And it's illegal to set pets on wildlife. He doesn't get it because his parents don't like foxes either but I was raised watching foxes raise their cubs in my grandparents garden.

I don't want to confront his neighbour because I get the sense that that would thrill him even more, but I can't stand it. I just hate people who are cruel to animals, and his dog could get hurt from this too.

Can I do anything about this? Report it to the RSPCA? Ask the nearby neighbours to stop leaving them scraps so they don't come here anymore? Try to lure them elsewhere with regular food? It just makes me so upset and I feel helpless.

Yesterday one of the foxes had a limp front paw, I'm scared she'll get caught if she goes in that garden again.

OP posts:
Booklover3 · 18/01/2022 02:08

A fox killed three of my ducks and didn’t even take them to eat. Came brazenly in the day. I don’t think what your neighbour is doing is right though.

CheeseMmmm · 18/01/2022 02:40

Cats dogs foxes all kill, generally things smaller than them.

Humans of course kill loads animals often hit with cars.
And I suppose owning the cats and dogs!

When googling earlier as well I kept getting results like.
Do foxes kill cats?
Do they attack people?
Do they kill and eat dogs?(I was... Eh? Loads of links with that name. Loads of people think that? Bizarre!).

They're just foxes. They do fox things. Why would one attack a human? Cornered, babies to protect, hurt, or maybe gone bonkers (as cats do and a local hedgehog as well!).

I had no idea these horror stories about foxes existed!

CheeseMmmm · 18/01/2022 02:42

@PixieLaLa

I know foxes don't attack children/cats/dogs erm yes they do! Maybe THIS fox hasn’t but yes it does happen
More or less than dogs? More or less than humans harm cats, dogs, children?

Why all the fox hate?

wombat1a · 18/01/2022 03:14

I know foxes don't attack children/cats/dogs

Er yes they do, although they are far more likely to attack and bite babies in prams and cots than toddlers (unless they are asleep) than children. Cats and dogs are fair game to foxes, you also forgot to mention rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, ducks and bamtums etc etc.

WRT to setting his dog on a fox, as disgusting as it is (foxes should be taken out humanly when they have to be and left alone otherwise) it's not illegal in the UK to flush them using a dog. It seems this guy is enjoying it far too much though and I hope you can educate him.

RedMozzieYellowMozzie · 18/01/2022 03:23

Perhaps everyone should leave the foxes alone - that includes you feeding them. They aren't pets.

verytiredofbeingshoutedat · 18/01/2022 03:33

Wow. I don't know what the law is but some PPs have posted

However, NDN bf sounds a psycho to set his dog onto a fox in the garden. Are you absolutely sure he wasn't just expecting it to Chase fox off rather than attack and kill it??

I guess only you will know that by how his GS dog reacted and what you observed.

I'd worry that a GS dog that was encouraged to chase and kill a fox would think cats and young DCs are fair game too ShockSadConfused

I'd want to video him if I saw him do it again and it didn't involve peeking over their garden but what was in clear sight for me.

Anyway yanbu for being bit worried

Giggorata · 18/01/2022 03:33

If the dog is only a year old, it is likely to come off badly if it attacks a fox. But it is unlikely to face a fox; few dogs will, one to one. They are quite savage.

CheeseMmmm · 18/01/2022 03:43

Why would foxes be interested in attacking babies in prams?

In general?

I mean this would be during the day I assume. Usually a parent near.

It's a thing common enough to be well known that this is a thing?

What does the fox get out of it?

Are you saying they want to eat the baby? It's weird prey for them.

So foxes attack babies more than dogs?
More than humans?

CheeseMmmm · 18/01/2022 03:44

Do foxes attack etc

Not so!

twominutesmore · 18/01/2022 06:08

Surely he would just say that he let his dog out into his own garden, to chase the fox off and discourage it from returning. How do you know, or how could anyone prove if you reported it, that he wanted his dog to hurt or kill the fox?

CheeseMmmm · 18/01/2022 06:13

Prove?

Not sure if crime. RSPCA seems majority shout. Even letting dogs out (German shepherds) with intent to 'chase off' foxes... (They know the command for that and to chase only?)...

You believe OP witness doesn't count? Need other witness, CCTV, something else, their word not enough?

Is that how you think all crime reporting should work in general?

That unless anyone has evidence. Should not report?

Are you sure???

CheeseMmmm · 18/01/2022 06:15

That explains the shit rape conviction rates for a start.

Assume you're in met, or maybe govt...

Thanks for the Frank post.

Whingasaurus · 18/01/2022 06:17

RedMozzieYellowMozzie

Perhaps everyone should leave the foxes alone - that includes you feeding them. They aren't pets.

Well said

peachicetea · 18/01/2022 06:21

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

GrumpyPanda · 18/01/2022 06:23

YABVVU for feeding them, and doing neither the foxes nor the neighbourhood a favour. What's next, feeding boar? Feeding pigeons? How about the cuddly mountain lions my California friends get roaming in their gardens?

twominutesmore · 18/01/2022 07:29

@CheeseMmmm

Prove?

Not sure if crime. RSPCA seems majority shout. Even letting dogs out (German shepherds) with intent to 'chase off' foxes... (They know the command for that and to chase only?)...

You believe OP witness doesn't count? Need other witness, CCTV, something else, their word not enough?

Is that how you think all crime reporting should work in general?

That unless anyone has evidence. Should not report?

Are you sure???

Just felt police, RSPCA etc wouldn't be able to do anything really if his dog is just in his own garden.

In answer to your other question about how crime works - surely, usually, there is some actual evidence of a crime?

CheeseMmmm · 18/01/2022 07:36

Is there? Usually some actual evidence? Given that seeing it when no one else around/ being the victim does not in your view count as evidence?

You're sure that usually, there's evidence?

What sort of evidence?
Are you considering all crimes?
By usually do you mean pretty much always, or 51% type thing?

CheeseMmmm · 18/01/2022 07:38

Training German shepherds to behave aggressively is surely not s good thing.

Happens a lot on here told. No evidence, can't prove. No point telling anyone.

Poor message.

Horst · 18/01/2022 07:41

Is he actually setting them out to attack the foxes or to chase them off his land. Big big difference and ones totally legal.

If his neighbours weren’t feeding them they would be less likely to enter his garden.

Thatsplentyjack · 18/01/2022 07:48

I know foxes don't attack children/cats/dogs and luckily most of the people here have that sense too.

Absolutely not true.

He's letting his dog chase a fox off his property.

twominutesmore · 18/01/2022 07:49

@CheeseMmmm

Is there? Usually some actual evidence? Given that seeing it when no one else around/ being the victim does not in your view count as evidence?

You're sure that usually, there's evidence?

What sort of evidence?
Are you considering all crimes?
By usually do you mean pretty much always, or 51% type thing?

I'm not saying I don't want them to take action, or that I don't hope that they do, just that I don't think they will.

I'm sorry that my opinion has enraged you so much. I would be happy to be proven wrong. No doubt op will come back to update.

anon12345678901 · 18/01/2022 07:51

Well if it's in his garden it's not illegal and tbf he could even shoot them if he so wanted. As long as it's on his property. You can report to the RSPCA, but it does state dogs can be used to determine foxes legally, you'd need hard proof he's not just deterring them but setting the dog to kill.

Thatsplentyjack · 18/01/2022 07:55

@CheeseMmmm

Why would foxes be interested in attacking babies in prams?

In general?

I mean this would be during the day I assume. Usually a parent near.

It's a thing common enough to be well known that this is a thing?

What does the fox get out of it?

Are you saying they want to eat the baby? It's weird prey for them.

So foxes attack babies more than dogs?
More than humans?

Well considering the number of dogs kept as pets, and the number of people who live with children compared to the number of foxes living in people's homes or being around children, no, there won't be more children attacked/hurt by foxes, but it does happen, and if they were around us more it would happen more.
dworky · 18/01/2022 08:02

It's sick & a massive red flag.

SoupDragon · 18/01/2022 08:03

Foxes absolutely do attack cats.

There's nothing wrong with a dog chasing a Fox off the property but if intent/expectation is that it will catch and kill the fox, that's wrong. I'm not sure it counts as "hunting with dogs" though so I doubt reporting him to anyone is going to help. The .gov.U.K. Website says You can use dogs to stalk or flush out foxes above ground, but only to stop serious damage to your property

Ditch the boyfriend, he's a twat.