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Original poster

My dog has bitten my neighbours rabbit

215 replies

Brookerj · 28/06/2017 14:28

My 2 year old dog got into my neighbours garden and somehow got into the rabbit run and has bitten the rabbit. My neighbour has taken the rabbit to the vet and has presented me with a bill for £1275 as the rabbit has had 2 pins put into its leg. I have been very apologetic and took chocolates round to the owner of the rabbit but I do not have this sort of money to spare - what can I do - I feel awful.

OP posts:
MistyMinge · 29/06/2017 19:06

Definitely call your home insurers. A lot of policies cover personal liability up to £1 million plus, that may potentially cover this situation.

Failing that I'd offer to go 50/50. Your dog should have not got into her garden, but she has chosen to go ahead with a very costly procedure in which you've had no control. I think expecting you to magic £1,300 is unreasonable.

EvansOvalPies · 29/06/2017 19:14

she has chosen to go ahead with a very costly procedure in which you've had no control. I think expecting you to magic £1,300 is unreasonable

"She" didn't choose to have her rabbit bitten by an unwelcome dog in her garden. "She" chose to save the life of her pet, which was minding it's own business, in it's own garden, not bothering anyone at all, and not being a threat to any other neighbour's pet. Expecting the OP to 'magic' £1300' is not unreasonable at all. The dog was at fault, ergo, the dog's owner was at fault. Neither the rabbit's owner, nor rabbit, were at fault at all, therefore, the dog's owner needs to cough up. There are no ifs or buts about it.

flumpybear · 29/06/2017 19:17

Sorry OP You should be ensuring you have a safe garden - thank your lucky stars it wasn't a child or a baby

EvansOvalPies · 29/06/2017 19:29

And here we go again - an OP starts a thread to ask a question then can't be bothered to come back. sigh

Alittlepotofrosie · 29/06/2017 19:39

A rabbit isn't the same as a cat or dog. I wouldn't fix a broken leg on a rabbit But i would on a cat or dog because they would cope with the recovery process better. But my cat is insured so if someones dog attacked my cat id ask them to pay my insurance excess.

SoupDragon · 29/06/2017 19:44

A dog is a licensed animal

Dog licenses haven't been around for ages.

GahBuggerit · 29/06/2017 19:45

It's unreasonable to expect someone to magic up £1.3 k if they don't have it. Can't get blood out of a stone. I'd only be able to offer half paid at about £30 a month.

And let's not start with the "it could be a baby". It wasn't.

Nancy91 · 29/06/2017 19:45

I am an animal lover but I do think people rank rabbits as a lesser pet than a cat or dog.

I know I wouldn't pay £1300 to save my goldfish, but I would sell everything I own to save my dog. Pets are ranked differently, don't lie about that to make the OP feel even worse.

I would pay but if the OP literally doesn't have the money, she can't. The owner agreed to pay the vet before she knew whether the OP would pay.

Floralnomad · 29/06/2017 19:47

alittlepotofrosie , then I suggest you never get a rabbit , many live just as long as cats and often longer than big dogs and are perfectly capable of recovering from operations . One of ours was particularly intelligent , came to his name , could play ball and do tricks , he was a Belgian hare and way more intelligent than most cats .

SoupDragon · 29/06/2017 19:48

Expecting the OP to 'magic' £1300' is not unreasonable at all.

Perhaps you could point the OP towards the Tories' fabled Magic Money Tree.

Dentistlakes · 29/06/2017 19:48

It's a lot of money. If op doesn't have it she doesn't have it. Her neighbour went ahead with the procedure without consulting her and should be prepared to pay. This is a rabbit not a dog or cat.

Lovemusic33 · 29/06/2017 19:49

Am I the only one that thinks spending over £1000 to fix a rabbit is a bit extreme? I know it's her beloved pet but....

I feel really sorry for OP, accidents happen but your dog was the one that was in someone else's garden Sad, I know if I was in your situation I would be pulling my hair out as I don't have that kind of money. I hope you can come to some agreement with your neighbour.

DistortedPerceptions · 29/06/2017 19:52

A rabbit isn't the same as a cat or dog.

It is in the eyes of the law. Anyone who owns a pet of any variety has a legal obligation to seek medical attention when required. Yes that medical attention could be euthanasia but an owner has every right to have a fracture repaired no matter the species of their pet.

GahBuggerit · 29/06/2017 19:53

Am I the only one thinking this dog is some sort of Navy Seal managing to escape, break into another garden AND a rabbit run?

YellowLawn · 29/06/2017 19:57

It's unreasonable to expect someone to magic up £1.3 k if they don't have it.

it's unreasonable for the op to mot have adequate insurance if she can't pay for injuries and/or damage cause by her out of control dog.

thisismadness77 · 29/06/2017 20:00

It's a very emotive subject of course. Shame the OP has hopped off.

Nancy91 · 29/06/2017 20:04

Pet insurance should be mandatory. Sad

If she literally has no money to give this neighbour then she can't just pull some out of her bum.

GahBuggerit · 29/06/2017 20:29

Lack of insurance, for both animals, is unreasonable but there again we don't know ops circumstances for not having it.

It's still unreasonable to expect £1.3 k that doesn't exist. Lack of insurance doesn't change that. It might not even cover this sort of thing.

GahBuggerit · 29/06/2017 20:31

Intact, I'm afraid I'd actually be very suspicious about paying anything, for all op knows the rabbit is insured, then the neighbour gets paid out twice for the bionic rabbit!

Kinderbonbon · 29/06/2017 20:39

I just can't believe that none of them have insurance, I have 3 cats and 1 rabbit and they are all insured. I have insured them the day I got them.

user1493630944 · 29/06/2017 20:45

If I were your neighbour I would take you to court if you didn't pay (small claims). Your out of control dog not only escaped your garden but forced its way into the rabbit run, that is totally unacceptable. Why weren't you keeping an eye on the dog while it was in the garden? You could have retrieved it before it attacked the rabbit.

barrygetamoveonplease · 29/06/2017 20:46

Intact, I'm afraid I'd actually be very suspicious about paying anything, for all op knows the rabbit is insured, then the neighbour gets paid out twice for the bionic rabbit!
Could happen.

Lunar1 · 29/06/2017 20:50

Maybe the rabbit owner doesn't have the money to pay either. Your dog, your responsibility, pay up.

fannydaggerz · 29/06/2017 20:55

Am I the only one thinking this dog is some sort of Navy Seal managing to escape, break into another garden AND a rabbit run?

No, one of my dogs could do this easily. That is why she isn't allowed outside unsupervised because she will escape and do god knows what to next doors small furries.

We are fully fenced in but if she wants out, she will get out.

Nancy91 · 29/06/2017 20:58

Are people not understanding that the OP doesn't have the money? As in she can't pay. Is there something I'm missing here?!