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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:
GahBuggerit · 29/06/2017 21:11

Apparently so Nancy, I'm wondering what the point would be in pursuing it via small claims aswell, if op can't pay back the ordered amount then doesn't it go to an attachment of earnings order after a long and costly process for both parties? What would the point be in that?

Neighbour was a bit foolish for not checking op was willing, if proved to be her 'fault' (using that term loosely as this was an accident), to pay anything if they can't afford it, but as it's already been paid then I'd assume they can.

Floralnomad · 29/06/2017 21:15

Then she / he has to pay in instalments , ridiculous attitude to say I don't have the money so I'm exempt from paying , do people who can't afford the rent / mortgage just get told 'oh that's ok then we won't bother this month ' . It's also unacceptable to say that the neighbour should have her pet destroyed because the OP is broke .

GahBuggerit · 29/06/2017 21:25

But they are essential bills that people try to budget for. And i imagine lots of people if struggling to pay a months worth of bills could get loans from family/friends, I could, but I couldn't ask them to loan me £1.3k for a rabbit.

I think morally, if it can be proved it was ops dog, and prove the rabbit isn't insured already, then op should pay what they can, but if they haven't got it they haven't got it. Neighbour might have to settle with it in dribs and drabs but we'll never know as op has fo'd

snaggydaddy · 29/06/2017 22:28

My vote!

My dog has bitten my neighbours rabbit
SoupDragon · 29/06/2017 22:58

Maybe the rabbit owner doesn't have the money to pay either.

Then maybe the rabbit owner can't afford to have a rabbit as they don't have insurance. Which is what was said about the long gone OP.

applesauce1 · 29/06/2017 23:11

I'd just buy a new rabbit

Lauren1983 · 29/06/2017 23:24

OP - If you were walking your dog in a park on a lead and it was attacked by a dog off-lead and your dog needed a grand of work done to save him/her what would you do? Would you accept it if the owner gave you chocolates and said they couldn't afford to pay the bill leaving you either with a large cost that was not your fault or your dog having to be PTS?

You need to find the money. Obviously I don't know your circumstances but if you could save/earn £20 a week that would pay most of it off in a year.

TestTubeTeen · 29/06/2017 23:36

Even if the rabbit owner does have insurance to cover the bill, you may find that her insurers come after you for the money.

OP, I can understand why this is so upsetting for you, and it is a hell of a lot of money. But in the end it can't really be seen as being anyone's responsibility but yours.

SpareASquare · 29/06/2017 23:58

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?!

Only the concept of personal responsibility I guess.
Or do we apply the same to everything.

"Oh dear, sorry I hit your car, don't have any money so bad luck"
You can debate all day long whether you find a rabbit 'worthy' or not but it's irrelevant.
The OP's dog caused damage, she needs to take responsibility for that.
With no insurance and no money, what would happen to the OPs dog should anything happen to it. Bit of "tough luck Fido, you can suffer"
Part of having a pet is taking responsibility for it, good and bad. Sadly lacking here.

Veterinari · 30/06/2017 00:04

It's not up to the rabbit owners to pay.
In terms of the law your property (dog) damaged their property (rabbit) so you are liable. You should have insurance.

I know that's probably not helpful but it is the reality - you need to look at payment plans etc.

Alittlepotofrosie · 30/06/2017 00:05

The rabbit owner was a bloody idiot to commit to almost £1,300 to save the life of a rabbit, if she didn't have the money. If it meant that much to her she'd have got insurance. You can't just commit to well over a THOUSAND POUNDS for a rabbit then expect someone else to stump up when the kindest thing to do would have probably been to put it to sleep.

Veterinari · 30/06/2017 00:09

You can't just commit to well over a THOUSAND POUNDS for a rabbit then expect someone else to stump up when the kindest thing to do would have probably been to put it to sleep

Why? Please show me the evidence that a rabbit is less capable of recovering from a broken leg than a dog/cat/horse? Or that it values its life any less?

The OP allowed her dog to roam unsupervised and cause damage to someone else's pet. She is responsible for the actions of her dog.

5OBalesofHay · 30/06/2017 00:11

You need to find the money by the time your neighbours have to pay the bill. Take a loan or sell stuff if you can't get a loan. Your dog your bill. Get it contained.

BloodWorries · 30/06/2017 00:12

I'm astonished by many posts on this thread.
Just because a rabbit might not mean anything to you as an individual doesn't mean that it's not a much loved pet for someone else. I've had a miscarriage but was far more upset over losing a pet that has been part of my life for years, than losing a fetus that I hadn't even met. But I don't go around telling people to get over their miscarriages because it wasn't born/was just a few cells etc. How horrible would that be.
I have had plenty of small animals, as well as large ones. All of them received recommended vet care. IMO this is all part and parcel of having a pet.
Yes many rabbits would hate having their leg pinned, just as many dogs would be miserable having certain treatments. But this is up to the practicing vet and their owner to decide. Not a bunch of randoms on MN.

Nancy91 · 30/06/2017 00:14

Square, whether it is her responsibility or not, if she hasn't got the money then she can't pay. I'm not sure if I'm speaking another language or something.

If the bill is £1300 and OP has £0, then the bill cannot be paid by her. Hope that makes sense Hmm

The rabbit owner is also irresponsible for not having insurance (which is stupidly cheap).

As I have said, I would pay. The price seems quite high though so I'd want to confirm things directly with the vet. I hope the rabbit is ok as I know they don't cope well with shock Sad

Veterinari · 30/06/2017 00:21

If the rabbit had specialist orthopaedic surgery then £1300 or that ballpark seems pretty reasonable. It's what I paid paid for a similar surgery with a specialist for my dog recently - why would a rabbit be any less? The species-specific expertise is the same.

I guess if the OP does not have the money and has not gotten insurance then she's liable to a civil prosecution. Or the neighbours could potentially pursue a criminal complaint under the DDA as it appears her dog was dangerously out of control.

GardenGeek · 30/06/2017 00:21

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Veterinari · 30/06/2017 00:25

I am fairly sure if the dog had escaped from its garden and been dangerously out of control with a child the responses would be different. But the bottom line remains the same. Your dog - your liability. The subject of the attack is pretty irrelevant - it's the dog owner's responsibilty to prevent the attack in the first place

user1497480444 · 30/06/2017 00:26

It makes no difference if the rabbit is insured or not. Either the rabbit owner, or the insurer, will claim the money back from the OP.

Rabbits can be just as much a loved part of the family as a dog. We have had around 10 altogether. Some were a bit stand offish, and not particularly affectionate.

Others were friendly and loving and we built up strong relationships with them on personal level. A couple lived over a decade with us. Six weeks in a plaster cast and £1300 vets bill wouldn't have changed that.

The OP will have to find the money. A bank loan, possibly, or find something to sell. Phone handset? TV?

toffeeboffin · 30/06/2017 00:31

OP hasn't been back for a while.

Babymamamama · 30/06/2017 00:41

Am I the only one thinking the OP has got away very lightly from this? What if it had been someone's baby this dog got hold of instead of a rabbit?

toffeeboffin · 30/06/2017 01:04

'If the Vet had thought the surgery not worth it, I'm pretty sure she/he would have advised accordingly.'

£1200 twisted his arm.

SoupDragon · 30/06/2017 07:25

Am I the only one thinking the OP has got away very lightly from this? What if it had been someone's baby this dog got hold of instead of a rabbit?

Yeah, you're probably the only one. There's a huge difference between a rabbit and a baby. 🙄

IrritatedUser1960 · 30/06/2017 07:34

Oh dear it's a problem, I'm always worried that my cat is going to fall off the fence when he's winding up the dogs next door. He likes to watch them jump and bark fruitlessly. I put a very secure fence up though so they can't get at my cats when they are out with metal netting at the bottom so the dogs can't dig through.
Unfortunately in this case the fault is yours as you have not made enough effort with your boundary, imagine if it had been the neighbours child!
I suggest checking all of your insurances to see if you are covered for this but if not you will have to find the money somehow, it will be a lot more expensive if she takes you to the small claims court.
I'd also find out whose boundary it is. if it is her boundary and it hasn't been maintained to a good standard you may have a case or be able to reduce the settlement.

Lindy2 · 30/06/2017 07:44

For all those assuming the dog wouldn't go for a child and it only wanted the rabbit, think of this scenario.
Escaped dog goes to kill the neighbour's rabbit in its run. Neighbour's child playing in the garden rushes to save their pet. That dog will not be able to switch off from the kill mode it is in if that chIld instinctively gets between the dog and their pet.
An out of control dog in someone else's garden is not in any way acceptable.
I had to set out the above scenario to a neighbour of mine who regularly let their dog get out and into our garden. Thankfully they have been a lot more responsible since.
You got off lightly OP and you need to step up and be responsible for your dog's actions.