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Original poster

Neighbours dog killed my cat on my property

75 replies

SaritaBella · 12/08/2022 00:52

My cat(10 month) got attacked by neighbours Xl Bully dog on my property (back garden) as he invaded my property.
My neighbours own two XL Bullies who are not looked after. Usually they are left attached by a trea or on a loose, living in the garden 24/7. Usually being without any water nor food.
On the 27th July around 7 30pm their dog got into my garden, as I saw later on, this dog was digging a hole underneath the fence. My cat has been on a flexi leash, long enough but not.able to jump over the fences. Sadly it took few minutes for cat to be injured. I run and knocked on their window to make them aware(as they never look after these dogs), as they haven't heard me screaming and shouting in distress. Woman, owner of the dogs, came in after 2-3 minutes, took her dog. As I was looking after my cat injured barely moving
being flat as a ragdoll I run to her and told her to take him to the vet as i was nor able to leave my newborn and a sleepinf kid. Unfortunately kitten haven't survived. No compensation from the faulty party nor a willingness to cover that dug up hole or the vet bill. Luckily no kids were in a garden as the dog could of hurt anybody. I've received her message after I made her aware of the situation and the dog owner apology and stating she wouldn't trust her own dogs around her kids.

So they were not in control of the dog, and it could be worse next time. Have proof of conversation, prove of vet bills and injuries, picture prove of a damaged property and dug up hole by a dog. Currently dogs attached with a short leash, I believe starvation deprived they're trying to escape in every way.
Later on, two weeks, they offered me £250
as I've requested to cover vet bill £650 and pedigree cat cost they simple refused, stating it could of been a fox and its my fault cat was on a leash hence couldnt run away.
Was thinking to report to police but with neighbours like this I am too scared! Scared to live next to them afterwards especially if police won't even do anything will come and tell them off.
Any advice?

OP posts:
PritiPatelsMaker · 13/08/2022 20:48

Also do you know if they rent and if so, who the Landlord is?

fyn · 13/08/2022 20:54

Our dog warden doesn’t deal with aggressive dogs, they advised that it is a police issue.

Wearefoooked22 · 13/08/2022 20:56

Report it to the police,my dog killed the neighbours rabbit,I had to have him put down.

PritiPatelsMaker · 14/08/2022 08:16

I've been thinking about this @SaritaBella and I think if he tempted to also email the NSPCC and talk to them about your concerns that the family have dangerous dogs, which they obviously can't control and saying that she's said to you that she doesn't trust the dogs with her DC.

DrNo007 · 14/08/2022 08:24

RSPCA are not always effective but have told me that they will investigate if dogs are kept without access to water, food or shelter, so you can and should report these dogs to them. I am sorry about your cat but this is one of the dangers of keeping a cat leashed (another is that the cat can strangle/hang itself if it is panicked) so please don’t do this again. Regarding recouping cost of cat, it’s civil claims court.

Ilovecats98 · 14/08/2022 08:43

Try your dog warden, ours was fantastic when dogs got into my garden and tried to attack my cat. He said dogs have to be under controlled the time and he was willing to take them if he found them

KangarooKenny · 14/08/2022 08:47

Why was your cat tied up ? It couldn’t escape.

Yabado · 14/08/2022 08:54

Are they owners or council Tennant / HA
if they are I would report them to the council / HA along with the police and the dog warden

londonlass71 · 14/08/2022 09:03

Wow I would not have put the cat on a felxi!!! I would take to small claims court

Discovereads · 14/08/2022 09:09

Gods so sorry for your poor cat. Completely agree the next door dog is dangerously out of control. Quite often a dangerous dog will attack (even kill) a cat in the lead up to attacking a child/adult. And it’s not always bad owners, although that increases the risk.

I agree you should call everyone you can think of….dog warden, RSPCA. I’d even contact a newspaper, there needs to be more awareness that attacking (or killing) cats is a massive red flag as to a dog on the edge of attacking humans.

MrsRhodes · 14/08/2022 09:15

Fraaahnces · 12/08/2022 02:02

Call police, council, dog warden, MP, rspca. Everyone.

This. And if all that fails, the local paper. That dog could have killed a child and still could.

I am so sorry for the loss of your kitten.

PlentyMorePebbles · 14/08/2022 09:19

KangarooKenny · 14/08/2022 08:47

Why was your cat tied up ? It couldn’t escape.

This ⬆️

Ultimately, the neighbours are at fault as their dogs were out of control but if your cat was on a lead, it wouldn’t have been able to run away so there really should have been someone with it.

Bubbafly · 14/08/2022 09:22

I am so sorry this happened to you but I cannot stop thinking about the poor cat being tied up and unable to escape. How horrendous for the poor little thing.

pastaandpesto · 14/08/2022 09:27

Jesus christ that is awful. I am utterly gobsmacked that the police haven't acted in similar cases sadly reported by PPs. It could so easily have been a young child killed. Are the police basically saying that if you live next door to a clearly dangerous dog that has proven history of breaking into your property, then tough shit, you basically can't ever risk letting your children play in their own garden?

averageavocado · 14/08/2022 09:31

So horrible

Definitely report.

And allow any other cats you have/get roam free. It's really not natural to put cats in cages or on leads

clpsmum · 14/08/2022 09:35

Fraaahnces · 12/08/2022 02:02

Call police, council, dog warden, MP, rspca. Everyone.

This anyone you can think of

LynetteScavo · 14/08/2022 09:35

I'm so sorry about your cat. The same thing happened to me (a dog visiting next door came through a gap in the fence and killed my own cat who had been sleeping in the sun). The person responsible for the dog did offer to pay any costs (there weren't any, out cat was killed instantly). I would expect your neighbour to pay any costs, such as insurance excess, but surely you have insurance to cover most of the vets bills and the cost of the cat?

It's not actually a crime in the uk for a dog to kill a cat, as far as I know.

The only issue here anyone else would care about is the neighbour keeping her dogs under control so they don't attack a person.

PandoraP · 14/08/2022 09:36

A dog killed my cat on our property a few years ago. Actually inside my house. It had escaped from its garden and managed to get through a hole in the fence. It didn’t even live next door to us. it was summer and hot so we had the door open.
We reported it to the police and they spoke to the owner, but cats do not have any rights even when killed inside their own homes so nothing happened. The police told us dogs have rights, but not cats. Madness.

Jellyx · 14/08/2022 09:37

I would report to police due to the danger the dog presents - it could be a kid next.

I would also request a solicitor write a letter - or draft your own and advise the next stage is taking legal action- to request full amount of money it cost you.

Don't let them bully you .

GuyFawkesDay · 14/08/2022 09:42

Police.

My child was bitten by an off lead dog last week. Dog warden was really helpful actually and advised me well to report to police.

Police extremely helpful too. I reported for information but then saw same dog off lead again in same park so decided to step it up.

Definitely report it, that's a criminal offence as dog is classed as dangerously out of control

vroom321 · 14/08/2022 10:13

If they are tied up, hungry and thirsty you must have already reported them? What happened then?

vroom321 · 14/08/2022 10:15

I assume you haven't taken your baby / children outside since then if they can dig into your garden?

sunsetsandsandybeaches · 14/08/2022 10:18

PandoraP · 14/08/2022 09:36

A dog killed my cat on our property a few years ago. Actually inside my house. It had escaped from its garden and managed to get through a hole in the fence. It didn’t even live next door to us. it was summer and hot so we had the door open.
We reported it to the police and they spoke to the owner, but cats do not have any rights even when killed inside their own homes so nothing happened. The police told us dogs have rights, but not cats. Madness.

Cats are different as they have the right to roam, unlike dogs. It's also why you don't (legally) have to stop if you run over a cat, but you do if you hit a dog.

I think the legal issue is that if cats are to have the same rights as dogs, they'd no longer be able to roam free and would be subject to the same restrictions dogs are.

JustSortYoursefOut · 14/08/2022 10:20

GlamGiraffe I've just looked at your link. The petition was rejected

Elsiid · 14/08/2022 10:27

I don't think tying a cat up is ever a good idea.

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