Dog got hold of neighbors cat

[BigT]

It's an awful thing to witness and deal with but you're clearly an animal lover @ArcticHeron as evidenced by your reaction and your desire to go find the owners, have empathy and do the right thing. Plenty of scumbags would have dumped the cat's body somewhere and carried on as if nothing happened.

You have a sight hound, as do I, and you know that they nearly all have extremely high prey drives. Mild mannered and placid 99% of the time but bred over centuries to chase small furry things. I liken it to a red mist that instantly descends as they can go from almost snoozing to full on attack mode. It's in their DNA and while it is of course possible to train it out of them it is really, really hard, especially if you didn't have them as a puppy. You were in your own home and there's no expectation of having to keep them on a lead or muzzled there. They'll hit top speed (probably about 40mph for a greyhound) in six strides from a standing start - you can't stop them when they go. It's just a really horrible situation but don't beat yourself up too much about it.

 

[ArcticHeron]

OP here guys, thought I'd drop a bit of an update.

Went round to the neighbors around 8.30 last night when I heard the partner get in. Was utterly dreading it, but first thing he did when he opened his door was embrace me and told me not too worry... that nearly did me in. He invited me inside, called his partner down and we sat at the table and I told them exactly what happened, how she'd passed and that she wasn't alone when it happened. We all got a little upset but they where so understanding and forgiving, certainly more then so then I felt I deserved. I told them they wouldn't have to pay a penny towards whatever they may want to do with her and that I'd pick her up from the vets and bring her back myself, but they wouldn't have it. They just wanted to forget and remember her as she was, which is of course fair enough. They said all they wanted was for us to be friendly neighbors again and that they never wanted that to change.

We've always been very close to them. Speak all the time, get each other presents around Christmas, lend each other tools for garden/DIY work. My partners a Midwife with a nursing background and she assisted quite a lot in the very early days of Covid when their mother nearly passed away at home with it. When I found out it was there cat, I really despaired. Not because I thought it would ruin the relationship, but because having a conversation like that with someone you know and care about is always going to be more difficult then just a random stranger. They loved that cat and indirectly or not I took that away from them.

Overall a crappy situation I'll feel bad about for a very long time I imagine, but I guess the moral of the story is that you should own your mistakes, always be honest and try to do the right thing ESPECIALY when it's heartbreaking to do so.

 

[Graetzbridge]

OP here guys, thought I'd drop a bit of an update.

Went round to the neighbors around 8.30 last night when I heard the partner get in. Was utterly dreading it, but first thing he did when he opened his door was embrace me and told me not too worry... that nearly did me in. He invited me inside, called his partner down and we sat at the table and I told them exactly what happened, how she'd passed and that she wasn't alone when it happened. We all got a little upset but they where so understanding and forgiving, certainly more then so then I felt I deserved. I told them they wouldn't have to pay a penny towards whatever they may want to do with her and that I'd pick her up from the vets and bring her back myself, but they wouldn't have it. They just wanted to forget and remember her as she was, which is of course fair enough. They said all they wanted was for us to be friendly neighbors again and that they never wanted that to change.

We've always been very close to them. Speak all the time, get each other presents around Christmas, lend each other tools for garden/DIY work. My partners a Midwife with a nursing background and she assisted quite a lot in the very early days of Covid when their mother nearly passed away at home with it. When I found out it was there cat, I really despaired. Not because I thought it would ruin the relationship, but because having a conversation like that with someone you know and care about is always going to be more difficult then just a random stranger. They loved that cat and indirectly or not I took that away from them.

Overall a crappy situation I'll feel bad about for a very long time I imagine, but I guess the moral of the story is that you should own your mistakes, always be honest and try to do the right thing ESPECIALY when it's heartbreaking to do so.

Well done, you!!!

 

[teenwolf]

OP here guys, thought I'd drop a bit of an update.

Went round to the neighbors around 8.30 last night when I heard the partner get in. Was utterly dreading it, but first thing he did when he opened his door was embrace me and told me not too worry... that nearly did me in. He invited me inside, called his partner down and we sat at the table and I told them exactly what happened, how she'd passed and that she wasn't alone when it happened. We all got a little upset but they where so understanding and forgiving, certainly more then so then I felt I deserved. I told them they wouldn't have to pay a penny towards whatever they may want to do with her and that I'd pick her up from the vets and bring her back myself, but they wouldn't have it. They just wanted to forget and remember her as she was, which is of course fair enough. They said all they wanted was for us to be friendly neighbors again and that they never wanted that to change.

We've always been very close to them. Speak all the time, get each other presents around Christmas, lend each other tools for garden/DIY work. My partners a Midwife with a nursing background and she assisted quite a lot in the very early days of Covid when their mother nearly passed away at home with it. When I found out it was there cat, I really despaired. Not because I thought it would ruin the relationship, but because having a conversation like that with someone you know and care about is always going to be more difficult then just a random stranger. They loved that cat and indirectly or not I took that away from them.

Overall a crappy situation I'll feel bad about for a very long time I imagine, but I guess the moral of the story is that you should own your mistakes, always be honest and try to do the right thing ESPECIALY when it's heartbreaking to do so.

best outcome possible.

 

[Freefaller]

As sad as it is. This is what animals do. Ultimately the cat was on your property and that's the risk a cat owner takes.

Whilst you could have checked the garden first, you shouldn't have to. It's your garden.

I've had cats and dogs and love both but there's always a risk owing a pet. This was just a tragic incident but it is just part of the process.

Doesn't stop you feeling bad about it because you're a decent human being.

 

[bushmins]

What a catastrophe, I feline so bad for everyone involved.

 

[Freefaller]

To the original poster. Sorry to hear of the situation, but trying to train the prey drive out of a sight hound to any degree of reliability is a mug's game. They have been bred for generations and generations to chase and kill small animals. Something they do exceedingly well and it would probably take generations of eugenics to develop a greyhound that didn't naturally have hyper prey drive.

I have owned and bred Anatolian Karabash most of my adult life, and despite the one I have now having had zero training it has so far caught and killed about four foxes, it just "knew" they were predators and after my birds. It's what THEY have been bred for. I would say training it out of them would be excruciatingly difficult.

It's not often I agree with you but here I'm in total agreement.

 

[dowie]

OP here guys, thought I'd drop a bit of an update.
[...]

Overall a crappy situation I'll feel bad about for a very long time I imagine, but I guess the moral of the story is that you should own your mistakes, always be honest and try to do the right thing ESPECIALY when it's heartbreaking to do so.

Good result OP, glad it was sorted.

Controlling your dog in public

You can be fined if your dog is out of control in public - find out about Dog Control Orders, banned dogs, dog fouling and reporting a dangerous dog

www.gov.uk

Specifically this bit.
"A court could also decide that your dog is dangerously out of control if either of the following apply:

it attacks someone’s animal"

It suggests the above applies if you call your dog back and it doesn't listen it could be classed as out of control. But you'd have to prove that.

Quite a bit of uncertainty there, it is out of control if it attacks a person but "could" be considered out of control if it attacks a cat etc.. also it was in the OPs garden not out on the street etc.. it all seems a bit uncertain.

Like there is a big difference between your dog being off lead in public, failing to respond to the owner's recall commands, running into someone else's garden or indeed killing a cat on the pavement vs a dog being off lead in a fenced-in garden and killing a cat.

OP hasn't been unreasonable here, my mum's dog will chase cats, if there's a cat in the garden then it's not a good idea to let her out, if she's already in the garden though and a cat jumps the fence then that's unfortunate but can't really be prevented. If we take her for a walk she's on a lead all the time until we get to a big park or some area of countryside/woods etc.

 

[Mr Jack]

Awful situation, @ArcticHeron, I think you handled it very well and I'm glad your neighbours also behaved well.

I have five cats (+6 kittens currently), and I've always had outdoor cats. From my point of view, if your dog came into my garden and attacked my cat then I'd be on the warpath but if my cat goes into your garden and gets into trouble? No, that's not your fault and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. I think the improved quality of life and mental health for my cats is worth the risks from going outside, but I can't blame someone else if my cat gets into trouble on their land.

 

[~Divine~Wind~]

OP here guys, thought I'd drop a bit of an update.

Went round to the neighbors around 8.30 last night when I heard the partner get in. Was utterly dreading it, but first thing he did when he opened his door was embrace me and told me not too worry... that nearly did me in. He invited me inside, called his partner down and we sat at the table and I told them exactly what happened, how she'd passed and that she wasn't alone when it happened. We all got a little upset but they where so understanding and forgiving, certainly more then so then I felt I deserved. I told them they wouldn't have to pay a penny towards whatever they may want to do with her and that I'd pick her up from the vets and bring her back myself, but they wouldn't have it. They just wanted to forget and remember her as she was, which is of course fair enough. They said all they wanted was for us to be friendly neighbors again and that they never wanted that to change.

We've always been very close to them. Speak all the time, get each other presents around Christmas, lend each other tools for garden/DIY work. My partners a Midwife with a nursing background and she assisted quite a lot in the very early days of Covid when their mother nearly passed away at home with it. When I found out it was there cat, I really despaired. Not because I thought it would ruin the relationship, but because having a conversation like that with someone you know and care about is always going to be more difficult then just a random stranger. They loved that cat and indirectly or not I took that away from them.

Overall a crappy situation I'll feel bad about for a very long time I imagine, but I guess the moral of the story is that you should own your mistakes, always be honest and try to do the right thing ESPECIALY when it's heartbreaking to do so.

Ah whilst a sad event a good outcome mate

Well played to you, many wouldn't have bothered

 

[ArcticHeron]

Good result OP, glad it was sorted.



Quite a bit of uncertainty there, it is out of control if it attacks a person but "could" be considered out of control if it attacks a cat etc.. also it was in the OPs garden not out on the street etc.. it all seems a bit uncertain.

Like there is a big difference between your dog being off lead in public, failing to respond to the owner's recall commands, running into someone else's garden or indeed killing a cat on the pavement vs a dog being off lead in a fenced-in garden and killing a cat.

OP hasn't been unreasonable here, my mum's dog will chase cats, if there's a cat in the garden then it's not a good idea to let her out, if she's already in the garden though and a cat jumps the fence then that's unfortunate but can't really be prevented. If we take her for a walk she's on a lead all the time until we get to a big park or some area of countryside/woods etc.

I did query it with the vets when I went in just to be on the safe side and she said it nearly always comes down to context. The cat in this instance wasn't maimed and appeared to have died more from shock then anything (though they hadn't done extensive checks at this point), the dog breed is known for having a strong prey drive, it isn't on the danger list and the cat was in our garden and had no clear and obvious ways inside other then climbing the 6 foot fence.

Even if it all that goes against you and the cat survives and requires extensive medical treatment, so long as it's on the dog owners property they're not required to payout anything. They said they'd never heard of a case whereby the dog owner was prosectuted or the dog taken away/put down in that instance. Doesn't mean it hasn't happened that way of course, or that it's even morally the right standing, but still.

 

[bigmike20vt]

Awful situation, @ArcticHeron, I think you handled it very well and I'm glad your neighbours also behaved well.

I have five cats (+6 kittens currently), and I've always had outdoor cats. From my point of view, if your dog came into my garden and attacked my cat then I'd be on the warpath but if my cat goes into your garden and gets into trouble? No, that's not your fault and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it. I think the improved quality of life and mental health for my cats is worth the risks from going outside, but I can't blame someone else if my cat gets into trouble on their land.

i pretty much agree with you on all counts however just to play devils advocate (as it is something i saw my neighbours go to war over) where would you stand on one of your cats attacking a neighbours rabbit or fish in a pond in their garden?. We used to own a cat and she was mostly an out door cat. luckily it never happened to us but it was a constant concern.

 

[doodah]

Aw the memories of my Poppy found dead/run over by my local greengrocer on the first day of year 8, pretty sure that meant he had accidentally done it himself.

Glad of the outcome for the OP .