# law regarding dog on cat attacks



## Tarron

This is purely hypothetical for my info, though its something I have seen people go through.

Who is at fault if:

A cat stray into a dogs garden and gets attacked?
What if the dog is in a pen, within the garden?
A dog, on lead, manages to attack a cat?
A burglar enters the house and is attacked by a dog, running free in the house?
What if the dog is confined to a single room, behind a dog gate, so they can be seen, and said burglar enters the room?

I know that's a fair few questions, and they may have been asked/answered before, but after searching 20 pages, I couldn't see anything.

As I say, all hypothetical, please don't flame.

Tarron


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## marthaMoo

> 1)A cat stray into a dogs garden and gets attacked?
> 2)What if the dog is in a pen, within the garden?
> 3)A dog, on lead, manages to attack a cat?
> 4)A burglar enters the house and is attacked by a dog, running free in the house?
> 5)What if the dog is confined to a single room, behind a dog gate, so they can be seen, and said burglar enters the room?


Off the top of my head...

I think 1 and 2 are down to you and the owner of the cat. I do know of a dog that was removed due to killing a cat in its own garden. But then I know of other people whos cat has been killed, or whos dog has killed a cat and nothing but vets costs have been paid.
Your dog could be classed as out of control in a public place for 3.


As for someone entering your house and your dog attaking it, even if the person see's it and continues to go into that room. I think it would now be your fault and you would be held responsible.

But I maybe talking poo...lol

There maybe something on here Doglaw


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## giant snail

Tarron said:


> This is purely hypothetical for my info, though its something I have seen people go through.
> 
> Who is at fault if:
> 
> A cat stray into a dogs garden and gets attacked?
> What if the dog is in a pen, within the garden?
> A dog, on lead, manages to attack a cat?
> A burglar enters the house and is attacked by a dog, running free in the house?
> What if the dog is confined to a single room, behind a dog gate, so they can be seen, and said burglar enters the room?
> 
> I know that's a fair few questions, and they may have been asked/answered before, but after searching 20 pages, I couldn't see anything.
> 
> As I say, all hypothetical, please don't flame.
> 
> Tarron



from experience

if a cat goes into YOUR garden or on YOUR wall/ fence there is nothing they can do if the cat gets killed. as its on your propity.

if your dog went in there garden and got attacked by thier cat then that would be yuor fault for the animal being there :whistling2:


on a lead. your liable as you had control of the dog at the time. (should have a muzzle on in my opinion if not cat/ animal/ people friendly.)

not sure about burgler as cases have gone either way which is stupid. its in your house. if you choose to have an agressive dog thats up to you. in my opinion but not sure on the law they are on your proerty so thier fault in my opinion. i would put signs up around your fences back and front door to be on the safe side too.


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## snowdrop

The only advice I can put forward is an experience I had when 3 cats entered my garden they are my neighbours cats and once they came into my garden and attacked my dog (yup I said it right) she had scratches on her back and needed a stitch on her nose bless her, after I took my lady to the vets I took her round there and they were very sorry about what had happened and because we have lovely neighbours they paid for all the vets bills straight away. Now they have decided to keep the cats indoor to stop it from happening again


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## Kare

I have often wondered about the cat situation, there are, I know, laws on both side one saying you have no responsibility for killing a cat, same is there is no law against you if you run over a cat and kill it. (there are laws against you willingly allowing it to suffer, ie if not dead you should take it to the vet or at least be able to say you took steps to catch it) Cats are allowed to free roam legally as they are considered at some levels as not owned, they are semi wild. The same laws will then say if they are not owned you have no more responsibility to them being killed as you do to running over a wild rabbit. If the person is using the law to let them wander they are in a weak situation to argue the negative flipside of the same law.
On the other hand there are laws that you have to secure your property and I know someone who had no recourse when they got hurt by someone elses horse when it got on her land as she had not secured against it!! 
It will likely not be cut and dry and could possibly come down as fine as whether the judge likes you or them or likes cats or dogs.

Personally I believe all animals should be under control and never on the property of another without permission

With regards to the burgler I believe having signs announcing the fact dogs are present goes a long way. However the wording can work against you. Signs should NEVER say "guard dogs", or "beware of the dog" as that can be argued as evidence you were aware the dogs could be aggressive. 
The ones I have used have a large picture of a German Shepherd and state "I live here", and also ones stating "Dogs running free"


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## Tarron

Hey, thanks for answering. Kare, I think you've got pretty much the same opinion as me.

As I said, I'm not in any position like this, and we just wondering.

My dog is great with cats, as we have 4, and she is in a large pen In the garden, and shut in the kitchen when not in the house, or In bed.

The most I can see this affecting us is if go away, my wife would like her freeroaming for security. She's not a nasty dog, but being an akita, if someone smashed through she might growl, lol


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## 123dragon

my next door neibours dog killed a cat and the cat owners said it was the cats fault for being there


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## Shell195

123dragon said:


> my next door neibours dog killed a cat and the cat owners said it was the cats fault for being there


 

Its not the cats fault, its the owners:bash:


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## feorag

I see things the same way as Kare - I'm not sure if it's legally correct, but that would be the way that I would be thinking if asked.


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## selina20

We got a rottie off deathrow as a guard dog due to the police telling us to get one when gypsies kept trying to break into our horse yard. When discussing this with the police they told us that if we had a "beware of the dog" sign on our yard we would be liable if she bit as its us being aware of the dogs temperment and admitting it would bite. However without the sign then it is the persons fault as dogs are naturally defensive. A week later a police officer came over to see how she was settling in to her new home and to see if we had any problems with gypsies. the dog ran upto the gate with a squeeky bone and the police officer put her hand through the gate (knowing what the dog was like as she had recommended her to us) and the dog bit her. I dont know how true all this is its just what we had been told by the police when we were given the dog.


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## saxon

Until we have our pen up this is now a worry for us. 
5 of our cats are outdoor cats and we've just had 2 dogs move in two doors down. They are definitely not cat friendly and our cats are used to going in that particular garden as the other tenant used to stroke them!
We've tried to keep these 5 cats in and they were going mad so we had to give in after a few weeks until the pen is built.
The new tenant has agreed to check the garden before letting his dogs out but to be honest if the worst happened and my cats were stupid enough to go in when they're out I wouldn't hold either the dogs or the owner responsible!
Thankfully my cats are cautious of other dogs even though we have our own.
Our new doors and windows are being put in on the 22/06 so hopefully the pen will be built by the end of July.


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## Smigsy

giant snail said:


> from experience
> 
> if a cat goes into YOUR garden or on YOUR wall/ fence there is nothing they can do if the cat gets killed. as its on your propity.
> 
> if your dog went in there garden and got attacked by thier cat then that would be yuor fault for the animal being there :whistling2:
> 
> 
> on a lead. your liable as you had control of the dog at the time. (should have a muzzle on in my opinion if not cat/ animal/ people friendly.)
> 
> not sure about burgler as cases have gone either way which is stupid. its in your house. if you choose to have an agressive dog thats up to you. in my opinion but not sure on the law they are on your proerty so thier fault in my opinion.* i would put signs up around your fences back and front door to be on the safe side too*.


I think by putting up warning signs you are accepting liability for your 'dangerous' dog.


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## Freakinfreak

Smigsy said:


> I think by putting up warning signs you are accepting liability for your 'dangerous' dog.


Not if the sign is worded like this:










But if it was worded like this, then yes: 









Since the second one is saying beware with an image of a vicious dog, then you're promoting the fact that your dog is agressive and a threat. Unlike mr.happy dog on the top sign.


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## Kare

With cat attacks it is very worth while noting that very few breeds of dog can catch a healthy cat, perhaps only sight hounds. 

I have a cat chasing dog who will chase any cat in the garden but the wall at the back is easy for a cat to clear and a cat is far faster.

The only issue really would be a unhealthy elderly cat or if the dog could corner the cat. If you have a 6ft wall/fence around then there has been discussion on this site before of making escape routes, a small cat size gap or something such as leaning a long wooden beam along a side panel/wall reaching to the top of the back wall, even a few inches wide and it is an ideal cat runway/launching platform/escape route. Saying that most cats can easily climb a 6 ft fence panel.


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## sarahc

Kare said:


> With cat attacks it is very worth while noting that very few breeds of dog can catch a healthy cat, perhaps only sight hounds.


my short fat dogs have caught two in the garden purely because both cats were of the nochalent I'm not scared of you variety.Neither was injured just badly frightened but I have a new one visiting now.It simply isn't scared,it's intent on stalking my aviary.I have doused it with water but it doesn't care and keeps coming back.I have to be on constant ginger moggy alert else it will be marmaladed but how to stop it returning?Some cats are pretty butch I think but they don't realise that some dogs really do mean business.Is there a way to discourage cats that works,it's a worry?


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## 123dragon

Shell195 said:


> Its not the cats fault, its the owners:bash:


 do you mean the owner of the cat or the dog?
i agree that it isent the cats fault they dont know what could happen but its not the dog or dogs owners fault either.

i also dont believe in having cats shut in or with arun in the garden, i think they should be able to run free and deaths due to dogs or rtas are just a risk you take

and yes i have lost a cat on the road


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## Shell195

123dragon said:


> do you mean the owner of the cat or the dog?
> i agree that it isent the cats fault they dont know what could happen but its not the dog or dogs owners fault either.
> 
> i also dont believe in having cats shut in or with arun in the garden, i think they should be able to run free and deaths due to dogs or rtas are just a risk you take
> 
> and yes i have lost a cat on the road


 
I meant the cats owner. Its so simple to catproof a garden to keep them from wandering and they still have freedom to hunt, play and climb. I love knowing my cats are safe from harm and they can play outside 24/7 if they choose too.


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## feorag

123dragon said:


> i also dont believe in having cats shut in or with arun in the garden, i think they should be able to run free and deaths due to dogs or rtas are just a risk you take


Don't forget to add in there deaths due to picking up incurable diseases that cannot be vaccinated against, being stolen for nefarious reasons, such as dog baiting, shipping to the continent to make cat fur clothing and toys etc, getting lost and being taken home by someone cos they've taken a fancy to it.

It isn't just roads and dogs that pose a threat to cats nowadays.


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## saxon

Yes it's not just RTA's and dog attacks we can lose our cats to.
I've almost lost two cats over the last 18 months or so either to cars or dogs.
Oe to ijury whilst out, blood poisoning, the other was taken in by a neighbour and allowed to almost starve herself to death before she returned her to me. Slyly putting the cat, who was very near death, into my garden for my OH to find.
I can't wait to get my big run done.


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## Tds79

Tarron said:


> This is purely hypothetical for my info, though its something I have seen people go through.
> 
> Who is at fault if:
> 
> A cat stray into a dogs garden and gets attacked?
> What if the dog is in a pen, within the garden?
> A dog, on lead, manages to attack a cat?
> A burglar enters the house and is attacked by a dog, running free in the house?
> What if the dog is confined to a single room, behind a dog gate, so they can be seen, and said burglar enters the room?
> 
> I know that's a fair few questions, and they may have been asked/answered before, but after searching 20 pages, I couldn't see anything.
> 
> As I say, all hypothetical, please don't flame.
> 
> Tarron



If the new dog law comes in then all of the above would be the dog owners fault, as you should be in charge of your dog at all times, but i know a fair few lords are trying to make sure it does not get passed. 

At present though if the cat enters _your_ garden and your dog is within _your _ garden and it is kept securely then it is the owner of the cats fault. 
If your dog is on a lead they will probably ask how it managed to attack a cat whilst on lead, as you are ment to be in control of your dog whilst it is on a lead. 





Smigsy said:


> I think by putting up warning signs you are accepting liability for your 'dangerous' dog.


Aslong as the signs do not have the words "danger", "warning" or "beware" you are normally ok. 

With regards to cats should be able to roam free and it is a risk etc I have to say I do not agree, my cats are not allowed to "roam" they are allowed in the garden and the garden is cat proofed, I care about my cats too much to allow the risk of them getting hit and killed simply because it is a "risk you take".


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