When Your Neighbor is an Irresponsible Owner...

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Kip & Oogie

Goof Fox & Diva- Squirrel

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 2:40pm PST


	So, I’m really angry, and this is kind of going to turn into a rant about irresponsible dog owners. Just a warning. Today my mom called me in tears and informed me that the neighbors 5 dogs (all daschunds) had gotten loose AGAIN... and this time that they got loose, they came into our yard, surrounded our cat Grey Kitty’s igloo home, dragged him out and tore him to shreds. The exterminator who came this afternoon to spray our yard found the body and called my Dad to tell him; my dad reviewed our security tapes from our property and found that it indeed was our idiot neighbor’s daschunds. Can’t deny the details caught on camera… I understand that accidents happen… but when the “accidents” like getting loose become a pattern??? It just really pisses me off how irresponsible this particular neighbor is. You would think she would learn it would be a good idea to supervise her dogs when they have a history of repeatedly escaping! And now, because of her inability to control and supervise her dogs, our little stray rescue cat who we’ve had for 7 years died a really horrific, brutal, violent death in his own home. My only hope is that it was a fast one since he had so many teeth coming at him all at once I know that for the most part cats and dogs don’t get along. So honestly, I don’t really blame the dogs for this- they don’t understand things like “property boundaries” or the love of other people for animals that they have an instinct to go after. The dogs don’t understand the emotional ramifications of their behaviors. I do, however, blame the owner for not being responsible for her pets- I'm sure she realizes that things like this can happen if her dogs get out (among other things, like them getting hit by a car or ending up lost for good), yet she still does nothing to try to keep a better watch on them. To make things even crummier, her dogs (the males, anyway- not sure about the females) are not fixed from what I can tell (unless they’ve been neutered since I last visited home, which honestly, is unlikely). And while I have no issues with intact animals, I really think that if someone is going to decide to keep an animal intact they need to BE RESPONSIBLE and not let their dogs get loose!!! ESPECIALLY repeatedly!!!! That's an "oops" litter waiting to happen if it hasn't yet already. Honestly, I don’t think people like that should be allowed to own pets, though I know I am not in the position to make that sort of decision for other people. It all just really ticks me off and I’m really upset that my cat had to leave this world in such a violent manner due to my stupid neighbor not keeping a watch on her dogs—something that could have been PREVENTED if the lady would have just taken the time to RESPONSIBLY care for her animals. I halfway think my parents should file a suit against this woman; they do have evidence with the tape and all- I’m not quite sure how that whole bit works though. I don’t think her dogs should be put down or taken away… my guess is it would be difficult to re-home her five nasty tempered, stubby little ogres of dogs anyway… but I do think she should be forced to take some precautions to prevent things like this from occurring in the future… you know, to GROW UP and actually take responsibility for her dogs. Just sayin'. UGH. Rant over. Just had to get that out!!!

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Twister

Love me.

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 3:02pm PST


	You are right, accidents do happen, but this is apparently not the first time the dogs have gotten out. I would seriously recommend prosecution. The dogs are repeat offenders (of getting loose, so neighbors obviously are not taking this seriously), they violently attacked and killed your cat on your property, and you have it on tape. If you let this go, things will only escalate. These people need to know how serious this actually is, they can NOT simply blame this on being in the dog's nature and thereby excusing all responsibility. What happens if someone with a baby or toddler visits these people? I really do not want to know. So sorry for your loss.

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Kip & Oogie

Goof Fox & Diva- Squirrel

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 4:56pm PST


	Twister, thank you for your kind words and your advice This all happened this afternoon while both of my parents were at work. My dad left work and went home to clean up the remains- my mom was far too attached to Grey Kitty to be able to deal with the scene- and apparently while he was home he filed a police report and showed the officer the video evidence. So, we'll see what happens from there. Hopefully it will be a wakeup call to said neighbor in terms of actually being responsible... Since the dogs in question aren't typically considered a "vicious" breed, I'm not sure what will happen. I know several years back a friend in a different neighborhood had her cat mauled to death by two pit bulls that got loose who also had a history of escaping- but in addition to their history of escaping they also had a history of attacking/killing multiple outdoor cats and I believe attacking one dog on a leash. There were rumors that the dogs (and their owners) were involved in dog-fighting but I'm not sure whether that is true or not (though it wouldn't surprise me if it was)... Regardless, both of the dogs were euthanized. It's a shame that it all came to that because the owner(s) just refused to be responsible in caring for their pets. Makes me sick how ignorant and careless some people can be Grey Kitty had a good life though. He was getting older, and we knew his time would come eventually. I just wish he could have passed in a more peaceful manner. Getting ripped to shreds is a really, really horrible way to go He wasn't the prettiest kitty, he was actually really scrawny and mangy when we first found him. But we fed him, won his trust, and brought him back to health over the course of 7 years- we surely did love that meowing grey fluff. May he rest in peace

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Cobain ADC,- SGDC, CGN

More Bored- Collies

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 5:18pm PST


	Rest in Peace Grey Kitty We end up with neighbour dogs in our yard all the time. Living at the "bottom" of the road, I guess it's just where they head. Then they tend to get stuck as we've got fencing on 5/8 of the yard. So the dog comes in on one side and stands at the gate on the other to be let out. Luckily mostly labs with good temperaments. But really. We don't have a properly fenced yard, and own a beagle. We manage to keep him in the yard even with his powerful nose and instinct to wander. So why can't these other people manage?

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Bruno CGC

Honorary Kelpie

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 5:25pm PST


	That is so sad. I'm glad your dad filed a police report. Hopefully the owner will get at least a fine and a warning, plus now they're in the system so there's a record of the incident if anything else happens.

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Rexy

I dig in mud- puddles!

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 5:34pm PST


	I'm so sorry for your loss. Rest in peace Grey Kitty. I would definitely be pursuing this far enough to make it so that it is in the dachsund owner's best interest for those dogs to not be loose again. In my town, an unprovoked attack on a person OR animal can get the offending dog labeled as a "dangerous dog", which would mean fines, a huge increase in licensing costs, and the dog would have to be muzzled and leashed whenever he is off the property.

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Squ'mey

too old to eat- any more KD

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 7:14pm PST


	RIP Grey Kitty. How horrific. I think, like the rest that it is good to pursue this. Size of dog does not matter. My neighbour's dog bit another dog & she is now labeled a "dangerous dog". She must be leashed & muzzled at all times when she is outside & only be with her owner. Inside the house she is supposed to be kenneled in a locked kennel...with a combination lock, not just a padlock! He paid a fine for the first incident, plus vet bills for the other dog. He can face fines of about $2500 if she has another incident. Multiply those fines by 5 & I bet your neighbour will be a bit more responsible! My condolences again for Grey Kitty Edited by author Wed Mar 7, '12 7:16pm PST

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MIKA&KAI

Akita Pals- Always.

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 8:28pm PST


	So sorry for your loss of Grey Kitty. Your rant is more than justified. We have a neighbor just like yours,her dog has bitten at least 4 people,runs loose whenever she gets out,until she chooses to come home and the owner KNOWS better,she is on our city counsel. Her dog has dug holes under my fence to start battles with my dogs,were anything to happen to her I would feel awful for her but just as badly for myself,because of her position and my dogs breed they would get the blame,just because they are Akitas and she could ask the people of animal control to confiscate and euthanize them as vicious,dangerous,and a threat to public safety,her repeat biter on the other hand has no consequences,because of the owners position and the people of the police dept. and animal control having a strong desire to keep their jobs. So I share your frustration. I cannot begin to imagine your pain in knowing what your poor kitty went through in those final moments. Please report this,and you may want to let her know just what her "little angels" are capable of. I am truly sorry for your loss." Rest in Peace Grey Kitty"

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Kip & Oogie

Goof Fox & Diva- Squirrel

Barked: Wed Mar 7, '12 9:25pm PST


	Thank you everyone for your thoughts and condolences. I’m not sure what will happen from here, but my parents at least have the initial report filed and the police have the evidence. There’s really no way to dispute the fact that her dogs committed such a violent act considering it’s all on tape. I talked to my dad (my mom refuses to watch the tape, as do I), and while all 5 took part there were 2 main dogs that were the initiators/aggressors in the situation. He says that animal control came and took those two primary dogs in and that they will be quarantined/monitored/evaluated for 3 days to determine if they are aggressive by nature or if it was an isolated incident. From that, I suppose they will determine what to do next in terms of punishment/fines/orders etc, so we will see what happens next. Cobain, exactly!!! I just don’t understand how people don’t care enough about their dogs to keep a good eye on them and make sure they don’t get out/roam. I’m glad that at least most of the dogs who end up in your yard are good tempered labs though and not dogs who want to eat your pets! On a lighter note I think it’s funny that they find their way in but go to the gate to be let out And cheers to you for being a responsible owner!! I wish there were more people out there like you and me and all of us dogsters who know what it takes to be responsible with our pets. Bruno, I am too. I’m hoping that the whole incident in itself will be enough of a wake up call for her to prevent something like this from ever happening again, though. Our cat is gone, but maybe it will save someone else’s unsuspecting pet from suffering the same fate due to her irresponsibility. Still sucks though, no way around that. Mika & Kai, that is an awful situation to be in! Talk about corruption at it’s finest You would think that people holding powerful positions in the city would want to be role models for others in all aspects… but unfortunately this is another instance of how that rarely happens. AND how the breed labeled more “vicious” is usually the first to get the blame, even if they are on their own property and weren’t the instigators to begin with Very, very sad. The pain and fear poor Grey Kitty went through in his last moments I can’t even begin to imagine; I’ve cried on and off all day thinking about it and keep telling myself at least it was fast even if it was violent. At least he didn’t have to suffer long even if it was one of the most awful possible ways to go Thank you again, everyone, for sharing. I really do appreciate the kind words and support; it's been a difficult day Edited by author Wed Mar 7, '12 9:27pm PST

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Shiver Me- Timbers- "Charlie"

My Little Dog, a- heartbeat at my- feet.<3

Barked: Thu Mar 8, '12 6:44am PST


	First, I'd like to say that I'm very, very sorry for the loss of Grey Kitty, and may he R.I.P. When I first got Charlie, he escaped a few yards(even though I had looked for escape routes, he found ways - unlatched gates, tiny holes in fences behind things I had no seen, escaped tie outs without damaging the leash or the collar, etc). I got diligent, bought a dog run and he hasn't escaped since. However, my foster dog, Beau, he escaped three times on me before I figured out how. The first time, he managed to BEND the metal gate of the dog run(HOW?!?!?!), so I began chaining and locking it closed so he couldn't. Then he escaped another time, and the only way I found figure out was if he had climbed the six foot chain link, turns out the third time I found he escaped, he had actually PULLED APART the chain link at the bottom and made himself a big enough hole in the chain link to escape. Every single time he escaped, Charlie sat in the dog run, barking to let me know of my little escape artist. I took metal wires and secured the bottom of the chain link to the ground bars to make sure he couldn't do that again, crafted a roof, and because of the gardens surrounding the dog run, he couldn't dig out, so I finally managed to keep him locked in, bol. That said, I NEVER, EVER left either dogs unsupervised long enough to get past the driveway IF they escaped, ever - I don't exactly like the idea of my dogs getting hurt because of my own lack of responsibility, so I've become pretty diligent about it. I hope this neighbor of yours figures out that she needs to take responsibility and find a way to contain her dogs - it's NOT impossible, it's just a matter of figuring out how the dogs are escaping and finding a solution to their escape(such as the roof I added, or me attaching the chain link to the ground bars, etc). She's being vastly irresponsible and clearly doesn't give too much of a damn about her dogs if they're repeat offenders - let's face it, a person who is really concerned about losing their dogs will be far more diligent about containing escape artists as well as possible, if not, never leaving them unsupervised again while outside. This completely appalls me. I actually saw something similar on a tv show the other day; Bad Dog or something? This family had a rescue stray who constantly escaped their yard, so they ended up attaching a video camera to her collar to find out where she was going for hours at a time daily. They found out her routine and said "we're not even concerned about it anymore, so we just let her do it." WHAT IF she gets hit by a car?! Or a boat, seeing as she was going around the yard fence into the lake and swimming to the neighbors boat dock to escape. Sure, she comes home every time and it's been happening for eight years, but it only takes ONCE for a tragic accident to happen. I'm glad to hear that your dad filed a report and I hope that Animal Control does something about it. Every time you or your family sees her dogs loose, report it - EVERY time, to make sure that they have on file that her dogs are repeatedly 'at large' and keep pushing it. Honestly, Charlie got attacked by my aunts cat several months ago(a cat who was raised from eight weeks old with him, for two years prior and had never had any issues with him before). Drake(the male car), saw Charlie sniffing Pepper(Drake's sister), and Pepper gave Charlie a playful swat like she always did, claws retracted of course, and Drake came flying down the hall, landed on Charlie and went full out. He wouldn't back off and Charlie couldn't escape, so he was forced to try to defend himself. I got clawed up and my knuckles split open when I pulled Charlie out of there and grabbed the cat off him. Now? He's scared of cats he's known most of his life and been totally fine with most of his life. Why? He got attacked by an animal whose body language he does not understand, so if a cat is on the ground moving, or coming towards him, he panics and tries to flee and if he's cornered or forced to deal with it, he snaps at it(only happened once and I never let it happen again), so I don't even risk it anymore. I keep family cats away from him and try to keep him from going to their houses when at all possible to prevent him from stressing out or putting him in a situation where he will put a cat in danger trying to protect himself from sheer misunderstanding and fear. My moms two kittens are dog friendly - the one just hides from everyone and everything, but the other loves to come cuddle up to the dogs, rubs himself on the dogs, even sticks his head on my moms big male Rottweilers mouth, but when he tried to force his affection on Charlie, Char got scared and when the cat persisted, he snapped at him. Even though Charlie's is fear, I'm diligent about keeping him from harming cats now by making sure he's not put in a position like that where he's scared and can't get away. I'm really, really hoping this neighbor is shown the video evidence so she can SEE what can happen when she's not responsible and I hope she is charged for the problems her irresponsibility has caused. Sorry for the extremely long, rambling post and I hope you and your family are coping okay. Well wishes, and plenty of hugs from Charlie and myself.

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