What right do you have to protect your cats?

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Macy

Super- freakey----MEOW!

Purred: Wed Jan 19, '11 7:51pm PST


	I will make this a long story short. Macy goes outside on a harness and a leash, and has for his entire life. I check on him periodically and he is only out when we are home. Here is where the issue comes in. The new neighbors that moved in across the street refuse to tie up their dogs, even though there is a leash law and have been reported and visited by the sheriffs animal control numerous times for this. The one dog, a Jack Russel, doesn't concern me because he is smaller than Macy and has wandered over and never bothered him when he was out, but now their pit bull is starting to come across into our yard, which terrifies me. Macy does not go out in the winter except on rare occasion and I watch him like a hawk, but I am wondering what will happen come spring. Do I have a legal right to harm this dog if he comes on my property and goes after Macy? Or what other action do I have? I know some are going to say leave Macy in, but he is persistent on going out and why should I have to alter what he does because of these ignorant jerks?

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Hobert von- Kingston III

Is it Caturday- yet?

Purred: Wed Jan 19, '11 8:35pm PST


	Depends on the State, but in NC if the dog is off leash and off their property, you can take action. Have you tried calling Animal Control? For the time being I would only take Macy out when you are outside with him. Carry pepper spray or a cane if need be to ward off the dogs. I wouldn't write the JRT of as harmless, they can be very tough dogs and are known to have a high prey drive.

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Macy

Super- freakey----MEOW!

Purred: Wed Jan 19, '11 8:54pm PST


	three of us in the village have called animal control, and they have come out everytime, but it doesn't made a difference, and I won't talk to them since this fall I was out digging flowers around the mailbox and this neighbor came out and verbally attacked me to the point that we are considering a restraining order against them. I am about ready to get a gun to protect not only Macy but my property.

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Harvey

Has been COTD!

Purred: Thu Jan 20, '11 2:58am PST


	I'm worried about Macy, but I'm worried about his Human(s), too. Wikipedia has a partial list of fatal dog attacks in the U.S.; over 350 humans killed in an slightly less than 30 year span, almost half of them by pit bulls or pit bull mixes, and at least one incident involving a JRT. Even if your neighbors didn't have dogs, they sound like people I wouldn't want to live near. And while Macy may be in the greatest danger, people can be seriously mauled or killed, too, as you know. Let's not make this a case where dogs have to be put down AFTER they've killed someone. If Animal Control isn't doing their duty, isn't there some kind of free legal advice center in your community? Try Googling fatal dog attacks, and see if you can come up with a support group which can advise you what to do in order to defuse trouble before it happens. The cat is leashed, but the dogs, even the pit bull, can go free? Someone is not doing their job here. Seek advice before something happens and you find yourself wanting to use your gun.

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Macy

Super- freakey----MEOW!

Purred: Thu Jan 20, '11 11:57am PST


	I know it doesn't make sense, and what makes even less sense is when they first moved in they had the dogs chained. There is no use talking to the landlord, we have called him on other incidences and his response to us is that he cannot control what they do. Being an x Section 8 caseworker, I know he is full of poop when he says that because he could threaten them with eviction. What makes it worse is that these people are under investigation by the drug task force in the county. I think I am going to have to call our lawyer and see what legal action we have, considering the police already have a record of this guy attacking me and pulling out of his driveway into our yard, spinning his tires to put gouges in our lawn.

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Abbi

Chunk

Purred: Thu Jan 20, '11 2:04pm PST


	Here in England it is up to council dog wardens I think, but you have to ting in and complain about the dog first. In my teens I had 2 of my cats killed by a neighbours dog, but even though I complained to RSPCA they wouldn't do anything till they actually saw him corner a cat and kill it before thier eyes, then they caught and euthanased him on the spot.

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Harvey

Has been COTD!

Purred: Thu Jan 20, '11 3:28pm PST


	At this point, calling a lawyer sounds like your best bet. Expensive, but we're talking about possible death (animal death, human death) here. This is a big problem that's just waiting to happen (as opposed to a problem that strikes out of the blue). It's less a question of "if" than "when." Wherever you live, the people who are supposed to control this kind of stuff are not doing their jobs. Pit bull? Drug charges? Assault on a neighbor? If you can afford to, get your lawyer, and consider it money well spent. And you might also search for support groups for people who have been the victims of dog attacks. They'd have the best advice. Good luck!

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Beepers

Father of- champions!

Purred: Thu Jan 20, '11 4:55pm PST


	If I am correct about what you mean by Macy being "on a harness and a leash", he's really at risk. If he's tied up, he can't even get away if a dog were to attack him.

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BeBe

I'm just a- lover!

Purred: Thu Jan 20, '11 5:10pm PST


	I have the same issue. Keep calling animal control. Repeatedly. They have to take action against them, if you keep calling eventually they'll get up and y'know do their job. It's like pulling teeth. I don't leave mine out tied up simply because if a semi goes by they do get spooked and I don't want them to squeeze out of the harness (it has happened) or get hurt if they freak out. Don't under estimate the Jrt either. I love both breeds but terriers of any kind are bred to kill other animals. A friend of mine used to have jrts that he would use to hunt racoons. So if his prey drive kicks in As far as I know, you do legally have a right to defend your animals, especially on your property. I don't know about in city, but farmers here won't hesitate to shoot a dog that's messing with their livestock. My friend had her dog shot because it went over and killed someones rabbit. Guy was in the right to do so. I think it does vary from area to area.

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Macy

Super- freakey----MEOW!

Purred: Thu Jan 20, '11 6:55pm PST


	See that is what I am scared of because of Macy being on the leash and harness that he will get into a situation where he can't get out of it. Everyone else in the neighborhood are great, they know I have Macy out and will call me if their dog gets loose so I can bring him in. He has about a 25-30 chord or leash that he is connected to so he has the entire run of the back yard and access to trees to climb as a form of escape. When he is out a check him every 5 to 10 minutes to make sure he isn't tangled, but I saw how fast both of these dogs can run, and I am not sure if I could out run them to get to him, and of course if I see a loose dog Macy comes in immediately. I will let everyone know what happens, but all of us are hoping that these people will be moved out as soon as winter is over.

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