Dog to be put down for attacking a cat

[The Original Kao]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-tayside-central-15660455

Now reading the news story it sounds like the owners have a habit of letting the dog wander out of their garden, but why not just remove the dog from the irresponsible owner?

 

[CorvusCorax]

FGS, dogs chase cats, cats chase mice, it's the natural order of things.
B has nailed both of our cats in the past (crush injuries rather than puncture wounds), it was primarily my fault (well, it was my mother's fault in the first instance) for not being quick enough and the cat's fault for sitting in full view, tormenting him every day, not him for following his instincts and not being restrained properly. Poor dog pity he could not be found a home where he could be kept securely.

 

[MrVelvet]

hmm mixed feelings on this one. Yes, it was the owners fault for letting the dog roam. But, if the dog was to be removed from the house where would it go? An already full rescue centre? or another home? If the dog were to come in contact with another cat and the same happened and said dog already had previous .. people will be questioning why the dog wasn't destroyed in the first place.

 

[galaxy]

It's the owners fault entirely, seems unfair to have the dog PTS....

But my other feelings are in my area there are certain dogs that have attacked other dogs (proper attacks, stitches to the throat etc etc) and absolutely nothing at all is done about that. It is the same dogs all the time. Surely there should be a standard procedure for dogs who attack animals?

 

[whisp&willow]

thats bloody ridiculous. (the article... not any posters comments!)

yes its a shame for the cat, and its owner, but my god. should we now execute all cats which catch mice or birds??!!

i am confused about the article, as it only states that the dog was found in the garden with the cat... it does not state which garden.

if a cat enters my garden i can tell you now it wouldn't last long. there is nothing i can do to stop cats roaming... yet another ridiculous ruling which puts innocent dogs lives at risk.

 

[amy_b]

FGS, dogs chase cats, cats chase mice, it's the natural order of things.

I have to disagree with this one!
if a dog is taught not to chase cats they dont chase cats. non of our dogs chase cats, they are catagorically not allowed to chase them from day one.
I lived on a yard and it was overrun with dogs, my cats became flippin agoraphobic!! It would boil my blood that sometimes they would be stood barking constantly at the car because my cat was underneath it, nobody gave a damn!! not only because he was elderly and it annoyed me that they just ignored it but it was right outside my front door!!
havent read the article if Im honest but too many dog owners dont care if their dog chases cats and at the end of the day somebody loves that cat as much as you love your dog.
*rant over!*

 

[whisp&willow]

well... i have to disagree with you amy b! my dog was around cats from a puppy. was fine with them, would curl up and go to sleep alongside them... got a bit older and prey drive set in.

different breeds have different instincts. my dog has a brain the size of a walnut... and if she sees anything furry with 4 legs, or a ball, all training, in fact ANYTHING but instinct flees the brain.

bulldogs, dont you just love them?!

and for the record my dog is always on a lead in public, and i DO care if she goes after cats... she pulled me over and dragged me one day as i wasn't paying full attention, and i never saw the cat! she never got it, by the way!

but what if a cat comes into my garden??!! not much i can do about that now is there???!!!

 

[amy_b]

Im not saying aaaall dog owners dont care (that would be a very silly thing to say in this forum!! )
we'l have to agree to differ on that,non of ours have changed their minds about chasing cats, but thats not to say they dont...
and if my cat jumped into your garden and got chased out I would have no hard feelings about it, you have to be realistic! lol! but i dont think you can compare a cat catching a mouse to a dog catching a cat, the cat is somebody's pet, similar to if another dog attacked a dog, or if a dog attacks a horse, why do cats deserve so much less respect than other pets?!
*just to add - I dont agree that the dog should be put down, Im sure being ordered to keep it on a lead or something would be a much better alternative*

 

[whisp&willow]

im happy to agree to disagree!

but what if your cat jumped into my garden and my dog ate it...?? im sure you'd be less understanding then... yet the circumstances remain the same.

cats dont deserve any less respect than other pets- but its in most dogs nature to chase (and in cases kill) other small animals... cats, rabbits, guinnea pigs etc.

i'm just being pedantic about the mice and birds... but my point is really that this is a natural instinct for the cat to follow... as is it for a dog to chase cats, so where do you draw the line?!

if the dog was out of the garden then the owner has no leg to stand on- im not arguing that. (although the death sentence is rather harsh i feel!)

 

[littlemisslauren]

Oh god
I'm quite seriously worried now. We have a cat that likes to come in my garden and torments my terrier. The cat isn't at all scared of the dog but B is getting verrrrrry quick chasing it out of the garden. I do think she will catch it one day soon and then I have no doubt she would kill it (or give it a good go), where the feck do I stand then??

I have spoken to the owners of the cat and they didn't seem remotely concerned and it seems the cat is very much an 'outside' cat, which seems to mean it has free range on my garden.

I'll be damned if my dog were punished for killing a cat in our own garden.

ETA - I do try to call her off the cat or distract her before she sees it but no squeaky ball is half as interesting as this cat

 

[blackcob]

Oh god, if this sets a precedent I'm screwed, D has already killed one cat (my mum's, in her garden).

We don't have a garden but if we did and a cat came into it they would kill it, no doubt about it.

Think the situation as described in the article is very different though, sounds like the dog was allowed to wander and killed a cat on someone else's property.

 

[amy_b]

but what if your cat jumped into my garden and my dog ate it...?? im sure you'd be less understanding then... yet the circumstances remain the same.

I obviously would be distraught but can honestly say, hand on heart that I wouldn't look to have your dog destroyed/punished if it happened on your property

on my property, yes, I would look to have something done about it. but again, I wouldnt want a dog destroyed because of it, infact the more I think about it the less sense it makes seen as though dogs which have bitten a person just have to be muzzled and on a lead for a couple of years..?!

 

[CorvusCorax]

Amy B, maybe when you have a dog with a prey drive that is through the roof, then you will understand lovely that you had your dogs from baby puppies and were able to train them perfectly but I did not have that luxury.
I absolutely care that he chased cats and I have done something about it, I will not lie but it was not a pretty process and he is much more reliable now (also he does not have his litter sister here egging him on any more either).
I do not think that cats do not deserve respect (do mice or songbirds deserve less respect than cats? ) but equally I do not expect a dog to be killed for doing something that for a lot of dogs, is deeply ingrained in their DNA, it is the owner's responsibility, they should have been fined and have severe orders for the care of the dog in future in terms of leashing, muzzling, keeping in a secure area.

 

[amy_b]

I had a terrier for 8 years who chased everything BUT cats. does that not count?! Obviously I can appreciate if you dont have the dogs from being puppies you are facing a near impossible task and we agree on the severity of the sentance on the dog.

 

[CAYLA]

I think there is more than meets the eye here, Im leaning more towards "other issues" such as the dog escaping on a regular basis, the owner is leaning towards very irrisponsible and I am affraid where a dog cannot be contained and has no responsible owner then pts may indeed be the best option for everyones safety.
I don not believe a dog should be pts for injuring/killing a cat but for a dog to be out frequently unsupervised, I would presume the judge is thinking "lets be on the safe side" and do something before something happens! they maybe even think it could be a child (which obs is not going to be the case) but general consensus seems to be that if its a dog or cat it could be a child

Not alot of epople would take on a dog that has killed a cat let alone a sbt that has killed a cat and then you are risking the same issues in other hands (not likely you will find a capable home in good time)
Dogs have a natural chase instinct, I have cats and dogs and most of my dogs are lurchers and high prey drive dogs, and as much as they live in harmony they will still chase cats in my garden or outside, the difference is I am with them and can stop anything that could occur (they lose interest once they reach the cat), this owner was not and even worse the dog escaped into another garden where the cat should have been "safe".

 

[ladyt25]

I haven't read the article but we used to have a very soft lab x collie who would 'nanny' my guinea pigs but she hated cats! She wasn't a particularly over actove dog but if she saw a cat it was like she got the red mist! Lol. She once got our neighbour's cat - i was there, she was extremely clever and flipped the thing on to it's back and pinned it down. Thankfully I was there, cat got away unscathed and dog got a telling off! In the main she would resist going for them as she was pretty well trained although we did get accused once that she killed someone's cat - to this day i have no clue how as at the time the 'killing' took place she was with us on the lane so, unless she managed to go on some stealth killing mission and returned without us noticing god knows how she was deemed the culprit!

Our current dogs are used to the stable cat (and the one before him) and, although wanted to chase him first of all they now have an 'understanding'! The cat is very dominant though so puts the dogs in their place anyway and our older dog is a bit scared of him! IF a cat came in to my garden though (and they have done and poo in it - REALLY pees me off cos you'd get in trouble if you let your dog do that!) then I think my dogs are within their rights to chase it away! I wouldn't condone them killing it BUT if that happened then so be it, it was in MY garden! If my dog escaped and went into the cat owner's garden though and savaged their cat then I would feel terrible although I don't think it'd warrant my dog being PTS!

 

[reddie]

My setter was very respectful of our cat. If she wasn't lying n front of the fire and the cat came in, the cat only had to look at the dog and it move out the way and let her lie in front of the fire!! The cat would also paw the dog as she passed her by. They never fought in the house and I could leave them in together no probems. however in the garden the dog would always chase the cat. She never caught her and i don't honestly think she would have harmed her if she did. I think its natural for dogs to chase cats. Of course if one comes in our garden, I try to stop our dogs chasing them. It is more worrying if a dog is constantly getting out and not being under control.

 

[Dobiegirl]

I dont know why but all my Dobes have not liked cats, they are all rescue and came to me hating cats. Ive no doubt they would have a cat given a chance, we dont have cats but the odd one comes down to the farm. A few days ago setting out for a walk (on our property) Diesel had run ahead and Darcy was back with me with Pip on the lead. Darcy went into the rubbish pile(waiting to be burned) and turned out a cat which ran past me and I shot out my leg whilst shouting at Darcy which luckily stopped her and put her on the lead. Im hoping the cat is now dog saavy and keeps away.

Im with Cayla on the dog being pts I think its selective reporting and this dog has been in trouble before or I should say the owners who do not sound responsible.

 

[orionstar]

I have a cat that has moved in next door. Although my old EBT would try to play with him he was always happy in the house. My two new puppies have been told from day one the cat is off limits, however OBI's lurcher chase instinct is too strong and after a few weeks the cat moved in next door. It's great that some people have dogs that wont bother them but the fact of nature is that for some dogs if it's small and furry and runs, its food. My cat once came back with someones rabbit that had been happily munching away in the garden. I did not get it put to sleep!

 

[EstherYoung]

I think we're only getting half the story.

The way I read the article, the dog has been ordered to be put to sleep because it was out of control in a public place. If the dog had history of being out of control in a public place and being left to do what it wanted even though it was a bit of a liability, and then it's gone on to show aggression (even if 'just' to a cat), I can sort of see how the judge has arrived at that conclusion. The cat is almost a side issue in the eyes of the law, but what happened to the cat shows an escalation in the dog being out of control. But yet again, it's the dog that's having to pay for poor decision making on the part of its humans.

ps Our old dog used to chase cats. We worked with him so that there was at least a semi-harmonious relationship with our cats while we were around, but I would have never trusted him to be alone with them. At night or if we went out, the cats got shut in one side of the house and the dog the other. I certainly didn't chuck him out on the estate on his own to go fend for himself and torment the neighbours' cats.

 

[lazybee]

I think we're only getting half the story.

The way I read the article, the dog has been ordered to be put to sleep because it was out of control in a public place. If the dog had history of being out of control in a public place and being left to do what it wanted even though it was a bit of a liability, and then it's gone on to show aggression (even if 'just' to a cat), I can sort of see how the judge has arrived at that conclusion. The cat is almost a side issue in the eyes of the law, but what happened to the cat shows an escalation in the dog being out of control. But yet again, it's the dog that's having to pay for poor decision making on the part of its humans.

Nail hit firmly on head.


PS My own dogs have had roughly 10 cats. I have to admit I was more upset when one of them caught a red squirrel. Don't worry they're feral farm cats. In my area there's a few irresponsible cat owners that have un-neutered un-spayed cats popping of litters every 5mins. It's not possible for me to 'break' my dogs to cats, as they don't see them on a day to day basis.

 

[lexiedhb]

None of this would have happened if the owners had provided adequate fencing. Once again Numpty owner = dog suffers.

 

[Spudlet]

I agree with Cayla too, I think there's probably a bit more behind this story than is in that report. Poor dog, but I don't think this is 'just' because of the cat incident.

Henry will chase cats if they run, but if they stand their ground he's nonplussed, and I can't imagine him knowing what to do if he did catch one, based on his reaction to nearly catching a chicken last weekend - he nearly had a heart attack then refused to go near the others! So not all dogs will react in the same way to cats.

 

[SplashofSoy]

Agree dont think story is giving the whole picture including the background. My terrier doesnt like cats and if sees one he wants to chase it, met very few terriers who wouldnt! Very well behaved and trained generally but not when it comes to cats, especially if one comes in to the garden. It is completely secure and my dog cannot get out to chase them but if they come into the garden I do take the attitude they are fair game to be chased out as i used to chase them away myself before i got the dog as was sick of picking up cat poop off my lawn and in my borders!

He has never come anywhere close to catching one and although they can climb up the brick walls with ease Henry cant follow so they escape safely if a bit rattled!

I would say i dont encourage it and if i see a cat in the garden i chase it away myself first before letting the dog out but he often has free run between the house and garden if i am in with the back door open and if they appear and he gets there first i cant do anything about it.

 

[amy_b]

Don't worry they're feral farm cats. In my area there's a few irresponsible cat owners that have un-neutered un-spayed cats popping of litters every 5mins.

so how do you know that they are feral farm cats and not somebody's pet?

your clearly the kind of dog owner im talking about, doesnt like cats and doesnt give a crap about whether someone somewhere gives a crap about that cat (or those cats in your case) that your dogs are killing. Next time poochie shows off his prize spare a though for the poor sod who might feel about that cat how you feel about your dog.

 

[lazybee]

so how do you know that they are feral farm cats and not somebody's pet?

your clearly the kind of dog owner im talking about, doesnt like cats and doesnt give a crap about whether someone somewhere gives a crap about that cat (or those cats in your case) that your dogs are killing. Next time poochie shows off his prize spare a though for the poor sod who might feel about that cat how you feel about your dog.

You don't know where I live. These are definitely feral cats. It costs me enough in flea treatments because of them. Plus I don't have any close neighbours with cats. I've never caught them in the act yet. Please don't think I'd standby and let them get one without stopping them.

 

[misterjinglejay]

A few years ago now, we had a little somali cat - she was the runt of the litter, not particularly fast, nor agile.
New neighbours moved in - I say neighbours, but we all had huge park/ornamental style gardens (well, less ornimental and more doggy in our case lol), and they had a JRT, who was allowed to wander wherever he wanted. Eddie was a sweet dog, but one day he chased and grabbed little Siff, and shook her to death

We, the nighbours and ourselves were horrified by this, but as much as it pains me to say it, the dog was just being a terrier; these things happen, unfortunately.



We did move soon after that, though, as it was very raw, and a fresh start was called for.

RIP Siff - we still miss you.

 

[Delta99]

I think there's probably more to this but have to ask how on earth this can be justified when there are children who shoot air rifles at cats, set them on fire and steal an old dog and throw it into the river with a brick tied to it!!!

And then can't be prosecuted because they are too young!!

Crazy legal system!

 

[lizness]

Agree with others in that it was loose in a public area . If dog had got out on a road it could have easily caused an accident which could have ended up with death of dog and people in car.

 

[lula]

I have to disagree with this one!
if a dog is taught not to chase cats they dont chase cats. non of our dogs chase cats, they are catagorically not allowed to chase them from day one.
I lived on a yard and it was overrun with dogs, my cats became flippin agoraphobic!! It would boil my blood that sometimes they would be stood barking constantly at the car because my cat was underneath it, nobody gave a damn!! not only because he was elderly and it annoyed me that they just ignored it but it was right outside my front door!!
havent read the article if Im honest but too many dog owners dont care if their dog chases cats and at the end of the day somebody loves that cat as much as you love your dog.
*rant over!*

agree with this.
i am a dog and a cat owner and it's more than possible to train dogs to leave cats alone or at least not bloody kill them

ofcourse, dogs have a prey instinct and mine will chase rabbits until the cows come home, but when she goes after a cat i shout a harsh 'LEAVE IT!' will make her come back to me because thats what ive trained her to do.

Im sorry but maybe some dog owners just dont care enough about cats and make excuses about 'oh its natural, cats are prey, nothing i can do about it' etc simply because they cant really be arsed or arnt capable of putting the training in to stop their dog doing it.

if you have a dog that will potentially chase catch and kill a cat its your duty as a responsible owner to do your utmost to train it not to.