Dog to be put down for attacking cat

[The Straight Story]

(UK) Dog to be put down for attacking cat

A judge has ruled that a dog which attacked a neighbour's cat, causing it serious injuries, should be put down.

Tracy Jackson, 35, from Dundee, took the case to appeal after a destruction order was imposed on her Staffordshire bull terrier for leaving the cat with a broken leg, jaw and sternum.

Miss Jackson argued that the dog, C-Jay, was following its instincts when it bit the cat after escaping from her garden.

But Lord Bonomy refused the appeal.

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

[ZombieHorde]

1. Killing nonhuman animals for attacking nonhuman animals seems weird to me.

If a cat attacks someone's pet bird or rat, is the cat going to be killed too?

[Cali_Democrat]

55. Good question

[Nuclear Unicorn]

67. Well, you have to have a deterrent. Otherwise, they'll be fighting like cats and dogs. n/t

[SoDesuKa]

2. Well, Good

Not a lot of sympathy for dogs that kill cats.

[NeedleCast]

5. Animals Acting on Instinct?!? That's Crazy Talk

Would you suggest we "put down" a cat that kills a mouse? What if it's a pet mouse?

[SoDesuKa]

13. Much Less Sympathy

It's true. I don't have a lot of sympathy for dead mice. Maybe there's a version of Rock Paper Scissors that can be adapted to Dog Cat Mouse. Mouse gets free pass from Dog, Mouse wins.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

36. So you are a speciest?

Cat takes mouse is the equivalent to dog takes cat. In my neighborhood, the cats take everything, but then again, they are cougars

[SoDesuKa]

72. Mice are Vermin

There's definitely a difference between cats and mice. Mice are vermin.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

77. Only in terms of which eats what

Feral cats can be called vermin just as much as mice, and some are arguing they are a plague on other species, chiefly wild birds.

[SoDesuKa]

85. Feral Cats as Vermin

Nico Dauphine was just convicted of trying to poison feral cats. If feral cats are vermin, then what Dauphine did is actually praiseworthy, not criminal.

Of course, killing cats is what this is about. The cat killers are looking for a way to broach the subject without running people off precipitously.



Cat killer Nico Dauphine

[ProgressiveProfessor]

86. I am not allowed to kill the cats in my neighborhood except in self defense

since 1990 or so.

The birders vs the cat fanciers is a mess...

[awoke_in_2003]

23. I think we should kill lions...

because they kill gazelles.

[SoDesuKa]

34. Killing for Sport

I'd oppose lion hunting even if lions had a sporting chance, which they don't. But I think it's cowardly to kill animals with high-powered rifles. There's nothing "sporting" about having such an overwhelming advantage.



Lions deserve "sporting" chance.

[awoke_in_2003]

41. I wasn't advocating killing lions...

I was making a reference that killing a dog for killing a cat was akin to killing a lion for killing a gazelle (both of which are nonsensical)

[McCamy Taylor]

46. The owners are to blame for letting it out of the yard. Dog was just being dog.

That is why most urban areas require that they be secured.

[snooper2]

52. So in that case the owners should be neutered and spayed

:rofl:

[bluedigger]

3. What does the cat say?

The dog's owner should just pay damages.

[slackmaster]

69. Probably "Meow"

:hi:

[RagAss]

4. This basically sums up the state of the world in 2011.

[freshwest]

60. LOL

[Fla_Democrat]

6. Maybe life in prison instead......

http://www.mugshots.com/Historical/Pep-the-Dog.html

Pep the Dog

A great piece of history this morning, from the Eastern State Penitentiary:

"Pep, The Cat-Murdering Dog" was a black Labrador Retriever admitted to Eastern State Penitentiary on August 12, 1924. Prison folklore tells us that Pennsylvania Governor Gifford Pinchot used his executive powers to sentence Pep to Life Without Parole for killing his wife’s cherished cat. Prison records support this story..."








:smoke:

[Poll_Blind]

7. Breaking update: Several families of mice have filed premediated murder charges against injured cat.

And so on.

PB

[BlueJazz]

10. LOL!

[McCamy Taylor]

47. Exactly. And don't get me started on the birds. My cats bring home bird carcasses all the time.

Filthy little serial killers.

[XemaSab]

59. Keep your fucking cat indoors

[Booster]

8. Why doesn't the judge just give Tracy a chance to find the dog a

new home? What an idiot.

[TorchTheWitch]

73. the dog doesn't need a new home

The judge needed to impose strict rules on the owners concerning containment of their dog and monitor their compliance like normal jurisdictions do it.

[Booster]

78. If it were my choice I'd rather the dog get a new home that to

be put to death.

[mike_c]

9. for all the defenders of "animal instincts" responding above...

...if I find out a neighbors dog killed one of my cats it won't be a judge who puts it down. If you want dogs, keep them under control so they don't kill other people's pets. Or their children, for pity's sake. I would not hesitate to shoot a dog harming my cats. No apologies.

[tnlefty]

24. Where I live, the state's leash law is what's called upon, and it

clearly states that a dog owned by or habitually found on the property of a homeowner is to be on the property at all times, or on a leash, or controlled by voice command, and still people try to defy it. Even though the awareness is better, my neighbors to either side of me have dogs who are supposed to be in an invisible fence, or a wooden fence.

They frequently get out and a few of my other neighbors have gotten so annoyed they are taking action against the dogs, and I understand that, but it's the lazy, not giving much of a shit humans who are causing the problems for the dogs....stupid, stupid, lazy humans.

I had a cocker spaniel years ago (around 23 yrs. ago), before they weren't being rec'd as family pets so much anymore, and I went outside with her when she was out because I didn't want her to get into trouble, and I damned sure didn't want neighbors to get irritated with her and resort to hitting, kicking or buying bb guns with her in mind.

The mr. has told one of the neighbors that if their dogs are in our yard again and hurt our cat, which they've tried to do, the dogs will be theirs to bury.

[awoke_in_2003]

27. Conversely...

if you want cats, keep them indoors.

[AsahinaKimi]

42. Actually I pefer cats be indoors..

Cats can be killed by larger animals, run over by cars, killed by fleas and tics, not to mention getting lost or trapped somewhere. My cat has been inside for years. He gets to sit in a sunny window, he uses the litter box, he gets to eat right, and have kitty cookies from time to time, and ..BEST OF ALL..I know right where he is, when I get home.

My friend used to tell me horror stories of people who would let their cats out to become dinner for Coyotes in Los Angeles. Sorry, I won't let my cat be eaten by a Fox (yes, we have them here) or killed by a skunk (Yes, we have them here in the city of San Francisco.)or other stray pets.

[Jamastiene]

43. My cats are indoor only cats too...

For the same exact reasons you listed about all the things that can happen to cats outside. Growing up, I could not keep the cats I was attached to and fed inside, because the place was rental with a no pets rule. Those cats got killed in some of the most horrible ways. It is still traumatizing to think of all the heartache from back then. Now, my cats are indoor cats only. Period. There is just too much that can and will hurt them out there.

[socialist_n_TN]

39. Yep. I had a recent incident where a couple of pits

got loose and killed a couple of my cats. I would have shot them without any mercy at all if I had had the chance. Those cats were my friends and I WILL protect my friends.

[smokey nj]

50. Keep your cat indoors.

[mike_c]

54. keep your dog on a leash....

Punishing the victims of dog attacks isn't the answer.

[smokey nj]

58. I don't have a dog, I have cats who are kept indoors.

[freshwest]

61. Yeah, the real issue here is the owner's negligence. No excuse for letting an animal she claims...

Could not control its instincts, because it had not been trained adequately or socialized with other domestic animals, to get loose. She knew it and let it run happen, then complains about the outcome.

Fortunately it was not a child this time.

I'm not against pit bulls as a breed as some people are, but I believe in training an animal and that takes work. Saying that the animal ws just following instinct and letting it act on it in a urban area where it could kill a smaller animal is irresponsible.

Unless the animal is hopeless, training and socialization practice works. If hopeless, restrain the animal.

[TBF]

11. Wish they would give a few more details -

such as which property it was on (was it the cat owner's garden or dog owner's)?? As a dog owner I find it ridiculous that dogs must be on leash or in their backyard, yet cats are allowed to roam freely. If the dog was out roaming, however, that owner has some explaining to do (and Vet bills to pay at the very least).

[OhioChick]

16. I agree, not enough facts

There's no way I'd leash my dogs in my own fenced in yard while cats roam through it freely, unleashed.

[ProgressiveProfessor]

37. I want to recall that some states have the leash laws or equivalent for cats

In my neighborhood, the cougars clean up any pets left out for the night. Tends to keep things balanced and tidy

[TBF]

44. We have coyotes in the northern suburbs of Houston that function the same way -

people take a little more care knowing they are out there.

[renate]

63. I see your point in a way, but isn't there a critical difference between dogs and cats?

Cats will kill birds, squirrels, etc, but dogs can attack children playing outside or other dogs who are out for a walk (on a leash) with their owners. I never left our dog--who was so sweet she wouldn't hurt a fly; instead, she would snuggle up to it and try to make friends--alone with my own children because even the most angelic dogs can be unpredictable.

(When we had a cat she was kept indoors, too, but that was for her own health and safety, not anybody else's. :shrug: )

[TBF]

70. Sure most dogs are bigger -

ours is especially big (90+ lbs) and has a big bark so he is always on leash. He can play in our backyard but that's it (we also check the fence frequently). I do think dog owners have to be vigilant about cleaning up, leashes, fences etc... but I still don't love cats running around unchecked.

If the dog was in the cat's garden then the owner who shouldn't be surprised when charges are brought.

[michaz]

12. My neighbors cats, and we have them on both sides of us, literally chase

my dogs when I take them out on a leash. They sit on the fence and taunt them also. My dogs would likely want to attack them now if they could. These are the same cats that ruin my plants and bushes and climb all over our cars. I am a firm believer that cats belong in the house and most vets say that. Now, I feel bad the cat got attacked, but I certainly don't think it should be killed for it.

[DemocratAholic]

14. forgiven because of "following instincts?"

The key phrase here is
"when it bit the cat after escaping from her garden."

1. the owner did not contain the dog and allowed it to run free in public, and bite another animal.
2. I would suspect this is not the first incident.
3. Pets that would run after other animals and bite them are dangerous, and the idea that this kind of behavior should be tolerated simply because he is "doing what dogs do" would result in total chaos and many injured/dead pets and people.

there is nothing that pisses me off more than irresponsible pet owners. If a pet gets loose and attacks another animal or person, that is UNACCEPTABLE. Every pet owner knows their own pet, and they know if that pet is capable of attacking or biting other animals or humans. There is no such thing as "I didn't realize he would do such a thing."

If you have a pet that has ever bitten or attacked another living being, it is your responsibility to contain that animal so it does not hurt someone. If you fail to do that, it is your own fault. I can not believe the arrogance of people who would suggest that the public should be subjected to getting attacked by their pets because of their instincts.

if it is your pet's instinct to be let free in public and attack others, then it is the public's instinct to put that animal away so it can not hurt others.

[Maine_Nurse]

32. No, pets that would run after other animals are being animals.

Just because they are pets doesn't mean they are not still animals. Cats do the same thing. Dogs and cats don't understand human laws and boundaries no matter how long they go to Harvard. Animals are territorial, that is the way it is. Biology is biology, in the animal world there is no right and wrong. They don't understand.

If you insist on punishing someone/something, then I guess you need to put down the pet owners. It is more justified than putting down the dog. I can live with that better, they are the violators.

[XemaSab]

15. My dog treed a cat in our back yard two days ago

*Hopefully* it will teach the cat to stay the hell out of our yard.

Keep your damn cats inside, people!

[smokey nj]

53. I'm a cat person and I agree.

[JanMichael]

17. oh jesus fucking christ....have we come down to this fucking shit??!

Look folks. We own a dog and a cat.

If one gets in trouble in the motherfucking neighborhood for some whatever the fuck dog or cat reason...then we will pay the motherfucking vet bills or what the fuck ever.

Christ.

What a society of imbecilic shits we have become.

Dogs bite cats, and cats eat birds

Fucking DEAL with it.

For the record? our cat is indoor ONLY. NEVER been out. Our dog is 12 pounds and leash walked ONLY.

WTF is wrong with americans?

[OhioChick]

19. Ummmm...this is in the UK

:shrug:

[JanMichael]

20. Ummmm The people responding aren't

:(

They are in the US.

[OhioChick]

22. My bad....

I thought you were referring to where this occurred.

[JanMichael]

26. no, it's ok. There are some serious

dumb fucks in the UK too. ;) But, no joke...why can't people just control their damned pets and accept that accidents happen among pets? how fucking hard is that?

[OhioChick]

30. I agree....

No arguments here. :)

[ProgressiveProfessor]

38. Clearly, and it demonstrates yet another reason the UK justice system is marginal at best

[murray hill farm]

18. The dog owner is responsible for this..

and is responsible for the death of the dog. True..it is not the fault of the dog, but the owner brought the dog into a neighborhood with families of humans, cats and dogs. This dog needed to be protected from it's natural instincts and the other beings in the neighborhood needed to be protected from them as well. It is sad for the dog and the cat, but it is the fault of the dog owner.

[Lance_Boyle]

57. Why does the cat owner not share the blame for failing to keep the cat secured or indoors? n/t

[Major Nikon]

64. The article alluded to at least one other instance where the dog got out

So certainly the owner of the dog does deserve some responsibility for failing to control the dog. However, I think the judgment was a bit harsh. They had the option of issuing a control order, which is what should have been done.

[renegade000]

21. so what if a cat attacked another cat?

would we be calling for the blood of the aggressor cat?

i think the human retributive instinct is at its most perverse when we want to harm creatures that don't even know better for the mistakes of humans.

should the owner's of the dog be fined/pay damages for lax supervision? yes.
would the cat owner be within his/her rights to use lethal force to protect her pet DURING the incident? yes.

but for goodness sake, unless you can demonstrate that no reasonable level of supervision and fencing can successfully contain the dog or that this behavior poses a serious threat to humans, why should we just immediately jump to wanting to kill it?

[awoke_in_2003]

28. The police turn a blind eye...

toward cat-on-cat crimes :)

[SoDesuKa]

29. Cat Fights are Mutual

If a cat wants to avolid a fight it runs away. The other cat may run after it, but only to the sake of form. The "chase" is quickly abandoned. Cats do fight it out for dominance, but both of them enter into it voluntarily. But even then there's much noisy negotiation.



Cats negotiating.

[Codeine]

33. deleted. beaten to the joke.

:)

[TNLib]

81. God I hope not I have the sweetest cat but he really likes to fight other cats and kill rodents

and birds.

[lonestarnot]

25. Well now there is some logic from a bench. WTF. Whatever happened to the owner being in control of

the dog?

[Danse]

31. Idiotic

Yes it is arguably the fault of the dog owner, but dogs are not computers; they are unpredictable. Neither the dog nor the owner should be punished. The dog is simply doing what it does; the owner is allowing its dog a small degree of freedom.

Cats are even more unpredictable -- virtually wild -- which is why it's extremely cruel to keep cats solely indoors or put them on leashes. Some "house" cats die at the hands of larger predators when they are let outdoors. Some cats die of boredom and obesity by being stuck indoors their entire life. Some dogs will kill a cat; some cats will kill a bird. If you're offended at this prospect buy a parrot. Actually don't -- there are few things so cruel as sticking a parrot in a cage.

Now that I've pissed off both cat and dog owners, as well as bird owners, flame away.

This all stems from viewing living creatures as mere property.

[SoDesuKa]

35. Parrots Make Bad Pets

Parrots are noisy and messy. They also bite.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rviPYiyxHX4

[Major Nikon]

66. The dog owner should be punished

The dog owner failed to control the dog, and it wasn't the first time. As such, the dog's owner bears responsibility for what happened. That doesn't mean the dog should be put down, but the dog's owner should be held responsible.

I'm not sure where you're getting the idea that cats are "virtually wild". They have been bred for thousands of years to be companion animals and they can certainly function very well exclusively indoors and routinely live long and happy lives under those circumstances.

[kestrel91316]

40. I'm not sure what to think. Where was the cat when the dog attacked it??

[McCamy Taylor]

45. MOre approproate ruling would be to take the dog, since the owner can't keep it in its own yard.

Give it to a family that can take care of it. CPS for animals.

[TBF]

71. The story doesn't say the dog wasn't in it's own yard -

or if it did I missed it.

[McCamy Taylor]

74. Article says it got out of its "garden."

[TBF]

79. Ah,

I mis-read it as the cat escaping her garden. In that case it is up do the dog owner to make amends. I would ask for it to be re-homed if it were me (to try to save the dog's life), but I don't know if that would help in their legal system or not. Sad.

[lame54]

48. That cat better not go after any mice

[roody]

49. That is a tough one. I love them both.

[Marrah_G]

51. You just cant make this shit up

The owner of the dog should be responsible for the vet bills and responsible for allowing their dog to get out, but to kill an animal for behaving like an animal? Crazy.

[Mz Pip]

56. Seems a bit extreme.

The cat was out, the dog was out and the cat is really lucky it survived. Seems more like a bad accident than something intentional.

DOgs chase cats, squirrels, other dogs unless they have had some serious training not to.

We dogsit our son's 100 lb lab and he would like nothing better than to chase our cats. However he has been trained not to and just gazes longingly at them as they stick their tongues out at him from across the room.

[Rex]

62. Routine. Done in the States all the time.

ACOs always say that once a dog gets a taste for blood, they are ruined and must be put down as a hazard to people. I don't know if I buy that, but there it is.

[McCamy Taylor]

75. Dude, it got a taste for cat. Not the same thing at all.

[Rex]

87. You didn't read my post then.

Read it again.

[truebrit71]

65. Bloody stupid.

Dogs get out all the time, they should be out down for that? What if he had killed a fox instead? That Judge is a fucking moron...and obviously not a dog-owner...arsehole...

[slackmaster]

68. Good.

Instincts my ass. A domestic pet dog has to be taught to attack other domestic pets.

[McCamy Taylor]

76. No it doesn't. It has to be taught NOT to attack small, bite sized animals. Same as a cat.

Also, do we know for certain the cat did not attack the dog? My cats (very macho beasts) will swat dogs on the nose.

[bluedigger]

80. The cat is at fault as well.

By failing to exercise due diligence in escaping from the dog, as it instinctively should have, the cat is partially negligent in its own misfortune. Damages should be shared.:shrug:

[onecent]

82. Dogs are SUPPOSE to attack cats...it's in their genes...jesus

fucking people are NUTS these days...why don't we get back to the basics????????????????????

[Inuca]

84. That's what they say, but

seeing my cats cuddle next to my dogs, I am not so sure :-)

[quinnox]

83. As it should be

My lan lady just got a new pit bull, and it killed a stray cat. I asked her what would happen if it kills or attacks any of her pet cats (she has quite a few), and she said it wouldn't dare and if so she would have the dog destroyed. I agreed with her.