Cats and dogs

[wellinghall]

Letter in this week's free local paper:

"Sir - I want to make people aware that there is no law against dogs killing cats. Most cat owners are not aware of this fact. I am a cat owner and only found out when my cat was killed by two dogs running loose, about which I could do nothing."

No, and there's no law against cats killing birds or mice, either.

Comments

[inamac.livejournal.com]

*grins*

Ironically in the UK there is a law against dogs killing rats (comes under the anti-hunting legislation), but not against cats killing rats.

Technically, as the cat is 'property' one could make a case for compensation for damage/loss against the dog owner - dog owners being deemed to be in control of their animals (unlike cat owners.)

Does not mention ferrets...

[bunn.livejournal.com]

there is a law against dogs killing rats (comes under the anti-hunting legislation)

Not true. http://www.defra.gov.uk/rural/hunting/summary.htm . Rats and rabbits are specifically exempt from the Act, and also, "it is not possible to hunt by accident." It's not the dog killing that is illegal, but the act of using dogs for hunting non-exempt species.

Dogs running loose on public land and killing cats might be classed as 'dangerously out of control in a public place' under the Dangerous Dogs Act though.

[inamac.livejournal.com]

Oh that's a relief (if I ever get this toy manchester terrier...) I was mis-remembering the rows about ratting and rabbitting when the legislation was going through.

[estiel.livejournal.com]

Well, duh. Get a litter box and keep your cat indoors if you want it safe. (They're usually killed by cars).

[lil-shepherd.livejournal.com]

Also, a dog on the loose, even though owned, can be picked up and taken directly to the police pound. You can be fined for letting your dogs run loose,and are liable for any damage they cause.

[atreic.livejournal.com]

There are laws against dogs killing sheep though, aren't they? Or is this just a misconception I've picked up?

[bunn.livejournal.com]

Yes, there are. Sheep are classed as livestock and there are specific laws covering dogs attacking them, or even chasing them about, which do not apply to other animals. This reflects the relative fragility of sheep, and the fact that dogs running about near pregnant ewes can produce disaster without ever touching them.

It would be illegal to deliberately hunt cats with dogs (under the hunting with dogs act), I think. Or if it happened repeatedly by accident, you could probably get the Dog Warden to take action under the Dangerous Dogs Act on the grounds the dogs were out of control. A one-off accidental death, or dogs killing cats that come into their gardens, is not illegal though.

It would be difficult to draft fair legislation on, I'd have thought. It's not something that sane dog-owners are going to want to happen deliberately, cats are tough and the dogs could be very badly hurt. Falls into the 'awful accident' category of event, I think.

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

But it is not a requirement to notify killing a cat in a road traffic accident. I understand that this is because it is deemed not to be possible to own a cat.

[helflaed.livejournal.com]

It is my understanding that a cat is a piece of property and can be bought and sold as such. It is not, however a requirement to report the killing of a cat in an RTA, but it is a requirement to report the killing of a dog. Dredging this up from my memory this is because of one of the provisions of one of the many many Raod Traffic Acts, rather than any concept of legal ownership.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

... but a cat cannot breach property law, so would it not be the same as if a wild animal such as a badger killed a dog?

I don't know of any instances of cats killing dogs, but I do know a greyhound that lost an ear and an eye to one - that would probably have been fatal without prompt and expensive medical attention. I'm pretty sure the cat was not prosecuted...

[woodpijn.livejournal.com]

Not sure what point you're making about birds and mice. It's practically impossible for a cat to kill a third party's pet bird or mouse, since they live indoors in cages. That leaves wild birds and mice, and there's very little in common between a cat killing them and a dog killing a beloved pet cat. I think the letter-writer has a valid point.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

There's little if any difference between a dog killing a cat and a cat killing wild animals - just because it is a "beloved" pet doesn't mean there is logically any difference between the cat and anything else. (Anyway, our wildlife are beloved to many, and quite rightly so - cats killing birds is a particular threat to some low-numbered species). On the other hand, cats walk all over other people's property and often foul it as well, so although it would worry me if a dog was perpetually killing things (out of control/dangerous as people hae said) as a one off, well it's just "death by adventure" for the cat, really, isn't it?

Nb. I like cats, I don't entirely dislike dogs, and I like wildlife, so I'm not biased against your points due to cat-hating.

[woodpijn.livejournal.com]

just because it is a "beloved" pet doesn't mean there is logically any difference between the cat and anything else.
I think it makes a difference, but if you don't think it does, how about the economic angle? From a purely economic perspective, a pet (whether cat, dog or bird) is a possession which may have cost money to acquire, and costs money to feed and otherwise maintain, whereas a wild animal is not. That suggests (as the letter-writer implies) that cat-owners (and dog-owners and bird-owners) ought to have some legal rights if their pet gets killed.

[didiusjulianus.livejournal.com]

I agree with you from an economic perspective, but as people have said, there're probably other laws one could invoke to get one's money back, such as a Small Claim. I suspect they DO have legal rights, but only in the sense that the pet is property, not because the pet is a pet.

[bunn.livejournal.com]

I agree with you that there is a fundamental difference between depriving a human family of an animal member, and killing a wild animal. The human suffering caused by the violent loss of a pet can be enormous and ongoing.

I don't think the difference falls into the area that can easily be governed by legislation though. A dog accidentally being allowed to get into a situation where it kills a cat is perhaps rather like a serious crime by a small child too young to understand what he is doing : illegal, but not really something where punishing the perpetrator is feasible or useful. Probably everyone involved wishes it had never happened, and with a bit of luck, will be more careful in future.

[woodpijn.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that makes sense.