neighbours dog

cyning

Sooo.... living somewhere new and I have a cat. Neighbours dog is HUGE and chases my kitten: this annoys the c*ap out of me but look I know dogs chase cats etc... but I got in way of dog today and dog clawed all down my back... and snapped at me. now I'm afraid to let cat out (and me because god I'm petrified of dogs!) and there is so many kids around neighbourhood. Is there anything thing I can do to keep cat safe? Or make dog uninterested in cat?? SO frustrating don't want to upset neighbours!!

mikemac

cyning wrote: »

but I got in way of dog today and dog clawed all down my back... and snapped at me.

Dogs have been shot for less.
Their dog did that to you and you're worried about upsetting them??

I'm not saying you should you but some people would go to the garda station after that and could get the dog destroyed.
Oh don't quote my post and hate me for contemplating that a dog should be destroyed but what happened you is not acceptable

cyning

I am so petrified of dogs though maybe I was overreacting slightly? AND i just bought a house and I really don't want people to hate me? The neighbours saw dog running at me and only came over to get dog when I screamed loudly. Like a girl. (which i am but still) (they live opposite me)

Orla K

Is the dog free to roam the area or is it inclosed?

There's people with more knowledge of this than me but should dogs be only on the owners property unless it's on a leash?

cyning

It roams around... if they aren't allowed out except on leash that would make my life easier

Orla K

cyning wrote: »

It roams around... if they aren't allowed out except on leash that would make my life easier

You could ask them (politely) to keep the dog on there property with the reason that your afraid of dogs, I wouldn't bother saying anything about the kitten.

Orla K

After a little bit of googling I found this

Stray Dogs

Stray dogs are dogs that are in a public place and are not accompanied by the owner or a responsible person. Dogs that are not under proper control are also considered stray dogs. You can receive an on-the-spot fine if your dog is not under proper control. Stray dogs may be seized by the dog warden and the Gardaí and brought to the local dog pound. These dogs may be put down or disposed of if their owners do not claim them within 5 days. If your dog has strayed or is missing, you should contact the local dog pound directly to check whether or not your dog has been picked up. Before you pick up your dog, you will have to pay a re-claim fee and produce a current dog licence. If you do not have a current dog licence, you must obtain one from your local post office before collecting your dog.

Bye-laws

Many local authorities have introduced bye-laws to indicate areas where dogs must be kept on a leash or even prohibited. Your local authority will be able to inform you of the bye-laws that apply in your area. Breaches of these bye-laws relating to dogs in your area can result in fines on summary conviction.

cianer

I would certainly approach the neighbours about the dog jumping up and scratching you.
As regards your kitten you'll have to keep it in if you don't want the dog to chase it, in fairness why should your cat be allowed wander but not the dog???

Only way to keep cat safe from dogs is to keep cat in. If a cat gets chased by my dogs in my garden it's tough luck in my book. But they're not allowed out to wander and I hate cats in my garden so I don't stop them chasing cats in the garden.

sofia11

My understanding is you can't let your dog wander on public areas/roads unless they are on a leash as previous poster has pointed out. So your neighbours are breaking the law. So you can contact the dog warden with the description of the dog and the household where it should be. I don't know if the warden will keep your details confidential as you are in a new neighbourhood, perhaps other people here can advise you about that because that is your greater concern here and understandably so too. You are perfectly within your rights though.

gypsygirl

There are no restrictions on allowing cats to roam freely, but dogs must be controlled. I have a 13yr old cat who is regularly chased by dogs, (including one of my own) I understand how you feel OP, but in fact cats are so smart and alert that they VERY rarely get caught by dogs. I know its scary but if the dog doesn't catch your kitten in the first few weeks, chances are he never will. My cat is so confident that she actually teases the dogs for a chase, as for the dog jumping on you and clawing at you, I would definitly have a word with the owners, thats way out of order, what if he did that to a child? ask them in a nice way if they are concerned that their dog may knock down a child while running about unleashed. I'm not suggesting knocking on their door to have a chat, thats way too confrontational, but if the dogs is running about the street and the owners are outside have a wander over for a casual chat and mention it, chances are that the dogs owner has no idea that you're scared of dogs or that you're afraid the dog will hurt your kittie, if however the dog owner doesn't give a sh!t about your concerns, ring the dog pound and report the situation.

Sigma Force

Eventhough there are no restrictions on cats, kittens especially should not be allowed outside and if possible be kept in as house cats, between traffic, dogs and sometimes very cruel kids and adults there are too many dangers out there for cats these days. There are alternatives to allowing cats to roam.

Saying that a word with the neighbours is needed if the dog is wandering out unsupervised they can't have the dog under effective control if they aren't watching the dog constantly etc.

If you value the kittens life though, do keep the kitten in at the very least until the dog situation is sorted.

cianer

I don't think it's fair to say that cats are 'rarely' caught by dogs gypsygirl, it happens more regularily than you imagine. I have 6 dogs and they work as a pack to chase an intruding cat and have often caught it. Thankfully I was at home and able to tell the dogs to let the cat go.

If a few wandering neighbourhood dogs team up together then cats stand a large chance of being caught. Keep the cat in, regardless of whether the law says it can wander or not, it's not safe to do so

Orla K

I did hear lately (probably here) about cat runs, the cat can go outside but can't get in harms way.

Regardless of if your going to keep the cat inside or out, I do think you should have a little talk with the dog owners but as someone else said keep it casual, in just mentioning it kind of way.

convert

How long are you in the area? In the time that you've been there, was this the first incident of him jumping up at you to get at the kitten? Is the gate open or did he squeeze out through a hole in the fence? Do you think the dog snapping at the kitten you were holding rather than at you?

And did the owners apologise or make any comment to you when they came over to get the dog? Their attitude towards the situation may give you some indication of how they'd react if you said something.

It can be a difficult situation: the last thing you want is for your kitten to get hurt, but you also need to remember that you will be living beside/opposite your neighbours for the foreseeable future, so you don't want to strain relations with them.

cyning

I'm only here for two months and we bought so don't want to make a big deal... we used to keep cat in entirely in old house and she was miserable. She cried all night long so keeping her in would make her miserable. When the neighbours came over they didn't say a word... which makes me apprehensive. And they had problems holding dog back.

Really AWKWARD situation

Orla K

cyning wrote: »

I'm only here for two months and we bought so don't want to make a big deal... we used to keep cat in entirely in old house and she was miserable. She cried all night long so keeping her in would make her miserable. When the neighbours came over they didn't say a word... which makes me apprehensive. And they had problems holding dog back.

Really AWKWARD situation

In that case, if it was me I would forget about talking to them, it probably won't make a bit of difference. I would call the dog warden, tell them there's a dog lose in X and Y own it and that it's causing a nuisance. The warden won't take the dog away, they'll just go to the owners look for a licence and give them a warning. It being more official may work better than you having a chat with them and they don't have to know it was you.

star-pants

I would personally at least try to talk to the neighbours first, as the situation is awkward anyway, if you call the warden (and IF they go out to their house) and you'd not said anything to the neighbours it could make for a harder situation.

A) their dog shouldn't be roaming free - it should be contained on their property and under control
it went for you
C) they had trouble holding the dog back?

I would go over, calmly, state what has happened, that it has scared you, and that you would prefer if they kept their dog on their property (as is the law anyway). If they are unwilling to do so/dismiss you. Go to the wardens, and make a complaint, even go to the gardai and make a formal complaint if the dog went for you. What if the owners weren't there to 'hold the dog back'?
I don't get people who allow uncontrolled dogs to roam around.

Honey-ec

mikemac wrote: »

Dogs have been shot for less.
Their dog did that to you and you're worried about upsetting them??

I'm not saying you should you but some people would go to the garda station after that and could get the dog destroyed.
Oh don't quote my post and hate me for contemplating that a dog should be destroyed but what happened you is not acceptable

It sounds to me like the dog jumped up on her, she turned her back and got a bit of a scrape. Not pleasant, particularly if you're afraid of dogs, but she wasn't exactly savaged by the dog and the Gardai would laugh at you if you made a complaint on that basis.

sofia11 wrote: »

My understanding is you can't let your dog wander on public areas/roads unless they are on a leash as previous poster has pointed out. So your neighbours are breaking the law.

Wrong. Unless they are in an area with a bye-law stating that dogs must be kept on a lead. This is generally only the case in parks and on some beaches, etc.

The current law states only that dogs must be kept "under proper control". It does not define what "proper control" is, so it can (and has been) argued that an off-lead dog who is accompanied by its owner is being kept under proper control.

Obviously the dog in this particular case wasn't under proper control by any definition, but I'm just a bit sick of people posting complete misinformation about the Control of Dogs Act on this forum.

Joey the lips

I have the same problem with all animals. Dogs and cats. They come into my garden and pee everywhere. anyway thats slightly off topic.

I got this thing called a "Superdogchaser" for some place in monaghan. It sends out a directional sonic wave which frightens the shhhh hell out of dogs and cats and birds and most animals tbh. The thing is it does not work very well on kittens pups or old animals that are tame. Seems to work on aggressive ones the best.

Anyway its good. I can walk now without worry and god help the animal that pees in my garden.

cyning

So back on topic: dog came bounding over this morning jumped at me again and neighbours were ouside(thank god). Anyway I said it to them that I was nervous of dogs and would they mind trying to keep it away from me in a really chatty way (like very cold morning isn't it blah blah blah) (bearing in mind my cat was inside not upsetting the dog) and they were not nice about it: they said their dog needed exercise and he'd never bite me... that animals had to roam.

Ambersky

I love both dogs and cats and in most cases where there are problems it is due to the bad training of their humans.

Control of dogs act

9.—(1) The owner or any other person in charge of a dog shall not permit the dog to be in any place other than—
[GA]

( a ) the premises of the owner, or
[GA]

( b ) the premises of such other person in charge of the dog, or
[GA]

( c ) the premises of any other person, with the consent of that person,
[GA]

unless such owner or such other person in charge of the dog accompanies it and keeps it under effectual control.

Have you ever had a look at any of those dog whisperer programmes because if you have thats all he does, retrains humans, and gets rid of some of their unhelpful ideas about whats "natural" for the animal.

Dogs should not be allowed to jump up on people. Full stop.
Dogs should not be allowed to jump up on people who love dogs and understand the dog is not trying to attack them.
Dogs should not jump up on people who dont know whether the dog is attacking them or not.

If a particular dog has a tendency to do this, even if its a lovely dog, it is up to the owner either to train it reliably not to, or to leash the dog in any situations where it can come into contact with humans.
That is the meaning of having your dog under effectual control.

Effectual control is not when you call your dog and it ignores you, untill it has done whatever it was running to do and you tell him he is a bad dog.
Effectual control off lead, is when you say sit, or come, or no and the dog does it. If it dosent you are not in effectual control.
You are not in control untill that dog is back on the lead or fenced in.


It is not up to people who either dont like dogs or are afraid of them to get use to dogs jumping up on them, or growling at them, or snapping at them.

I had a problem with a next door neighbour who thought it was natural for his dogs to bark all the time and roam the neighbourhood.
He thought a dog needed to be let out at night for a bit of a run. The dogs prefered to mark their territory by ****ting in everyone elses gardens rather than their own and the owner either didnt care or liked it that way.
The dogs also liked to go into other peoples back gardens and fight with smaller dogs.
I tried talking to the owner but unfortunately someone like this is not going to be convinced that the natural needs of their animals do not take precedence over your safety or enjoyment of your own home.

I found that the dog warden is your only man in helping a dog owner understand what having an animal under your effectual care at all times means.
You can phone a dog warden just for a chat about your situation.
They dont have to do anything about the situation unless you say you would like them to and even then they wont say who the complaint is from.

The dog warden came to visit my neighbour, asked about dog licenses and whether the dogs were let out off lead at all and at what times.
The neighbour denied letting them off lead but the dog warden had already suggested I keep a record of barking, times and durations, sightings of the dogs running around off lead, damaging community property like shrubbery etc.
The neighbour was very taken aback when met with the actual reality of the situation. He wasnt pleased but he respects me a bit better I think.

You could try phoning your dog warden for a chat and see if he is as helpful as the one I spoke to
Dog Warden (066) 7130182 if Im not mistaken.

cyning

Yup that where I am alright... ?? Thats perfect thanks I'll give him a ring tomorrow!!!

cyning

convert wrote: »

Is that a number for the Dog Warden in your local area only?

That would be Tralee's covering Kerry I'd assume!!!

convert

cyning wrote: »

That would be Tralee's covering Kerry I'd assume!!!

That's what I meant - was it a county based number or just for one specific area/town

mikemac

Honey-ec wrote: »

It sounds to me like the dog jumped up on her, she turned her back and got a bit of a scrape. Not pleasant, particularly if you're afraid of dogs, but she wasn't exactly savaged by the dog and the Gardai would laugh at you if you made a complaint on that basis.

I suppose it's how you read it
I read it as the OP got jumped and her back entirely scratched.
Maybe I misread it

iguana

cyning wrote: »

Yup that where I am alright... ?? Thats perfect thanks I'll give him a ring tomorrow!!!

Just a suggestion. If there is anyway you'd, if you can, consider waiting a little while before calling the dog warden. If you call them tomorrow and they come out this week, find the dog roaming and take him(?) away, your neighbours will blame you. I believe your neighbours don't deserve to have a dog if they just let him roam about without them, but they sound like unreasonable, potentially nasty people and might decide to make you suffer.

And while I really, really don't want to alarm you, they may decide to hurt your cat in response. I had neighbours before who I made a noise complaint against after asking them to turn their music down. They obviously knew who had made the complaint and they made life hell for me, constantly threatening me and my dogs.

sofia11

Excellent advice from Ambersky, the dog is either under 'effectual control' or they are not IMO. You have to be responsible for your pet at all times, it may be the friendliest dog ever but you never know how an animal will react in a new situation, other dog, cats, strangers......better safe than sorry.

cyning

mikemac wrote: »

I suppose it's how you read it
I read it as the OP got jumped and her back entirely scratched.
Maybe I misread it

Nope your right I got jumped on by dog and I'm scratched from my shoulder blade to my hip

And iguana thanks thats good advice.... As I've said I really don't want to have a thing with neighbours especially when I'm not renting. In the past don't think it would have bothered me so much!

iguana

I hope it works out for you. There may be no harm in calling for a chat, but hold out for a little bit on having them come out if possible. In the mean time, if you are a decent actor, be pleasant with your neighbour. That way if the wardens do end up taking their dog you will be free of suspicion.

It's not fair but having a certain type of neighbour hate you, is hell on earth. And the constant fear that they just might harm your pet is unbearable.

Mr Benevolent

Can you put up fencing or something to keep the dog out?

susanroth

What a horrible situation to be in!! I definitely wouldn't jump the gun with the warden, that will really anger your neighbours and you may never recover a civil relationship after that. Clearly these neighbours are not sympathic to your fear of dogs and judging on that alone they would become beyond unreasonable if you brought the warden in. I have some pretty crazy dogs myself, that act up and get excited but that i know would never bite me, they probably think this of their dog and expect you to be the same. Its such a tricky situation, did you mention to them about your cat and wanting to let it out during the day? I wonder how they would like it if you had a bigger more aggressive dog than theirs next door?? Maybe if you told them i have to let my cat out, will your dog go for her and if so how can I get her to back off... As in do they have any training done with the dog.. hint hint!!! My dogs used to chase cats that came around the house but we got them stop and now a cat could sleep in their bed with them.

Also I know you are afraid of dogs but living next door to that may help you get over that fear(I used to be petrified) I find with dogs if you give a very confident definite no! it usually works.. altho depends on how bad this dog is. I do believe its true that they do smell fear.

It really is not fair that your cat would have to stay indoors at all time because of this, the neighbours are right about animals needing to roam, but not if they are a risk to others and also I don't know what kind of area your in, but it sounds like their dog would be more suited to the country where neighbours aren't so near..
I hope you work it out and that they see some sense and get their dog sorted out.

Paul91

my 2 cents - there are two issues,

dog chasing cat - natural and there is not much you can do to stop it, as other posters have said, cats tend to tease dogs, i know this from first hand, and if a dog gets out and loose with a cat in sight there is nothing much that will stop/slow down the dog, fences and hedges would be in bits, and while i wouldn't want a cat hurt, if they are out in the open wandering round and a dog appears the chase is on.

the real issue is a dog roaming loose, being left to roam by it's owners, this is wrong, and if they are not mature enough to realise this then the dog warden needs to be called - but like someone else mentioned, i'd leave it a few weeks to let the situation calm down, and maybe get a friend to call for you

Paul91

susanroth wrote: »

the neighbours are right about animals needing to roam, but not if they are a risk to others and also I don't know what kind of area your in, but it sounds like their dog would be more suited to the country where neighbours aren't so near..

just my opinion, but dogs aren't meant to roam, and if they do it's from boredom and lack of care and exercise

as for this dog being in the country, if it was left to roam like that - i should think it would end up being shot by a farmer - which they can legally do if they feel the dog is worrying their livestock

cianer

Paul91 wrote: »

just my opinion, but dogs aren't meant to roam, and if they do it's from boredom and lack of care and exercise

I couldnt disagree with you more - dogs have as strong an instinct to roam and explore as cats do but are curtailed by the law. That's why all dogs should be taken out to get their exercise despite the size of their gardens, they need new scents and sights.

I agree with keeping a dog under control as they do have a far larger potiental to create danger than a roaming cat but this doesn't mean cats should have a right to roam either. If the owners choose to let their cat roam they should put up with the consequences without whinging as their neighbours have to put up with the cat fouling in their gardens, having their wildlife killed, teasing their dogs etc.

The warden should definatly be called about the dog in question here though, if OP has tried to approach the owners without a good result then it's time for more serious action.

Honey-ec

Paul91 wrote: »

i should think it would end up being shot by a farmer - which they can legally do if they feel the dog is worrying their livestock

Oy, here we go again. Farmers are not entitled to shoot a dog they "believe" is worrying their livestock. Legally, the dog needs to be caught in the act, as it were, but unfortunately a lot of farmers in this country (not all, before anyone jumps down my throat) tend to shoot first and ask questions later and it's almost impossible to prove what really happened after the fact.

Ambersky

Control of Dogs Act, 1986

23 1986 32
[GA] Defence in action for damages for shooting dog.

23.—(1) It shall be a defence to any action for damages against a person for the shooting of a dog, or to any charge arising out of the shooting of a dog, if the defendant proves that—
[GA]

( a ) the dog was shot when it was worrying, or was about to worry, livestock and that there were no other reasonable means of ending or preventing the worrying; or
[GA]

( b ) (i) the dog was a stray dog which was in the vicinity of a place where livestock had been injured or killed, and
[GA]

(ii) the defendant reasonably believed that the dog had been involved in the injury or killing, and
[GA]

(iii) there were no practicable means of seizing the dog or ascertaining to whom it belonged; and
[GA]

( c ) he was the person in charge of the livestock; and
[GA]

( d ) he notified within forty-eight hours the member in charge at the nearest Garda Station to the place where the dog was shot of the incident.
[GA]

(2) The provisions of subsection (1) (a) and subsection (1) (b) (i) and (iii) of this section shall be deemed to have been satisfied if the defendant believed that those provisions had been satisfied and he had reasonable grounds for that belief.

http://www.pets.ie/blog/104_increase-in-dogs-attacking-sheep.html
Dogs, even little pet dogs, that are dotes in the family home can take part in the savage killing of sheep and lambs when allowed out unsupervised within running distance of farms. You dont know what your dog is doing when you let it out to run.

Look the bottom line is you must as a dog owner be responsible for your animal at all times.
Being responsible as I have stated in my previous posts means the dog must be under your effectual control at all times.
Allowing dogs to roam free even for short periods of the day gives dog ownership and dogs a bad reputation.

People who have to scrape other peoples dogs s**t from their own or their childrens shoes grow to really resent the local dogs running around. Its even worse when you have s**t on your shoes and you dont realise it untill you have walked it all over the house. Dog s**t is a serious issue.

it has been estimated that a single gram of dog waste can contain 23 million fecal coliform bacteria, which are known to cause cramps, diarrhea, intestinal illness, and serious kidney disorders in humans.

http://www.doodycalls.com/resources_toxic_dog_waste.asp


Instead of making excuses for a dog when it does something that invades the body space, health or safety of another human being do something practical to make sure it dosent happen again.
Again I want to say I really do love dogs and cats but I want to see people taking pet ownership and the responsibilities that come with it more seriously.

Paul91

Honey-ec wrote: »

Oy, here we go again. Farmers are not entitled to shoot a dog they "believe" is worrying their livestock. Legally, the dog needs to be caught in the act, as it were, but unfortunately a lot of farmers in this country (not all, before anyone jumps down my throat) tend to shoot first and ask questions later and it's almost impossible to prove what really happened after the fact.

i'll assume you read the control of dogs act that Ambersky kindly posted, if a famer feels a dog is worrying their livestock they can shoot it -legally

( a ) the dog was shot when it was worrying, or was about to worry, livestock and that there were no other reasonable means of ending or preventing the worrying; or

- how you can prove that a dog was about to worry livestock is another matter - but the farmer will argue that the dog was on his land and if there is livestock in the vicinity that may be enough

spiderdog

cianer wrote: »

I couldnt disagree with you more - dogs have as strong an instinct to roam and explore as cats do but are curtailed by the law. That's why all dogs should be taken out to get their exercise despite the size of their gardens, they need new scents and sights.



yes, dogs should be taken out to get exercise etc... opening your door and letting your dog out to roam alone is not acceptable and pure lazyiness.
loose dogs can cause accidents which the owner can be held accountable for.
i really feel for the op...this is not a nice situation to be in.

carleigh

fyi......the dog warden can give the name of the person who made the complaint about the dog should the dog owner ask them too.

Ambersky

Dog wardens are not out to get rid of dogs. They are there to make sure dogs are cared for properly and in accordiance with the law.

In my case the dog warden had a chat with me, advised me to keep a written record of times and dates my neighbours dogs were barking, running around off lead, damaging communal property, damaging my garden etc.
I would advise the OP as a matter of urgency to take some photos of her back as part of her record.

The dog warden visited my neighbour and did not say who was making a complaint. My neighbour did guess but look everyone in my area has had a run in with them at some time or other. With some people its stand up for yourself and perhaps get some respect or get walked on and definitely get no respect.
The warden asked my neighbours if they had a licence and told them what the law said about keeping a dog.
Since then the dogs are kept outside in the back garden and they are walked regularly. The dog warden did not want to take the dogs away, he wanted them to obey the laws that are there to keep us all living more peacefully together.

The OP has said she is afraid of dogs.
She is afraid of her neignbours big dog.
A big dog ran towards her for whatever reason, off lead and jumped at her.
She in an effort to protect herself turned her back to the dog.
The dog scratched her back leaving a mark from her shoulder to her hip.
The dog snapped at her while all this was happening
She screamed while this was happening in fear.
Her body is marked by this dog.

So what has to happen for dog lovers to stop blaming or trying to change the victim in this situation?
Her neighbours obviously know their dog is scaring the OP running around off lead. They saw what happened and have not taken it seriously. What would have to happen for them to take it seriously. I draw the line way before being marked by my neighbours irresponsibility. My neighbours dogs never snapped at me or clawed my back. If they did I would make sure that the choice was keep the dogs in, on the lead or have them shot.

Why are there so many calls for her to moderate her reaction rather than outrage at dog owners behaving so irresponsibly.
And why is she, who has already physically marked by a dog, being scared by being warned of the bad things that could happen if she reports them.

ISDW

Ambersky wrote: »

So what has to happen for dog lovers to stop blaming or trying to change the victim in this situation?
Her neighbours obviously know their dog is scaring the OP running around off lead. They saw what happened and have not taken it seriously. What would have to happen for them to take it seriously. I draw the line way before being marked by my neighbours irresponsibility. My neighbours dogs never snapped at me or clawed my back. If they did I would make sure that the choice was keep the dogs in, on the lead or have them shot.

Why are there so many calls for her to moderate her reaction rather than outrage at dog owners behaving so irresponsibly.
And why is she, who has already physically marked by a dog, being scared by being warned of the bad things that could happen if she reports them.

I think that you must be reading a different thread to me, the OP has stated that she has recently bought the house and doesn't want to make enemies in her new home. So, some people have advised her to contact the dog warden, others to talk to the dog owner. But with her own fears, the advice then was to maybe wait a while to report them so that the neighbours didn't know it was her.

Nowhere on this thread have I seen anybody be anything but sympathetic and understanding, and agree that the dog owners are in the wrong.

Not all dog owners are irresponsible, most of us understand that there are a lot of people who are afraid of dogs. We also understand that our dogs are our responsiblity and we shouldn't allow them to be a nuisance to anybody, whether they are afraid of them or not.

Ambersky

Of course I agree with you ISDW the majority of responses have been supportive.
I guess I was responding to Honey-ec s posts without actually saying so and I made it sound too general as though all dog owners were defending the behaviour. Honey-ec posts seemed like a defense of dogs roaming or being let off lead.

It sounds to me like the dog jumped up on her, she turned her back and got a bit of a scrape. Not pleasant, particularly if you're afraid of dogs, but she wasn't exactly savaged by the dog and the Gardai would laugh at you if you made a complaint on that basis.

The current law states only that dogs must be kept "under proper control". It does not define what "proper control" is, so it can (and has been) argued that an off-lead dog who is accompanied by its owner is being kept under proper control.

Obviously the dog in this particular case wasn't under proper control by any definition, but I'm just a bit sick of people posting complete misinformation about the Control of Dogs Act on this forum.

Oy, here we go again. Farmers are not entitled to shoot a dog they "believe" is worrying their livestock. Legally, the dog needs to be caught in the act, as it were, but unfortunately a lot of farmers in this country (not all, before anyone jumps down my throat) tend to shoot first and ask questions later and it's almost impossible to prove what really happened after the fact.

I know the OP has said she dosent want to cause a fuss and ruin relationships with her neighbours.
I guess I got carried away wanting her to do something to defend herself and not to be afraid.
Again without quoting anyone I saw warnings of what could happen if she told the warden, as being frightening even though I acknowledge they may be correct and well intentioned. In my own situation it was by having the courage to talk to the warden that I finally got some respect and I wish the same for the OP. It may be a different situation.

shona2

hi,i moved to a new area,all was fine untill i looked after my friends dog for 2weeks,
my next door neighber phoned the dog warden and said it was barking when it was not,i think if you have bad neighbers thay will find something to complane about no matter what it is..

cyning

shona2 wrote: »

hi,i moved to a new area,all was fine untill i looked after my friends dog for 2weeks,
my next door neighber phoned the dog warden and said it was barking when it was not,i think if you have bad neighbers thay will find something to complane about no matter what it is..

might be picking up on this wrong but why should I put up with a dog jumping on me and scratching me? I said it to the neighbours. I was nice. I'm not complaining about a dog barking. I'm not complaining about neighbours having a dog. I'm complaining because they can't control their dog and I was scared.

shona2

hi ,i ment you were totaly right to say something,what i ment was dont worrie what thay think,my neighbors are just total busy bodies,thay were looking for a reason to do sumthing,
if you have nice neighbors thay will be nice about you saying it to them,if you have crappie neighbours like me thay will find some reason to be ****tie.

cyning

shona2 wrote: »

hi ,i ment you were totaly right to say something,what i ment was dont worrie what thay think,my neighbors are just total busy bodies,thay were looking for a reason to do sumthing,
if you have nice neighbors thay will be nice about you saying it to them,if you have crappie neighbours like me thay will find some reason to be ****tie.

Fair enough! Sorry

shona2

hope it went well for you, and bye the way thay sound not have had the dog out on the street of lead and not undercontrol.
i think you just have to do whats right for you and say something. i would be so upset if my dog done that to someone

Honey-ec

Ambersky wrote: »

Of course I agree with you ISDW the majority of responses have been supportive.
I guess I was responding to Honey-ec s posts without actually saying so and I made it sound too general as though all dog owners were defending the behaviour. Honey-ec posts seemed like a defense of dogs roaming or being let off lead.

Oy vey. Read back over my post. My "defense of dogs roaming" was pointing out that the law does not require dogs to be kept on a lead in order to be under effective control. You will also note that I said in the OP's case that the dog was clearly not under effective control.

As for this:

Ambersky wrote: »

I guess I was responding to Honey-ec s posts without actually saying so

Grow a pair. We're all adults here, I'm not going to get upset if you feel the need to disagree with me directly.

T-Square

Dog warden?

I can't remember the last time I saw one.

Do they still exist? didn't the councils get rid of them?

Either way, I feel sorry for the OP.
I don't think anything can be done.

Have you considered having a séance and calling The Equaliser?