I have two dogs, Zoé (18 months old) and Bidouille (7 years old), who aren't spayed and are kept tied up in my yard (the landlords won't pay the costs to install a gate).
I live in a tiny village of 50 people and for a while now, a male dog (probably a spaniel) has been roaming the streets because his owners (who live about 500 yards from us) aren't keeping him in.
The thing is, Zoé is in season at the moment.
Because of that, yesterday, this male spent the whole day mounting my dog (10 to 15 times during the day). Every time I tried to shoo him away, the damage was already done!
I then spotted him mating Bidouille, a little Beagle!!
Today, I'm worried that both my dogs will have litters that I won't be able to cope with.
I know the owner's name and address but I want to find out about my legal options before I go to see him.
Can I report this? Who is responsible if there's a litter?
What should I do if they are pregnant? Have them terminated or hand the puppies over to the male's owners? Can he be made to pay for the vet fees for the termination? etc....
I specifically chose two females so I wouldn't have any trouble, and they are tied up, so I'm actually really fuming. If I go to see the owners now, I think I'll lose my temper and things will escalate.
So if you have any info, I'd really appreciate it!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Translated from French
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You're right, the law won't protect you in this situation! There's no legal action you can take against the owner of the male dog. However, there is an emergency contraceptive for dogs (like a 'morning-after' jab). Get her to the vet as soon as you can.
Mind you, if your old girl wasn't actually in season, I highly doubt the male would have mated with her.
As a bit of friendly advice for the future: if you want to avoid accidents, never leave a ***** in season in the garden, whether she's tethered or loose. Not unless you have a fence at least 6 and a half feet high.
Male dogs can jump incredibly high to get to a female.
Best of luck.
Help me understand... Are the two unspayed females... tied up all the time? ALL DAY? Do you take them for walks? We don't get dogs just to keep them stuck on a lead. Get a quote for a gate and give it to your landlord. If I've understood correctly, you're renting. Take your dogs for a walk as it will do them a world of good. As for the male dog that keeps pestering you, it's the perfect excuse to have a word with the landlord who doesn't want to install a gate. Take a photo of the dog when he comes to see your girls.
Is the entrance for the gate quite wide? If it's relatively small, maybe you could put up some galvanised sheeting with hooks that you can take down when you need to get out. That way the girls can be free and they won't be bothered by the male dog.
The sheeting isn't too expensive and you could always sell it on social media later.
Please, let the girls roam free or at least take them for walks. I have pets too and I really understand, especially when an animal is suffering. Thank you for understanding.
As you said, everyone is responsible for their own dog, so why should it be up to me to get my girls spayed instead of him stopping his dog from roaming! Especially since everyone else is complaining about it! And I don’t want to have them spayed in case I move house and eventually want a litter from one of them...
If that dog was kept on a lead or secured, there wouldn't be any problem... Plus, I’ve heard that when a male is attracted to a female in season, a gate isn't going to stop him...
Hi everyone,
I’ve just read this thread because I’m going through a very similar situation.
My girl is currently in season; she stays in an outdoor run during the day, which is inside my fenced-in property.
The neighbours, who we really don't get on with, let their unneutered male roam free all day. He’d been spotted several times around the village. When I got home from work, I actually saw him leaving my dog's run...
We aren’t 100% sure how he got onto the property; we think the side gate might not have been latched properly. However, he actually managed to break through the wire mesh on my dog's run to get to her. It’s impossible to have a civil conversation with the owners—I had the door slammed in my face as soon as I said "good evening". Their dog is a complete Heinz 57. My girl is KC registered, and we were planning on breeding her properly (carefully selecting the right stud, etc.).
My question is this: when a dog breaks into someone's secure property and causes damage, who is legally responsible for the cost of the repairs?
And just a heads up: comments like "just get her spayed" or "keep her indoors while she's in season" aren't solutions for me. I’m planning to start breeding (she’s three years old now) and she’s a northern breed, so she absolutely loves being outdoors and hates being shut inside.
Personally, I think a dog is better off inside during the day for 12 hours, what with the weather and everything; they’re better off where it's warm. They need water, a bit of dry food, and their toys to keep them busy. Cleaning up a bit of mess is nothing—of course they’re going to have accidents—but punishing them by leaving them out just because you're a bit of a neat freak is really unfair on the dogs.
The male’s owner is in the wrong, but you’re tempting him too; whether they’re in heat or not, they’re female dogs, so he would’ve turned up regardless. Even if his owner was walking 100 metres behind him like the law says, he’d have still tried to get to them. For all you know, the owner might think the dog is still in his own garden.
No, talking about spaying isn't off-topic, because this question wouldn't even have been asked if they’d been spayed. If you can’t supervise your dog and you just leave her outside like that, spaying is the way to go. Your dog is the temptation; if it’s not him, it’ll be another dog who breaks out just to get to yours.
We mention spaying before neutering simply because it’s the owner of the female who gets the hassle of a litter. When you get a female dog, you know what to expect if you don't get her spayed. It’s the family with the female who has the headache, not the other way around.
Plus, they say that when a male is attracted to a ***** in season, no gate is going to stop him...
I’ve got an electric fence and during my girl's first season, I found another dog in my garden! Heaven knows how he managed it! I've no idea, but thank goodness my girl didn't end up pregnant at 10 months old, otherwise my neighbour would have had an absolute earful! You’re right, he needs to keep his dogs under control too! As far as I’m concerned, he’s in the wrong. Regarding what you can do, maybe check with the local council or the police; they might be able to point you in the right direction.
