My two female dogs were mated by a neighbour's dog: what are my legal options?

Aloha71
Aloha71 Icon representing the flag French
Report

Hi everyone!

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
icon info

The forum content is sometimes translated from another language, and posts may concern countries with different animal laws. Do your research before making any decisions.

Since the forum is translated by AI, the translations may contain errors.

Write your message and upload a photo if you want to! Please remain courteous in your exchanges.

Your post will be visible to all members of the international Wamiz forum.

105 answers
Sort by:
  • Show previous comments
    • Aloha71
    Aloha71 Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    Gwash, I’ve got no choice but to leave them outdoors when I’m not around!

    Coco33150, my dogs are brought inside the house from the moment I get home from work until the following morning!

    And Titain and Chooba, cheers for all the info. I’ve already had a look through the official government legislation but I can’t find what I’m after...

    Maybe I’ll make more progress with your advice rather than the personal opinions and moral lectures which I really don’t need and are just wasting my time!

    Translated from French
    Coco33150
    Coco33150 Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    but a dog definitely... missed a word!!! oops

    Translated from French
    Titain
    Titain Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    chooba, third-party liability for the dog is covered by your home insurance and there’s no requirement to declare the dog beforehand for it to be covered, as long as it isn’t a breed on the dangerous dogs list (I checked for Idbash just in case). So, a dog that gets loose is covered by the owner's home insurance.

    On another note, aloha, an outdoor run in your garden might be a good shout for your girls while you’re out, to keep them safe from this kind of hassle and other things too. You can definitely find ones that don't need to be bolted into the ground so you won't have any bother with your landlord.

    Translated from French
    Coco33150
    Coco33150 Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    I'm not being nasty, just ironic... and a tiny bit cheeky... but a dog is much better off outdoors, especially with this lovely mild weather we're having... especially at night...

    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
    Report
    Look, @Aloha71, Once again, yes, the owner of the male dog has no right to let their dog roam free, I agree with you there. But I don't know if you realise that you’re refusing to do anything to help your own dogs? Your garden isn't secure, anyone can just walk in—kids, adults, animals, everyone—and yet you leave your dogs tied up alone out there knowing they’re accessible to anyone, including other dogs when they're in season. This means your dogs have to put up with being mated every single day for two or three weeks (the duration of the heat) just because you think you're in the right since it's your property and it's up to everyone else to stay out... There comes a point where you have to see sense and actually protect your dogs. Do you realise that animal cruelty is on the rise at the moment? Your dogs have already had stones thrown at them; they got off quite lightly all things considered, but other animals aren't so lucky and are found dead after being tortured.
    Translated from French
    Aloha71
    Aloha71 Icon representing the flag French
    Report
    "Well yeah Titain, that's often the way it is, but my neighbours have warned me before when, for example, some kids were throwing stones at my dogs all day long... So, you know..." And you just kept leaving them exposed like that? That is sheer irresponsibility!!! Ange, excuse me, but go to any housing estate and if you want to throw stones at a dog, you’ll be spoilt for choice!!!! I went to speak to the kids' parents and it’s stopped since then! What are people with a bit of land supposed to do? Keep their dogs locked in the house 24/7? Brilliant! Especially for big dogs!!
    Translated from French
    Coco33150
    Coco33150 Icon representing the flag French
    Report
    Well, Ange... what's so shocking about that??? Just some kids chucking stones at your dogs because they're tied up in the garden... perfectly normal, obviously!!!
    Translated from French
    Aloha71
    Aloha71 Icon representing the flag French
    Report
    Coco33150. There’s no need to be rude! Maybe your dog can hold it for 12 hours or even longer, but mine certainly can’t, and I didn’t rent a house with a garden just to keep my dogs cooped up indoors day and night!! Whether my garden is fenced off or not, it’s private property, and I’m not going to stop letting my dogs run around out there during the day just because some male dogs might get in! And if that happens, I’m not responsible for the actions of a dog that’s TRESPASSING on my property.
    Translated from French
    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    "Yeah Titain, it’s often like that, but my neighbours have already warned me before when, for example, kids were throwing stones at my dogs all day long... So, you know..."

    And you just kept leaving them out like that, at the mercy of everyone? Honestly, that is pure irresponsibility!!!

    Translated from French
    Chooba
    Chooba Icon representing the flag French
    Report

    Be careful—at 7 years old, your dog faces a lot of risks if she has a litter!

    Check out the Kennel Club or similar UK vet sites for information on the risks of pregnancy in older dogs.

    The best thing to do is get her to the vet; they’ll be able to see if she’s pregnant and take the necessary steps.

    The neighbour's dog is at fault (though I don't really understand leaving females in season tied up outside). You should see if you can claim against his third-party liability insurance; some policies cover this kind of accident, while others don't. As for the termination, she’ll need two injections 24 hours apart, roughly 15 days to 3 weeks after she was mated. The price will depend on her weight in lbs.

    Translated from French

  • 60 comments out of 105

    See more
    • Do you have a question? An experience to share? Create a post on our forum!
    These topics could be of interest to you!
    Find out more