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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Aloha, it’s not necessarily a neighbour who’s going to come and steal her... but there are so many issues, and sadly people often wait until it’s too late.
As far as the law goes, your garden isn’t fenced... Given that if your car gets stolen and it wasn't locked you’re the one at fault, it’s a similar thing here—you really need to get it fenced off.
I’ve got two dogs myself; I live in a village and have a yard surrounded by the walls of the neighbouring houses, and my dogs are never left out there, even just as a precaution, while I’m out at work and so on...
Everyone is responsible for their own dog, and when you have a ***** in season, you shouldn’t just leave her out and about for any dog to get to; owners of females in heat are every bit as responsible as the owners of the males! ;-)
Thanks @Titain, that's what I'll do as I can't find any info on this case online, other than regarding dogs straying:
"A dog is considered to be straying if, other than during hunting or herding livestock, it is no longer under the effective supervision of its owner, is out of earshot or beyond the reach of a whistle or any other recall device, or is more than 100 metres away from its owner or the person responsible for it. Any abandoned dog, left to its own devices, is considered to be straying."
The best thing to do is speak to someone who knows the law, or at least has access to the official regulations. Your best bet would be to contact the police – whichever local station covers your area – and ask them about it.
Hi,
I don't understand—you say "I can't bring my dogs inside when we’re out because they have to do their business outdoors."
But earlier on, didn't you say you tried to push the dog away 10 or 15 times?
And then you say your neighbour told you about it while you weren't there????
Anyway, I’ve had my dog spayed and she’s doing great—no issues at all, other than reducing the risk of cancer...
Leaving your dogs out like that when you’re not home is risky, though; they’ll end up getting stolen...
In either case, both aloha71 and the dog owner are at fault, so they should try to settle this amicably. The old female should be spayed, as it’s better for her health (she and the puppies could both die), and the male should be neutered as well.
