Hi all, I'm posting on behalf of a friend. My friend owns three dogs an adult malamute bitch, a malamute puppy and a Pomeranion. Where I live there is a family who own a chihuahua x Jack Russell who is always off lead, allowed to roam all hours of the day (I've nearly ran it over twice!) and regularly attacks larger dogs, when confronted his owners state 'he's hard mate! Could take anything, Look at him he's rocky' (he's tried to attack a german shepherd and an adult male malamute) Anyway, the chihuahua mix on Thursday had gone to attack my friends adult malamute bitch whilst she was out walking them, my friend went round to confront the owners and was told that he was a 'cat' and therefore didn't need contained in a dog like manner. Yesterday evening a visitor went round my friends and left the gate unhinged and her dogs have gotten out, ran towards the park and came face to face with the chi mix who has gone to attack the female mally again who retaliated and killed the chi cross. The owner of the chi mix has threatened to poison my friends dogs (the female malamute has now gone back to the breeder to rehomed due to safety fears), tried to run her pomeranian over and attempted to 'square' up to my friend. She's asked me to post on here for advice over laws and guidance, the attacked happened on a private stretch of road.

Thanks for reading my jumbled post.

How awful!
She needs to speak to Trevor Cooper http://www.doglaw.co.uk

What a horrible, horrible owner. :( The poor Chihuahua cross most likely went for bigger dogs out of FEAR, as so many small dogs do ("I will bite first before I am attacked as the other dogs looks so big and scary"), and of course should never have been allowed outside on its own -that alone is against the law. I would go to the police and report the threats if it was me. Trevor Cooper can give dog law related advice http://www.doglaw.co.uk but this does sound more like a matter for the police.

Obviously too late to do anything in this case but I think it would be a good idea for anyone else having similar problems to make sure they report the  problem dog to the dog warden and police. They might not do anything but at least then there should be a record of the dogs (and owners) behaviour so it can be shown that any future attack might have been provoked.

Police, NOW.  No hesitation.  This person has threatened and intimidated your friend and threatened to hurt her animals.

If they get another dog and let that one roam, straight to the dog warden.

Police, Trevor Cooper, and if at all possible, moving house - get far away from this horrible owner who has shown no sense at all in looking after her own dog, who has now paid the terrible price of his owner's stupidity, and who has now threatened your friend's dogs.

good advice and do it fast . Poor little chimix what a sad ending due to irresponsible owner not your friends I mean the chis owner

Yesterday evening a visitor went round my friends and left the gate unhinged and her dogs have gotten out,

Agree with everything that has been said above, but your friend has been negligent as her dogs were not secured properly. They should have been behind a further fence or gate so unable to escape when visitors entering or leaving the property.
An awful situation and the owner of the cross has been irresponsible, letting the dog roam. Such a sad situation.

There is two gates, both were left unhinged by her visitor who is deeply sorry as you can imagine. The police have been called and she is going to contact Trevor Cooper. The owner of the chi cross has threatened her sisters dog now, made her sister cry and told her other sister that the death of her dog would be like the other lady 'losing her three year old daughter'. The owner wants all the dogs put to sleep otherwise he's going to 'sort the problem out himself', they are moving later this year but as you can imagine it can't come soon enough :(

Can a rescue or friends or someone take the dogs for a few months until she moves? Big ask I know, but better than pts, and I agree they need to be got away from this vindictive owner!

>There is two gates, both were left unhinged by her visitor

Always always padlock the inner gate to where dogs or children are.  You cannot expect other people to take sufficient care, or even for people not to be malicious or thoughtless.

My front door is on the side of the house so back garden gate accessible to visitors, but padlocked for this reason..

The malamute bitch which did the deed has been returned to her breeder and will be rehomed for her own safety and she's making arrangements for the mal puppy to go back to her breeder. It's just not safe for them :(

The owner of the chi cross has threatened her sisters dog now, made her sister cry and told her other sister that the death of her dog would be like the other lady 'losing her three year old daughter'. The owner wants all the dogs put to sleep otherwise he's going to 'sort the problem out himself', they are moving later this year but as you can imagine it can't come soon enough

I hope that the police have been called already......... no-one should have to put up with threats like this......... hopefully things will die down and it is all in the heat of the moment.

I can imagine as much as they are irresponsible they are devastated and rather than blame themselves as they should, they are happy to take their anger and guilt out on your friend and her loose dog instead. I would just remind them that they did not take good enough care of their dog, before they start to blame anyone else, they probably feel that because their dog killed no-one it was harmless and just all mouth (which most small dogs are) but a dog acting aggressively to others may well get its' comeuppance.

Allowing their dog to wander and attack other dogs thinking it was funny, was only funny whilst owners of larger dogs had their dogs under control on a lead, even then a larger dog could have got to the little one anytime, owners are not always quick enough to read body language, it was never guaranteed, they gambled the little dogs safety and they lost, albeit it happened when a dog was loose off lead.

As their dog also was loose to wander off lead I would expect there is nothing that can be done legally as T.C will tell you, unless your friends dog has a history too.

The Chi x JR owner can want all he likes, but he has no power to make your friend or her sister put their dogs to sleep. Two loose dogs, two irresponsible owners for allowing that, (sorry but that is how your friend will also be viewed) but a one off dog on dog is not a reason to put a dog to sleep, as many innocent dog owners have found out.

Nasty business and nasty response, but remember he is in pain right now so I wouldn't listen to anything he says right now, just hitting out I expect, but a police visit, (if they are interested) should just calm things down.

Do as Brainless suggested and get your friend to get locks on her gate immediately.

So sad for everyone concerned. I hope the stupid visitor who caused the death of one dog and the rehoming of two others is suitably apologetic!!! Perhaps she ought to go and see the Chi's owner to apologise and explain that she was responsible for the death and not your friend!

Very good point smithy, personally I think that the friend acted too quickly in re-homing two of her dogs, it is almost as if admitting guilt.

It was an accident and two dogs acting like dogs, quite rightly it was the visitor who caused the outcome.

If things are so scary and heated right now, I may allow someone to look after my dogs, even until I moved, sounds as though moving on the dog which killed the little dog was not enough anyway, the owner still wants his pound of flesh, not that he's getting it........

She's done it for the safety of her dog, I agree that it was done quickly but the family in question are known for wanting their pound of flesh. I wouldn't put it past them to slip poison in to a lump of meat and feed it to the dog in question. In fact the chihuahua cross has tried to dig it's way in to the garden of a ridgeback to attack it, when the ridgebacks owner went to tell the chis owner they were told that chi had 'big (Ahems!) and could take anything!

She's done it for the safety of her dog

Looking from the outside, I'm not one to allow others to bully, makes me dig my heals in, so can't imagine passing on my dogs to please someone else, but....... not walking in your friends shoes, or feeling the fear and intimidation, I guess she has done what she feels will protect her dog/s, she must be devastated as she has now lost one dog too, and the pup, will she regret this once moved though? Nasty piece of work this neighbour sounds, just out of interest have they had police interest before?

they were told that chi had 'big (Ahems!) and could take anything!

They were wrong......... guess that is hard for this man to take............

Not for dogs but the whole situation is getting worse the more I am told. The gentlemen in question has brought a German shepherd pup for his 6 month old grandson and that dog is now being allowed to roam. I hadn't known about it myself but so my friend told me the dog was purchased for £50 down the pup and was meant to be a dog, it was three weeks old and a bitch! They' had been feeding it on cat food as well. The pup is now older and is now being allowed to roam as well and they want a litter from her as well!

Thank you all so much for her advice, she's very appreciative. I'm exactly the same as you Carrington, the harder you push me the more I will dig my heels in. Sadly my friend is petrified and extremely intimidated.

Call the dog warden. Dogs are not allowed to roam.

> They were wrong......... guess that is hard for this man to take............

My guess is he doesn't have very big Ahems!..... himself.

Dead right ;-) threatening dogs and making women cry, no hero is he? Typical bullying man, unfortunately he has got away with it, he really needed standing up to? But......... these people can be really intimidating, especially if fearing for a dogs life, just..... once you show weakness they've got you forever, you have to show no fear with these types of people. So pleased LG's friend is moving, they'd have a rotten life living there regardless.

Luckygirl, re: the GSD, the man should not be allowed dogs, dog warden needs telling, they'll probably listen with it being a loose GSD, poor thing.

I have just caught up with this thread. How awful for your friend. Please make sure she calls Trevor Cooper.  Its not cheap but they are really, really helpful and put my mind at ease when I needed advice. I would agree with calling the dog warden but also suggest you might want to try contacting GSDR. I'm sure they'd be appalled about the purchase of this pup following the unfortunate circumstances and may be able to put pressure on something being done? You can find details on who to contact here:

http://www.germanshepherdrescue.co.uk/german-shepherd-rescue-contact.html

I don't know if they'll help but anythings worth a try isn't it? It might sa e your friend from loosing another of her pets.

Good luck.