My dog was killed by neighbor dog.

Question

My neighbors 2 dogs entered my house through our dog door while I was not home. They killed 1 of my dogs and were attacking my others when I walked in. What should/can I do? I did call the police, as far as I know my neighbor was not cited. We had an incident months ago where his dog attacked mine, fortunately we were home and got to our dog quickly. He was not seriously injured. I did not report this incident to authorities but I did tell my neighbor.

Answer

I am so sorry to hear about your dog. Consider fencing your yard so that other animals, not just your neighbors’ dogs, will not have access to your doggy door. A couple of legal proceedings are possible when a dog injures or kills another companion animal. A person who alleges that his/her animal was injured or killed by another person’s dog can sue for money and can also make a dangerous dog complaint with the local agency that handles such complaints. Dangerous dog laws are generally local and provide that if after a hearing the dog is determined to be dangerous, certain requirements may be imposed on the dog’s owner. These requirements vary and include such things as spaying/neutering, confining and muzzling, procuring liability insurance, etc. In a lawsuit for money based on negligence, it will usually be needed to demonstrate that the defendant did not take reasonable steps to prevent the attack and that the failure to take such reasonable steps resulted in the injury or death. The court may also hold a person liable if at the time of the dog attack, the dog was running at large in violation of a law, such as a leash law.