Real life MMD: Our dog ruined the neighbour's curtains - should we pay?

Marco12452

If you value the friendship, come to an amicable agreement.

joehoover

Personally I would never pass my animals to another house, I only have a cat and when I'm away I have kindly friends to house sit.

The house is your pets home too, they are comfortable there, you should have said they come to yours even if they are only next door. It's never fair for the animal as they are affected by new surroundings and in my case especially a cat, it takes weeks to familiarise themselves with a house so if they went missing they would get lost.

In the context of your question and the damage, I would try and fix it, check repairs first as they are bound to be cheaper.

My cat just pooed on my rug as I got her a new litter box so even that change can affect them, so I got it cleaned, so say I had passed her to another home to look after her then I would have paid up if she had pooed on their rug too. She's your responsibility. Same as a child is, your pets are too.

I'm suprised so many people disagree. Maybe the value of £1000 is causing that reaction as it's a heck of a lot, but take the sum of money out of the way and look at it again, something of yours caused damage, we can't pass the buck of responsibility to suit us.

Regardless of your neighbours reasons for looking after the dog, it still benefitted you more than it did them.

What would you have done had they not offered to look after the dog, used a kennel or other friends? If a kennel then you would think, great quids in now, if you had reliable friends you used before then I wouldn't have deviated from that, your animals welfare was the most important factor here.

joehoover

Some people's replies are astounding, the fact that a pet or a child as some people are using as an example, are not in your care when they caused damage therefore not your responsibility is shocking and speaks volumes about society now.

Someone above says if they left their child with grandparents it is their repsonsibility, yes it is...to an extent. They are responsible for their safety, but if that child broke something of someones then would you expect your grandparents to pay up? Really?! If the child broke something of someones in school, is that the teachers responsibility? If you think it is on both counts then tell me, when exactly is your child and yourself as a parent responsible for their actions?

Teddy_KGB

joehoover wrote: »

Some people's replies are astounding, the fact that a pet or a child as some people are using as an example, are not in your care when they caused damage therefore not your responsibility is shocking and speaks volumes about society now.

Someone above says if they left their child with grandparents it is their repsonsibility, yes it is...to an extent. They are responsible for their safety, but if that child broke something of someones then would you expect your grandparents to pay up? Really?! If the child broke something of someones in school, is that the teachers responsibility? If you think it is on both counts then tell me, when exactly is your child and yourself as a parent responsible for their actions?

Of course you can pass on responsibility! What if someone borrowed my car and they decided to get drunk and drive it, then killed someone? Is that partly my fault because it's my car? Of course not, if you trust someone to look after your dog/child/plant/object you can't be held responsible if they balls it up.

wellused

This reminds me of an episode of the BBC sitcom "outnumbered" where the family looked after a friends dog which got free and went next door and got at the neighbours Guinea pigs.
As neither party were insured for this type of event then it could be quite possible that a totally different event could cause the same amount of damage, such as a diy'ers drill getting tangled in the curtains? I would think that most insurers would cover that event. Anyone who has to leave a dog in a cage when they go out really should think about getting a cat, and anyone who would leave a dog on it's own in a cage on bonfire night should really think about getting a furby.;)

griff1002

Beverley wrote: »

They offered in order to decide whether they were capable of caring for a dog. They clearly weren't and your dog suffered. You didn't ask them for the favour of them being stupid enough to leave the dog within reach of expensive curtains. I wouldn't pay as their stupidity caused the problem - but then how important is it to you that you settle this amicably?

I have look after lots of dogs for friends and family and wouldnt dream of asking them to pay for any damage there dog had caused. Anyone with half a brain would know that when dogs are bored they will get up to mischief. If they left the cage that close to there 'expensive curtains' they deserve any damage caused. As the quote states they obviously arent capable of looking after any animal. This will be up to you as to how much you value there friendship :think:

Ebenezer_Screwj

Your friends now know one aspect of what it's like to own a dog. However it is widely known from media sources that pets and fireworks do not mix and common sense says that soft furnishings should be removed fron the vicinity of an animal cage. You are not liable for what happened and isn't the distress of your dog more pressing right now ?

Sally_A

Approx 13 years ago, whilst I was between dogs, I volunteered for walkies up the dogs home. An ugly 12 year old mutt was our walkee for the day - their was a civil war reinactment at the American Museum, the dog went nuts. Knowing Bath Uni was due to have it's annual fireworks display within a few days, I offered to take him home over the firework period weekend - somehow, I took him, free of charge and without home check (unheard of in our area).

Evidently he was given to the home on the basis he chased livestock, and farmers had threatened to shoot him - he did not - he was put in the home because he had a squitty rear end problem when he was stressed. Anyhow, squits or not, I just bought carpet cleaner, and this lovely boy was with us until he was 17.

We had embarassing moments, daughters birthday is 5th November, we had a group of her friend there, the dog was too scared to go out for about 5 hours after sun down; he couldn't help but to wee in the kitchen, and when I say wee, this was a pool load. As young kids are, they remember her party for the dog wee rather than the effort I put into food/games - ho hum.

Just trying to say, if you want a dog, they are not an accessory, they are a commitment; you have to tune into the dog's mindset with a lot of give and take.

The love of a dog is invaluable. From day one, forget about living in a home, and start living in a kennel.

Gresp

Just a thought, but what kind of people are your neighbours?

Are they nice, kind people, or do they scrounge? (After all, they didn't do this purely as a favour to you.)

Call me a cynic, but maybe they already wanted new curtains, and were just looking for an excuse to get out of paying for them?

As I said, just a thought. But be wise to this, as I wouldn't put it past some people.

Finally, if they really are considering spending £1k on curtains, they need to be introduced to this website!

r0ughsedgem

As they offered to look after your dog you should not be expected to pay the full cost. Also it sounds as though your dog was not being "looked after" and was very distressed. Surely there is room for negotiation. Maybe some of the fabric is salvaged and an expert repair is possible ? I don't think you should pay any more than 50%, but would say 33% is fairer. You have more reason than they to be aggrieved. But hopefully you have all learned a lesson and can put it down to experience (which they sought) and remain friends. I hope so.