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

vinnyk

how mean of you after someone tried to do you a favour !!!!!!
the very least you could do is replace the curtians.
THE VERY LEAST

happyinflorida

It's a shame they left your dog home alone whilst fireworks were going off - some dogs are terrified and that must have been terrible for the dog - no wonder it did this damage, no unusual. As it's your dog, I'd pay up but I would ask for proof that these curtains cost that much - either the reciept for them or some form of proof as that is a lot for curtains! I know some can cost that much, especially if made for them through an expensive curtain maker! Oh dear, guess you won't be going away again any time soon without your dog - which is probably the best thing to do - only take the dog with you in future - I wouldn't leave my dog anywhere without us as I wouldn't trust anyone and in this case, looks like I'm right as they left the dog whilst fireworks were going off - bit unkind of them?!

jimmywx11

aidyonline wrote: »

i'm really shocked and surprised by the number of people suggesting you should pay for new curtains!

the way i see it is, they wanted to see what it was like to have a dog for the weekend. the fact that it was convenient for you is irrelevant - if they hadn't offered then you wouldn't have asked and the dog would have been put in kennels or whatever.

the fact that they then left the dog near an expensive curtain which it ruined is completely their fault, not yours! the fireworks probably didn't help, but the dog might have damaged the curtains anyway. if the dog peed on an expensive £1000 rug because they didn't realise they ought to let the dog pee somewhere at night, would you be expected to buy a new rug too?!

so, in conclusion, it is completely their fault. they offered to take the dog and the dog was in their care:money:, so what happens after that is their fault alone!

I totally agree, ask any dog trainer and they will tell you that dogs don't make mistakes. its the owners that do.... if a dog eats the curtains, then that dog should have been supervised. a dog will not get so distressed that it does something like that without making a LOT of noise. so where were the dummies when they left a dog on its own on fireworks night in their expensive room? It is their error... I would not even tell that dog off. I feel sorry for it.....

but that being said it would be silly to fall out with good friends over a pair of curtains...... now i think more about it, a few things don't ring quite true with this moral dilema. . .for example how can a dog damage curtains from inside a cage no matter how close. pee pee maybe?? can't really see that.

auntie_sal

No, I think as they asked to borrow your dog as a trial it was up to them to watch carefully and see how the dog reacted. If they had not tried your dog out they may have gone ahead and took one on that did as much damage if not more over time. Now they know the pitfalls they will save a lot of money won't they? You couldn't be expected to point out all the dangers and that is what you have to learn from being a dog owner, that you never know what might get damaged or when.

sunnysammie

It seems to me that it is the cost of the curtains that is the sticking point with the OP and if they had been a £40 pair from Argos, they'd have paid up already and this question would never have been posted.
In which case, I believe that the OP may tacitly concur that they do have a responsibility but not to the tune of £1000.
Try and offer various solutions, as already suggested. But it may come down to whether you value £1000 more than their friendship. If their curtains are really going to cost that much to replace and they won't budge, they could decide to try legal action to recover the costs.

norniron2011

Legally, you may be liable. If YOU trashed your neighbours curtains, would YOU be liable? Of course you would. You are also liable for the actions of your Dog, and a court (if it got that far) would probably rule in your neighbour's favour. However, since their actions also amounted to 'contributory negligence' due to their neglect (HOW did the dog GET the curtains? Why was the dog left alone? etc) any damages they might win could be drastically reduced by the court because of this neglect.

WizzyB

I completely feel for you! My neighbour offered to have my dog overnight when we went away. I said to leave her at home and walk her in the woods which we did as neighbours together daily. Daily the dog would chase squirrels and rabbits around the fields....Instead of keeping the dog at our house the neighbour took her to her own house. They barricaded their rabbit run and then went out for 2 hours leaving the husband "in charge" telling him not to let the dogs out. He let the dogs out and my dog allegedly killed the pet rabbit....She has ignored me for the last 8 months and told everybody the sorry tale , blaming it on me entirely - mortifying in all aspects! I think the moral of these stories is to use a reputable kennel but certainly your neighbour must take responsibility herself. Never heard of curtains costing £1000!

tangojulie

... was it really responsible and kind to leave your dog in a strange place with strange people on bonfire night? Especially when by their own admission they were unfamiliar with dogs?

How has your dog been in previous years? Is he fearful of new situations or loud noises? What is he like in thunderstorms? How do you normally help him cope with this kind of thing? Did you explain all this to your neighbours?

If you didn't take sensible precautions to help him cope with a set of circumstances that most dogs find distressing even in their own homes, then I think you are partially responsible for what happened.

robynprincess

Who's dog is it? Yours. Doesn't matter what else happens imo, your dog = your responsibility.

If it were my dog, I would pay - and I wouldn't need asking either!

shirlgirl2004

baazii wrote: »

My only thought on reading this was: what kind of dog has to be kept in a cage indoors??? Just as well the neighbours didn't leave their child nearby perhaps.

A dog that isn't reliably toilet trained? Not every dog has had an ideal start and is toilet trained. We have no idea of how old the dog is or its history.

Normally I'd say the OP should pay it all because as the owner you take responsibility but unless the curtains were less than a year or two old then I'd say offer half the cost. I too would look into repair options though.