Vet Charges

lhill

If a neighbour is feeding foxes and therefore encouraging them to stay around, should we consult her when one of them attacks our family pet, almost killing it but giving us a £2500 vet bill from the injuries of its attack. If it was their dog they'd have to pay the vet bills so is a fox considered a 'free spirit' as well

StudioBeau

A fox could be anywhere, whether or not your neighbour feeds them. So I am afraid this is your cost.

I recommend you get pet insurance.

There is no hope in trying to get money off them, you have no way at all to prove that the foxes are only there because your neighbour feeds them (which is what you would have to do to get any cash).

zaksmum

Definitely recommend pet insurance for just such unexpected difficulties.

It's not really the neighbour's fault here although it wouldn't do any harm to mention that the cute little foxes she's feeding nearly killed your pet, so perhaps she could see her way to packing it in??

Beckyy

I hope your dog is okay, what exactly happened?

I don't think you could prove anything, and don'thave any hope of getting money out of her. Although it wouldn't hurt to talk to her and let her know the damage they have done to your dog. How secure is your garden?

Hillbilly1

You can report neighbours to the council for feeding animals classed as vermin (sorry fox lovers).

The problem they cause is habitualising foxes to humans, making them think gardens are there territory and feeding the ill ones so they stay alive and spread disease when normally they would die.

It sounds harsh, but feeding urban foxes does no one any favours and is treated by most councils as the same as feeding pigeons. The difference is how they deal with it! Worth contacting the Fox Project and other fox positive agencies to find out the best way to remove foxes from the neighbourhood.

As an aside this Siobhan Bennet standing as a London Mayoral candidate thinks fox culling is the way forward when it has proved useless!

A real mixed bag of problems!I wish you luck.

heretolearn_2

Sorry to hear about what's happened, but foxes are in all areas whether someone feeds them or not. We have a few that regularly trot through our garden on their rounds.

I take it your pet is something like a chicken or rabbit? They do look like dinner to a fox so it's ultimately your responsibility to ensure that their pen is fox-proof.

And get insurance as a priority.

gettingready

I doubt "chicken or rabbit" would cost 2500 in vet bills....

heretolearn_2

It's even more unlikely that a fox would be the aggressor and randomly attack a cat or dog for no reason. Dinner, yes, random punch up which is likely to leave the fox the more injured party, no, unless it is the UKs only suicidal fox

It doesn't really matter much. Horrible though this has been for you OP, and I do sympathise as it's awful to see your pets suffer, I don't think you have any comeback on your neighbour.

StudioBeau

Hillbilly1 wrote: »

You can report neighbours to the council for feeding animals classed as vermin (sorry fox lovers).

Foxes aren't classed as vermin so no, unless the neighbours are feeding them to poison them, the OP can not report them to the council.

einfopedia

remember one thing that is the fax is anywhere anyhow you must have to get the pet insurance.otherwise it creates difficulty for you so that please get the pet insurance.thanks