Animal/Legal Issue?

martindow

I would be quite concerned about the LL giving you notice when your fixed term is up. If they live locally or are possibly moving back into your house in the future they will not want lots of annoyed neighbours.

Guest101

My point is, the OP is LEGALLY protected, which is what they asked about.

Doesn't matter what moral obligation they may feel they hve, the question was legal

Werdnal

Guest101 wrote: »

My point is, the OP is LEGALLY protected, which is what they asked about.

Doesn't matter what moral obligation they may feel they hve, the question was legal

And I have already said that all the threats made by the Parish Council are pretty unlikely to get them anywhere and that legally there may not be a case. However, the whole issue has wider implications that just the "legal" rights and wrongs, and it would be silly not to make OP aware of the whole picture.

You then started going on about how horses should not be on the road if the are likely to buck at a startling object - hence my explanation and reply above.

So, I totally agree OP has no legal responsibility, as the dog sounds to be safely enclosed on private grounds, but in my opinion (which obviously differs from yours) there is a moral responsibility here. There is also nothing to stop any aggrieved horse owners making a claim for injury to them or their horse, and as there seems to a be quite a groundswell of local opinion against the OP's dog, there would likely be a long stream of witnesses willing to testify against the dog's behaviour!

OP, if your LL does live locally, even though there is nothing legally wrong here, they do have the option to give you notice to evict, if they bow to pressure from the "powers that be" who are jumping on the case! A section 21 notice needs no reason or grounds, and LL can issue this to seek a court order to end your tenancy once the Fixed term expires, so it depends whether LL would take the side of the complainants, perhaps for a "quiet life", or dismiss their complaints and allow you to stay. As it is always difficult to find rental properties when you have pets, this possibiltiy may have a bearing on whether you consider trying to retrain the dog's behaviour is a priority, or if you take on board the lack of any legal issues and ignore it all.

Does you landlord know of the situation? It may be better coming from you, than sitting back waiting for a very biased story to be related to him by the disgruntled parish council rep, and then having to try to put your side of the story later. I would get in first if I were you!

Th1984

My LL isn't aware of the situation but I do have an ast, due to expire in 2016. The ll isn't local but is the same LL as most of the entire villiage ( think semi rural villiage previously serf housing for the 'big house')

I have met one the horse owners today who has agreed to spend some time working with me and doggings next week after I spend some time solo reinforcing recall training.

Positive result from what could have been messy.

Just to get mrs bucket from the PC to quiet down now...

Werdnal

Sounds like a good plan. If you can get the horsey people to understand you are willing and keen to do all you can to try to resolve this, it should help smooth out any antagonism, not only between dog and horses, but you and your neighbours too.

One of our local agricultural colleges actually run dog/livestock familiarisation courses, to help introduce dogs to sheep, cattle and horses, and teach them not to chase and bark, and help reduce the number of dog attacks on livestock. Not that I am saying your dog would actually harm the horses - you will probably find if she did ever escape the safe confines of the garden, she'd run away rather than after them - they are all "bark" and no trousers when there is a fence protecting them! You will probably find it helps the dog too, as part of the cause is probably anxiety that these larger, more powerful animals may actually be a threat to her and your safety, and she is alerting you of their presence and trying to protect you both.

Good luck with it!

Guest101

I agree completely regarding moral resposinsibility, just sepersting the two issues. But again just for clarification, if there are no legal repurcussions, any claim for injury would fail.

Anyway i'm glad you got it sorted and are working with the horse trainer to make life easier for both of you. That's the best solution.