A woman wants a change in the law after her cat was killed by a loose dog.

Jess Rozee’s cat Kitty was killed where she lives in Swindon - she said CCTV footage shows her pet being chased, chewed, shaken then left still just alive by two men with the dog.

Ms Rozee has started a petition that so far has 7,000 signatures on it, asking to make it an offence for a person’s dog to kill another pet, by prosecuting owners.

  • plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works
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    8 months ago

    Hypocrites if they want dogs held accountable, but not their own animal. Yet cats are known to cause devastation to all local wildlife, they also spread diseases in gardens, they live shorter unhealthier lives since they pick up all sorts of other bacteria and viruses.

    It’s quite frankly inhumane to let cats free, and it’s wild that there’s a place that won’t hold their owners accountable for the property damage they inevitably cause. Most places have updated their laws as new informations come out in the last 50 years. Those laws aren’t even based on scientific studies I believe. It’s all “feel good”.

    • intrapt@sh.itjust.works
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      8 months ago

      cats are known to cause devastation to all local wildlife

      I’m pretty sure the RSPCB disproved this years ago, at least for birds, but I can’t find that study.

      they also spread diseases in gardens

      So can foxes, badgers, rats etc. Most cats are vaccinated annually against diseases and will go to the vet for checkups regularly, therefore the risk is much lower.

      they live shorter unhealthier lives

      Shorter? Sure, but not because of disease. Traffic is a much bigger problem, letting cats outside in cities or near busy roads is a far greater risk to their lifespan and I would never recommend someone to do that. Claiming they live unhealthier lives is wrong too. An outdoor cat can get so much more exercise than an indoor cat ever could, reducing obesity (as long as it’s not grifting for food with every other household nearby, which is rare).

      It’s quite frankly inhumane to let cats free

      It is much more humane in the UK (which is where I am and where the petition is) to let cats outside, and let them enjoy fresh air every day, discover new smells, socialise with other animals, and generally be so much happier, than trapping them inside from when they’re a kitten until they either die miserable, or escape and find an owner who will take care of them properly.

      it’s wild that there’s a place that won’t hold their owners accountable for the property damage they inevitably cause.

      Have you ever met a cat? It is extremely hard to control what they do, and the law recognises that. Theoretically, a judge could rule that cats are under the same category as dogs, but a cat would first have to do as much damage as a dog could do. Only one legal case got close. where the cat “got into Mrs. W. ‘s, fiat ate mincepies and fish, got on to a bed, and scratched the bedpost”. The judge sided with the cat owner.

      Most places have updated their laws as new informations come out in the last 50 years

      The UK has too, see the Animal Welfare Act 2006.

      Those laws aren’t even based on scientific studies I believe. It’s all “feel good”.

      The RSPCA and other organisations like them conduct studies and campaign for the law to be updated accordingly. The UK is one of the top countries for animal welfare as per World Animal Protection, and is significantly better than the USA.

      • plantfanatic@sh.itjust.works
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        8 months ago

        It says: "The RSPB takes public concern about cat predation seriously and promotes measures to reduce the vulnerability of garden birds to predation by cats.

        Lmfao, no, they were lying before and have now admitted. Yeesh.