Neighbor's dog attacked my cat-huge vet bills!

[lpresnal]

My neighbor's dog was let out and attacked my cat. Neither animal was on it's owner's property at the time. Neighbor doesn't want to pay vet bills, which are huge and growing. Neighbor won't file on his homeowner's liability because previous claims will raise his premiums. Can I sue in small claims and reasonably expect to recover my vet costs?

 

[Duranie]

If your cat was running loose, then you are partly liable for this, in my opinion. You might have a claim for suing for half, but if your cat was on its own property, along with the dog, it could have been avoided.

You can certainly try to sue, nobody knows what a judge will decide.

 

[Michael Wechsler]

My neighbor's dog was let out and attacked my cat. Neither animal was on it's owner's property at the time. Neighbor doesn't want to pay vet bills, which are huge and growing. Neighbor won't file on his homeowner's liability because previous claims will raise his premiums. Can I sue in small claims and reasonably expect to recover my vet costs?

I think Duranie is right... nobody knows which way this will go but the bottom line is that neither owner seemed to be in control of their pet. As such, I'm not sure that you have claims -- and I wonder what local laws might state with regard to each person's responsibility to have control of their pet.

 

[calalily]

Check Local ordinances

Check your local ordinances for leash laws for dogs and other pets. Some cities have one for dogs but not for cats. If your city has one for both then you are probably out of luck. If they only have one for dogs then you might be able to recover your vet costs in small claims court.