July 22, 2014
Our cat was in our yard, when the dog came through the backwoods and attacked it, we had the cat for 13.5 years and he rarely left our property as he was older and primarily a house cat. My wife and children were present during the attack and were unable to stop the dog which was a full grown Pit-bull looking rescue dog. One of our other neighbors was able to pull the dog away before any of my family members were injured. Of course my wife and children are distraught, and I'm on edge as this is a very recent event. I know we can contact their home owners insurance for property loss but, what about any emotional damages that may have been caused by this event? Is there any legal recourse we can take on this matter?
Thank you for your time!
Aaron
Report the dog to animal control. It must have been very distressing to witness this. I don't practice in Maine, but you should contact a Maine civil lawyer and see if you have the basis for a 'negligent infliction of emotional distress' case, but bear in mind the law may not be extended to family pets, even though to many folks, they certainly are part of the family... Good luck.
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