Has anyone here lost a dog legally, for attacking a cat???????????????

Third try, new question, Has anyone lost their dog for attacking a
cat? Or, has anyone owned a dog convicted of being vicious?

Suja...

Someone I know volunteers with Husky rescue and went to court last week on
the behalf of a dog that had killed a cat after being accidentally let out
of the house by someone who was taking care of the dog in the owner's
absence. The judge basically didn't want to hear anything about the dog
(including the fact that the previous owner, who had died two months back,
lived in the house that the dog went to when he got out, saying that dogs
don't know such stuff), and deemed the dog dangerous.

Paul E. Schoen...

I am about to lose my good buddy Muttley for almost the same reason. I am
not being forced to do so, but he has now been publicly branded as
aggressive, unstable, and dangerous. I cannot keep him because he is (and
always has been) very cat aggressive, and it is probably a deeply ingrained
instinct as well as a survival skill learned from his time on the streets.
In the eight months I have had him, he has not actually been able to attack
my cat, because I have been able to restrain him, but I fear for what he
might do. She has become a little more bold, and they have looked at each
other through the screen door, but that is as far as it has gone.

I can feel your pain, and it seems that many people on this ng are not very
sympathetic. The fact is that your dog was running loose, perhaps only
because of a loose latch on a screen door, and he killed someone's loved
pet. The fact that the cat was also running free might have been a
contributing factor, but many people (including myself) allow their cats
freedom to be outdoors, and I accept the possibility that she could be
killed by a wild animal such as a fox or raccoon. The fact she has survived
for 6 years attests to her intelligence and wariness. If an off-leash dog
were to attack and kill her, I would be very upset, and perhaps I would be
within my rights to kill the dog if it were on my property, but that is a
risk I choose to take.

The sad thing about my impending loss of my dog is that his dog aggressive
behavior was only evidenced at an obedience class, where I had hoped he
would be able to be trained so perhaps he might not attack my cat, or at
least would be more suited to adoption in another home. Unfortunately, it
seems like it was very stressful for him, and he attacked a dog without
provocation. The final incident occurred as I was trying to force him into
a position, and he broke loose and instantly attacked a young dog in a very
brutal manner, but luckily I was able to regain the leash before he could
inflict more serious damage, or actually kill the dog, which looked like
his intent.

I am new to dog ownership, and I have learned a lot in the 8 months I have
had Muttley. I did not really choose to have a dog, but I could not allow
him to be put down before he had a chance at life in a caring environment.
Now I have been slapped upside the head with some of the problems and
responsibilities of dog ownership, especially of a powerful breed that can
inflict severe damage or even kill other animals or possibly a human. It is
not something to be taken lightly. I don't know all the details of your
incident, but it is unfortunate that you were unable to stop the attack
before it became a kill.

I'm sure you love your dogs as much as I love mine, and it will be hard to
see him die. I wish you the best of luck.