A disagreement over a dog, a stray cat, and some heated words brought Portsmouth police into the middle of a neighborhood dispute on Second Street.
Officers were flagged down by several residents who claimed a man had allowed his dog to attack a cat they had been feeding.
🐕 DOG VS. CAT
According to the callers, the dog went after a stray cat that neighborhood residents had been caring for.
The women also claimed the dog’s owner became argumentative and tried to encourage the dog to attack them as well.
Police tracked down the dog owner and spoke with him about the incident.
🐈 OWNER ADMITS DOG CHASED CAT
According to the report, the man acknowledged that his dog had gone after the cat.
However, officers noted the dog was on a leash and under the owner’s control when they arrived.
The man told police the women became angry after the incident and started approaching him.
He admitted telling them to stay back, warning that the dog could bite them if they got too close.
🚔 NO CHARGES FILED
After speaking with everyone involved, officers determined no criminal offense had occurred.
Police advised the dog owner to keep the animal under control and continue on his way.
No citations were issued and no arrests were made.
⚠️ WHO’S RESPONSIBLE FOR STRAY CATS?
The call also highlights a common source of neighborhood disputes.
While many residents feed stray or feral cats out of compassion, those animals generally aren’t considered owned pets unless someone has formally taken responsibility for them.
At the same time, dog owners are responsible for keeping their animals under control and preventing attacks on people or other animals whenever possible.
🐾 A LOT OF ANGER, NOT MUCH CRIME
In the end, police found themselves refereeing a disagreement between animal lovers, a dog owner, and an unfortunate stray cat.
The cat ran afoul of the dog.
The neighbors ran afoul of the dog owner.
And everyone ended up talking to the police.
Fortunately, nobody ended up in handcuffs.
