Could cat lovers please sign his epetition

HollyCHollyC Posts: 5,850
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I came across this epetition on Facebook (:o). It's a petition to change the law so that you have to stop if you run over a cat. It's not my petition, but it is something I feel needs to be changed.

http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/36876
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  • Lost_SoulLost_Soul Posts: 548
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    signed and shared.
  • wazzyboywazzyboy Posts: 13,346
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    I've done it, and shared it
  • molliepopsmolliepops Posts: 26,821
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    Happy to do so.
  • ShrikeShrike Posts: 16,592
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    I'm rather dubious about this. Presumably it would be an offence not to stop if a cat is hit by a car, but how do you prove the driver even knew a cat had been hit?
    Cats often shoot out from between cars at the last moment and I'm quite certain they would be out of sight of the driver.

    Then there is the question of what, exactly, is the driver supposed to do? A dog, most likely, will have an id tag on its collar and presumably contact details. Cats rarely do (mine flatly refuses to wear a collar:() She is tagged but would a driver know where to get her scanned?
  • molliepopsmolliepops Posts: 26,821
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    We have to stop for dogs although sadly a lot don't. Should really be made law we have to stop for any living creature. But policing it would be a nightmare.
  • SmithmanSmithman Posts: 6,184
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    Signed by me :)
  • wazzyboywazzyboy Posts: 13,346
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    molliepops wrote: »
    We have to stop for dogs although sadly a lot don't. Should really be made law we have to stop for any living creature. But policing it would be a nightmare.

    I think the public needs to do more.In terms of reporting etc.
  • ShrikeShrike Posts: 16,592
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    molliepops wrote: »
    We have to stop for dogs although sadly a lot don't. Should really be made law we have to stop for any living creature. But policing it would be a nightmare.

    Is that still the case? I know it was back in ye olden days when I took my test, but I thought when the dog licence was abolished that the requirement to report dog accidents went with it?
    I did try looking on the .gov site but could find nothing to say what animals are to be reported.
  • TWSTWS Posts: 9,307
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    Shrike wrote: »
    I'm rather dubious about this. Presumably it would be an offence not to stop if a cat is hit by a car, but how do you prove the driver even knew a cat had been hit?
    Cats often shoot out from between cars at the last moment and I'm quite certain they would be out of sight of the driver.

    Then there is the question of what, exactly, is the driver supposed to do? A dog, most likely, will have an id tag on its collar and presumably contact details. Cats rarely do (mine flatly refuses to wear a collar:() She is tagged but would a driver know where to get her scanned?

    i agree and the problem is normally when you hit a dog you hit the dog and it is still there whereas cats are generally a bit more wiley and savvy and normally end up clipped and run off so you cant generally find it or identify the cat you hit, as much as i am a cat lover and agree in principal most decent people if they hit a cat or a dog and it was still on the scene would try to take it to the vet so i cant see what this hopes to accomplish.

    The only reason they have to notify for dogs is because dogs are supposed to be owned cats are not considered owned and if that changes that will open up a whole heap of problems for cat owners and may lead to cats having to be kept on leads when out or kept inside
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,596
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    multiple post, edit
  • Pippa 2Pippa 2 Posts: 2,614
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    Just signed it. I hope it gets through. Seems ridiculous that you have to stop for a dog but not a cat.:confused:
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,596
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    Pippa 2 wrote: »
    Just signed it. I hope it gets through. Seems ridiculous that you have to stop for a dog but not a cat.:confused:

    Because cats are the only pet which are still able to free roam (because they are considered less physically dangerous to humans than dogs), and owners in general are meant to accept the risk when they make the choice to allow their cats to roam free..
  • icic Posts: 903
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    When cats have got microchips and name tags I'll sign it .Until then it's totally pointless .And I am a cat owner before anyone gets on their high horse .
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 282
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    Shrike wrote: »
    Is that still the case? I know it was back in ye olden days when I took my test, but I thought when the dog licence was abolished that the requirement to report dog accidents went with it?
    I did try looking on the .gov site but could find nothing to say what animals are to be reported.

    Yes it is still the case to stop and report when you've hit a dog. it applies to pretty much all animals which are owned, horse, cow, sheep etc but not cats which is odd
  • StaceySkyStaceySky Posts: 570
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    I've signed
  • MarellaKMarellaK Posts: 5,781
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    SCDchick wrote: »
    Because cats are the only pet which are still able to free roam (because they are considered less physically dangerous to humans than dogs), and owners in general are meant to accept the risk when they make the choice to allow their cats to roam free..

    I never thought I would ever agree with any of your posts but, on this, I do agree. We take risks when allowing our cats to free roam and one of those risks is being hit by a car. Most decent people would stop their car and help the injured cat (if safe to do so) and try to trace the owners. Non decent people will carry on, regardless of any laws in place.

    Those of us who rigorously defend the rights of our cats to go outdoors freely must accept potential consequences. I would never blame a car driver for running over my cat unless he was driving dangerously, in which case he should not be driving anyway because he also poses a risk to children.
  • HollyCHollyC Posts: 5,850
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    MarellaK wrote: »
    I never thought I would ever agree with any of your posts but, on this, I do agree. We take risks when allowing our cats to free roam and one of those risks is being hit by a car. Most decent people would stop their car and help the injured cat (if safe to do so) and try to trace the owners. Non decent people will carry on, regardless of any laws in place.

    Those of us who rigorously defend the rights of our cats to go outdoors freely must accept potential consequences. I would never blame a car driver for running over my cat unless he was driving dangerously, in which case he should not be driving anyway because he also poses a risk to children.

    I do agree with you to a certain extent, but I also think that a driver should stop whatever animal it hits.

    My cat is elderly and doesn't go out much, when she does it is just to pootle around my back garden. As she can't really jump very well, and I live in a terraced house, she can't get to the road at the front of the house. So I'm not really at risk of her being run over.

    I've also been lucky so far, in that I've never had a cat run over.

    I'm certainly not attaching any blame to a driver who runs over a cat (unless s/he was driving like a knob anyway!), but I still feel pretty strongly that a cat being run over should be reportable.

    Thanks to those who have signed.
  • gertrude hubblegertrude hubble Posts: 1,271
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    I've signed
  • davidmcndavidmcn Posts: 12,086
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    chris4817 wrote: »
    Yes it is still the case to stop and report when you've hit a dog. it applies to pretty much all animals which are owned, horse, cow, sheep etc but not cats which is odd

    It applies to any "horse, cattle, ass, mule, sheep, pig, goat or dog" to be exact (Section 170 of the RTA)
  • dekafdekaf Posts: 8,398
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    HollyC wrote: »
    I do agree with you to a certain extent, but I also think that a driver should stop whatever animal it hits.

    My cat is elderly and doesn't go out much, when she does it is just to pootle around my back garden. As she can't really jump very well, and I live in a terraced house, she can't get to the road at the front of the house. So I'm not really at risk of her being run over.

    I've also been lucky so far, in that I've never had a cat run over.

    I'm certainly not attaching any blame to a driver who runs over a cat (unless s/he was driving like a knob anyway!), but I still feel pretty strongly that a cat being run over should be reportable.

    Thanks to those who have signed.


    Totally agree with your post, and have signed and shared.

    Good luck with the petition. :)
  • HollyCHollyC Posts: 5,850
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    dekaf wrote: »
    Totally agree with your post, and have signed and shared.

    Good luck with the petition. :)

    Thank you :)

    It's not my petition - a friend on Facebook (who's a vet) shared it, but it doesn't have anywhere near enough signatures, so I thought I'd see if I could do anything to bump it up a bit. If people don't agree with it, that's fine - I was just trying to bring it to the attention of as many people as possible, to try and boost the signatures.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 597
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    My lovely little cat Belle was hit and left to try and make her way home 3 weeks ago. Unfortunately I found her and she had died. I'm still distraught about it so I've signed and hope it makes some difference.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 1,346
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    Signed.

    Any animal, that's clearly a pet, should be reported / registered somewhere.
  • [Deleted User][Deleted User] Posts: 47
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    Signed and shared for you. My cats don't go out but I would like to think someone stopped for them if they were run over. It was very upsetting for me and my little girl when we found one it had happened to. We tried to locate its owners, even took it's body to the vets to check for a chip but it didn't have one. I kept thinking of its owners distressed searching for it.
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