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Side A
Original submission
hinata

Mi gata era adoptada y vivía adentro de casa. Nunca la dejábamos salir sola ni andar por la calle porque siempre me dio miedo que pudiera pasarle algo. Vivimos en una zona bastante tranquila, medio campo. La calle es de tierra, no hay avenidas ni calles transitadas cerca y prácticamente no suelen pasar autos. La casa está cercada con alambrado. Tengo varios perros adoptados y, muy de vez en cuando, cuando ellos estaban en la parte de afuera de la casa, mi gata conseguía escabullirse. Cuando pasaba, se quedaba cerca de la puerta de casa y no se iba a recorrer la zona ni se alejaba. Un día ocurrió eso. Mi gata estaba en la puerta de mi casa y el pitbull de un vecino salió de su propiedad, llegó hasta nuestra casa y la atacó. El ataque quedó registrado por una cámara de seguridad. Intentamos salvarla: fue atendida e internada y tuvimos gastos veterinarios muy altos, pero finalmente murió por las lesiones. La relación con esos vecinos ya no era buena desde antes. Después del ataque hablé con el dueño del perro, pero sentí que mostró muy poco interés por lo ocurrido. Actualmente inicié acciones legales. También hubo una instancia de mediación y el dueño no se presentó.

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Question for the jury

Si estuvieran en mi situación, ¿qué harían a partir de este punto?

The verdict

4–1–1

Majority467%

Seguiría adelante con las acciones legales hasta obtener una resolución.

117%

Dejaría de avanzar legalmente y trataría de cerrar el tema.

117%

Haría otra cosa distinta a estas opciones. Si es posible, explicá qué harías y por qué.

0

Buscaría alguna forma de hacer justicia por mi cuenta, aunque no fuera por la vía legal.

The Jury’s Read

The room feels strongly that pursuing legal action is the way to go. You’ve faced significant trauma with losing your cat, and many believe it's essential to hold the dog owner accountable, especially given the evidence at hand. There's a shared understanding that while this path may elevate tensions with your neighbor, justice and financial reparation for your vet expenses can potentially ease your burden. Ensuring the safety of your remaining pets also looms large in these considerations.

On the record

Juror reasoning

iamthewalrusJuror

Legal action all the way. Speak to a professional and see what they say. I would be so pissed and would need that video to be seen by the right people so this guy can be held accountable.

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quietjuror0304Juror

Without a doubt I would proceed with legal action. If you are in the US, it would be called small claims court. I would also be filing a complaint with animal control, the formal group (not a private group but the county or state group) that handles complaints of this nature so the dog gets a strike against it. Where I live dogs are only allowed so much bad behavior. This is a tragedy that happened and handling it legally is an extremely reasonable way to go. It is stressful yes. However this is how you do things. That's why small claims courts exist. And there is a lot of information online on how to handle a small claims matter so you will not be alone without knowledge on what to do. I am very sad for you. This was and is traumatic. You can handle this.

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Tipman94Juror

Firstly, I'm so sorry about your cat. :( R.I.P. I think it's important to reflect on what you want in this situation. Do you want closure? Are you looking for an apology? Do you not want to have tensions with a neighbor? Or are you looking for justice and financial compensation? If it is justice and financial compensation for medical expenses, perhaps speaking with a legal professional is a route to consider. Otherwise, I would allow some time to pass so both parties are less emotionally charged and have a conversation with your neighbor. Seek to understand what his perception of the situation was and ask to share your perspective. Maybe explain that you would like to be able to have a pet that can stay on the porch without fear of being attacked by his dog. A conversation on better fence/gate situation perhaps or how to he can secure his dog when unattended in the yard. Best of luck!

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WiseJurorJuror

It seems like you already started this process but I would continue pursuing this if it is monetary compensation or legal ramifications you are most concerned about. You have the video proof and the dog came onto your property. That being said it may make tensions worse with that neighbor but it sounds like they’re already not in the best place so — keep working with legal pros and see what they recommend! Sorry about your loss with your cat though — that’s terrible and I’m sure that is making this way worse. The dog owner should at least have some awareness of what happened and be more responsible with how he’s handling his dog.

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jurorfrankemJuror

Ideally it wouldn’t require legal action, but I do strongly feel that the owner of the pitbull needs to take accountability for the dog’s actions and at least pay for the veterinary expenses you all incurred trying to save your cat. I’m so sorry that happened, I hope you’re able to find some peace and comfort.

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Aloha393Juror

I would write him a letter explaining your perspective and what you’re feeling as a result of what happened. Let him know you’re hurt and that you had to pay medical expenses to try and save your cats life and it didn’t work. I believe a small part of the justice you seek is him knowing the extent of what happened and feeling your pain to hopefully open his eyes and change how he handles his dog. Perhaps then he would be open to co conversing or maybe even apologizing.

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