Damaged caused by dog Post Reply

[Mum2two2012]

I wondered if I could get opinions on my situation please? I am in the early stages of starting a dog/cat and house sitting business. 

 I am now presently caring for two dogs for a week. 

I use a child gate to stop the dogs from going upstairs and have made adjustments to accommodate and allow dogs to stay overnight. 

This week one of my dogs went upstairs and unfortunately chewed and destroyed my denture. I have been told it will cost £850 to replace.  My dog insurance will not cover this and I am unable to get the details of my house insurance as I currently going through a divorce and my husband will not disclose the information to me.

The denture was next to my bed in an open hard case.

I am unsure whether to tell the owner with the hope she might contribute to the cost of replacing it. It is a massive sum for me. Should I just suck it up or let her know and see what happens?

[DenturesLondon]

Hi
Sorry to hear you've had some bad luck with the dentures.

I'm afraid if I was the dog owner I'd put this very firmly on your side.

However the house insurance details are the more interesting part of your email.

What your soon-to-be-ex husband is doing is financial abuse, it's against the law.

I'd suggest sending him a polite note, keep a copy, asking him for the insurance details and explaining that if he doesn't supply them in a reasonable time that you'll be reporting him to the police for abuse.

I know that you might not think that this is a crime but it really can be.

From some brief googling

"Sometimes (but not always) financial abuse will be recognised by the police as coercive or controlling behaviour, which is also a criminal offence. You do not have to be living with the person for the coercive or controlling behaviour offence to apply. Financial abuse can continue, or even start, after separation."

I think you have a very strong case to insist your husband discloses these details

[Ringer]

I think it was your responsibility to ensure the dog didn’t go upstairs while it was in your care. As such, I don’t think you can ask the owner, who paid you to look after the dog, to pay for the damage.

A better fence is needed to control the dogs.

[Mum2two2012]

Thankyou both for taking time out to reply to me. 

I will ask him for the details of the insurance and also to give consent for me to make a enquires as it will be in his name only. Thanks for that advice.

 

[NanaB]

I sympathise with the lady who has had her dentures destroyed ,however this is certainly her liability . It was her responsibility to ensure that any valuables including dentures, should be completely inaccessible except to her .
The same would apply to a childminder . Would she ask a parent to pay for damage caused by a toddler for example ?
I am surprised her business insurance insurance as a dog care provider does not cover this . I also think it unlikely the household insurance ,unless specifically covering this business, will cover.
It sounds an expensive lesson but I do wish you well as you are going through such difficult time .

[Mivana]

Well, most dog owners will (or should) have pet insurance…..
So why not enquire with the owner of this dog, if they maybe do?
Some years ago, my then partner’s aunt & uncle visited us in my house, with their dog…..
The dog then proceeded in chewing off a corner of the bottom part of my wooden dining table. . . . .
The visiting relatives immediately offered to claim through their insurance! 

Whether your Home Content Insurance would cover this I do not know, as it was caused by someone else’s dog, not your own. . . . , but you should be entitled to those insurance details, certainly whilst you are still married.
Can’t you find any related paperwork in your house?
Unless when your husband moved out, he stopped the content insurance !??

Lastly, if you are running a business from your home premises, you should probably have/look into adequate insurance relating to the risks you may run. . . . . .
Best to avail yourself of the requirements, you responsibilities, etc. . . . 

Good luck

[Emma]

Please ensure you have a dog first aid qualification. It is a huge responsibility looking after someone else's dog and they could have injured themselves, or choked on something that they found in a non-dog-proofed part of the house.  Just as a childminder can't look after children without relevant first aid training, dog businesses should have the relevant knowledge too.

Please visit [url=http://www,firstaidforpets.net]www.firstaidforpets.net[/url] and we would be delighted to help. We have multi-award-winning, accredited practical and online courses. We run open courses in Balham and Clapham South, taught by highly experienced veterinary nurses. We are being filmed for ITV news this Friday too!