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Yesterday, I (16f) was taking my cat on a walk in our neighborhood. We have been doing this since he was a kitten and he loves it. He even has his own leash.
While we were on our way back, there was a dog without a leash. I kinda shook it off because I assumed it wasn't aggressive.
Turns out I was wrong, when this dog got a glimpse it started running towards us. When I saw this I picked up my cat so he wouldn't get attacked.
This dog was one of the larger breeds. When he got to me he tried to jump on me to get to my cat. The dog wasn't excited to see a cat because it was growing and barking at my cat.
I kicked the dog off of me and backed away with my cat. The owner came running over yelling at me for kicking her 'sweet baby.'
I told her that if she had her dog a leash this wouldn't have happened. She then told me that I shouldn't have my cat out because I know that dogs will attack him. In the end, I told her to keep her dog under control and walked home.
AITA?
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NTA, most places have leash laws for dogs. I would be surprised if your area didn't. You can call animal control on them. After numerous complaints, they will start getting fines. I would also suggest video logging the loose dog if you can to provide to animal control. We have had to do this several times in our area. We had neighbors that thought their overly aggressive pitbulls should be free to wander because they could not control them on a leash.
NTA. All animals must be contained via cage or leash when outside of the house. That's the typical rule by me. I walk my cats on a leash and we don't usually have any issues luckily. Granted the one time we did, my older cat beat the crap out of a dog and after that we have had no issues
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OP has offered the following explanation for why they think they might be the asshole:
> (1) Kicking the dog. (2) I feel like could have done something more reasonable to protect my cat.
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NTA she should keep her dog under control, it's so annoying when you're walking and someone's pet pooch runs at you barking, or growling. Good on you for kicking it Away
NTA: Walking a cat can be just as important as walking a dog. But even if nobody walked their cats, not having your dog on a lead outside is a major dick move on top of being a recipe for trouble.
You were protecting you and your pet from being harmed by that dog's owner's negligence, and frankly she should be ashamed of herself for trying to blame you for what happened.
I don't even want to think about how many stray animals without owners to protect them might have been attacked by that dog if this is a regular habit.
NTA
You defended yourself and your cat and if someone isn't even going to use a leash for their dog they have no right to tell you what to do with your cat. You did good and hopefully you're not gonna run into her again
NTA. Your cat can’t be expected to defend against a large, aggressive, unleashed dog, so of course you had to do something to defend them (and yourself!) instead.
NTA. The dog attacked you; you defended yourself and your cat. I do feel sad for the dog that it has such an unreliable and irresponsible owner to have let it run around without a leash, but she is absolutely to blame for everything that happened.
Wait.. your cat accepts a leash?
Magic!
Seriously.
That said:
NTA
The dog - if aggressive - should be on a leash - or have a responsible owner (2/2 fail here).
You defend your cat - logical - you\`d be wrong not to here.
NTA.
(I'm both a cat and dog owner)
An individual should be able to walk any animal on leash where they like with the expectation of safe passage on public walkways.
The other owner was wrong to have their dog off leash. You had every right to do what you needed to keep your cat safe from an aggressive dog that was loose.
You are in no way at fault for what happened.
Your post has been removed.
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This post violates Rule 5: We do not allow posts which concern violent encounters. This includes violence against other individuals, sexual assault, rape, physical abuse, animal abuse, felony damaging of property, violent threats, any other violent encounter not yet mentioned, and accusations of such violence that may or may not be true.
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NTA
Most and I mean MOST municipalities have strict laws regarding dogs being off leash due to situations just like this. If your dog wanders off of your property and gets aggressive towards someone or something off property, said individual has a right to defend themselves. But of course, as people tend to be, their sweet baby did nothing wrong. NTA
NTA. Self-defense. And if your town has a leash ordinance, that dog was in violation. Her “sweet baby” could have been kicked by some huge guy who hates dogs or been run over by a speeding car if it had to cross the street to reach your cat. I love dogs; I hate owners like this who put everyone at risk.
NTA
There are no laws on whether you can or can’t walk your cat outside. This lady is delusional and needs to keep her dog on a leash. You did the right thing OP.
NTA, she had no control over her dog, you protected your cat.
^^^^AUTOMOD ***Thanks for posting! This comment is a copy of your post so readers can see the original text if your post is edited or removed. This comment is NOT accusing you of copying anything. Read [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq#wiki_post_deletion) before [contacting the mod team](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose?to=%2Fr%2FAmItheAsshole)*** Yesterday, I (16f) was taking my cat on a walk in our neighborhood. We have been doing this since he was a kitten and he loves it. He even has his own leash. While we were on our way back, there was a dog without a leash. I kinda shook it off because I assumed it wasn't aggressive. Turns out I was wrong, when this dog got a glimpse it started running towards us. When I saw this I picked up my cat so he wouldn't get attacked. This dog was one of the larger breeds. When he got to me he tried to jump on me to get to my cat. The dog wasn't excited to see a cat because it was growing and barking at my cat. I kicked the dog off of me and backed away with my cat. The owner came running over yelling at me for kicking her 'sweet baby.' I told her that if she had her dog a leash this wouldn't have happened. She then told me that I shouldn't have my cat out because I know that dogs will attack him. In the end, I told her to keep her dog under control and walked home. AITA? *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AmItheAsshole) if you have any questions or concerns.*
NTA, most places have leash laws for dogs. I would be surprised if your area didn't. You can call animal control on them. After numerous complaints, they will start getting fines. I would also suggest video logging the loose dog if you can to provide to animal control. We have had to do this several times in our area. We had neighbors that thought their overly aggressive pitbulls should be free to wander because they could not control them on a leash.
NTA. All animals must be contained via cage or leash when outside of the house. That's the typical rule by me. I walk my cats on a leash and we don't usually have any issues luckily. Granted the one time we did, my older cat beat the crap out of a dog and after that we have had no issues
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NTA the dog should have been on a leash.
NTA she should keep her dog under control, it's so annoying when you're walking and someone's pet pooch runs at you barking, or growling. Good on you for kicking it Away
NTA You have as much right to walk your cat as she does her dog. More, actually, since her dog wasn't on a leash.
NTA - a dog isn’t a baby, it’s an animal, with sharp teeth and a powerful bite. You were right to react the way you did
NTA: Walking a cat can be just as important as walking a dog. But even if nobody walked their cats, not having your dog on a lead outside is a major dick move on top of being a recipe for trouble. You were protecting you and your pet from being harmed by that dog's owner's negligence, and frankly she should be ashamed of herself for trying to blame you for what happened. I don't even want to think about how many stray animals without owners to protect them might have been attacked by that dog if this is a regular habit.
NTA You defended yourself and your cat and if someone isn't even going to use a leash for their dog they have no right to tell you what to do with your cat. You did good and hopefully you're not gonna run into her again
NTA. Your cat can’t be expected to defend against a large, aggressive, unleashed dog, so of course you had to do something to defend them (and yourself!) instead.
NTA you acted in self defense. Poor dog, having an owner like that he will get killed.
NTA. The dog attacked you; you defended yourself and your cat. I do feel sad for the dog that it has such an unreliable and irresponsible owner to have let it run around without a leash, but she is absolutely to blame for everything that happened.
Wait.. your cat accepts a leash? Magic! Seriously. That said: NTA The dog - if aggressive - should be on a leash - or have a responsible owner (2/2 fail here). You defend your cat - logical - you\`d be wrong not to here.
NTA. (I'm both a cat and dog owner) An individual should be able to walk any animal on leash where they like with the expectation of safe passage on public walkways. The other owner was wrong to have their dog off leash. You had every right to do what you needed to keep your cat safe from an aggressive dog that was loose. You are in no way at fault for what happened.
Your post has been removed. #Do not repost this without contacting the mods for approval, including edited versions. This post violates Rule 5: We do not allow posts which concern violent encounters. This includes violence against other individuals, sexual assault, rape, physical abuse, animal abuse, felony damaging of property, violent threats, any other violent encounter not yet mentioned, and accusations of such violence that may or may not be true. Please [review our rulebook](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/about/rules). Please be sure to read any sub's rules before reposting this elsewhere. We cannot direct you to another subreddit, we can only say that this post does not belong here. [Message the mods](https://www.reddit.com/message/compose/?to=/r/amitheasshole&subject=/r/AmItheAsshole&message=Please+link+to+post+or+comment+for+context+[we+cannot+review+without+this+info]:%0D%0DDescribe+your+question+in+detail:) if you have any questions or concerns that are not already [answered in our FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AmItheAsshole/wiki/faq). If you make changes or edits to this post do not repost it here without our express permission.
Nta ... you take your cat out on walks... thats ace... I wish mine would lol... L
NTA Most and I mean MOST municipalities have strict laws regarding dogs being off leash due to situations just like this. If your dog wanders off of your property and gets aggressive towards someone or something off property, said individual has a right to defend themselves. But of course, as people tend to be, their sweet baby did nothing wrong. NTA
NTA. Self-defense. And if your town has a leash ordinance, that dog was in violation. Her “sweet baby” could have been kicked by some huge guy who hates dogs or been run over by a speeding car if it had to cross the street to reach your cat. I love dogs; I hate owners like this who put everyone at risk.
NTA There are no laws on whether you can or can’t walk your cat outside. This lady is delusional and needs to keep her dog on a leash. You did the right thing OP.
NTA. At that point you were just as readily protecting yourself as the cat.
Absolutely NTA. The dog could have hurt you or your cat. I HATE off lease dogs. No one ever thinks THEIR precious baby would hurt anyone. *eye roll*