‘My dog ate neighbour’s drone – it was best thing that happen to me’ | UK | News
His dog ate his neighbour’s drone (stock) (Image: Getty)
A homeowner feared he would be left hundreds of pounds out of pocket after his dog destroyed a neighbour’s expensive drone – but when the dispute ended up in court, it backfired spectacularly.
The man explained that his neighbour had a habit of repeatedly flying a drone low over his back garden, often deliberately teasing his dog despite being asked several times to stop.
Sharing the story on Reddit, he claimed the neighbour insisted he had every right to fly over the garden because he “didn’t own the air” above the property.
Eventually, the dog had had enough. One day, after the drone flew into the garden once again, the dog managed to leap up, catch it and completely destroy it.
The neighbour immediately stormed over demanding payment, claiming the drone had cost $900 (£675) and insisting he pay for it on the spot.
When the homeowner refused, the neighbour called the police, alleging he had been denied access to retrieve the drone.
He said: “The drone was still in my yard, but my dog completely ignored it once it stopped buzzing.”
Concerned he might be sued for damaging the drone, the homeowner sought legal advice. It wasn’t long before those fears became reality after the neighbour filed a claim in small claims court.
Fortunately, his mother-in-law, who works as a paralegal secretary, arranged a free consultation with a lawyer, who reportedly found the case amusing and even suggested filing a counterclaim.
The homeowner also contacted the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) after discovering his neighbour had allegedly been flying drones near an airport, out of sight and potentially in breach of regulations.
When the case reached court, the man arrived armed with police reports, photographs of the garden, videos showing previous low fly-bys over his dog and veterinary bills.
His neighbour argued that the homeowner had “maliciously” installed a picnic table so his dog could jump high enough to catch the drone.
The man explained the table had simply been bought so he had somewhere to sit and eat outside. According to the homeowner, the judge wasn’t convinced by the neighbour’s claims.
Instead, the court accepted that repeatedly flying the drone close to the dog had caused the animal distress and could even have resulted in serious injuries if it had swallowed parts of the damaged drone.
Rather than receiving compensation for the destroyed drone, the neighbour was ordered to pay the homeowner just under $2,000 (£1,500) to cover veterinary treatment, including X-rays, dental examinations, sedation and medication.
The judge also banned the neighbour from flying drones over the man’s property in future. To give himself extra peace of mind, the homeowner has since installed trail cameras around the front and back of his home.
While delighted with the outcome, he admitted there was one thing that would make the ending even sweeter.
“The only thing that could make this better is if the FAA finds a reason to fine him or take away his drones,” he said.
