Dog problems and animal control is not helping.

[hydeist420]

I just joined byc,so greetings to all!

I dont even know if i'm supposed to be asking this question here sorry if its in the wrong place.
Anyways i've been having problems with the neighborhood dogs for quite some time,they tear up my chicken coop/run to get to my hens and have killed quite a few,i'm not a great carpenter and all i have to work with is chicken wire which they tear through even if i triple fence it.i've called animal many times to get the dogs they say they will but never come.Not only do they destroy my property and kill my hens but they even killed one of my cats.So for a solution i was thinking about purchasing a pellet gun to scare them off i dont want to kill them just scare them.But to not get in trouble with the law i called 311 the city customer service line to find out if i'm allowed to shoot a dog with a pellet gun within the city limits heres the answer i recieved: THAT IS ANIMAL ABUSE! Do not think of shooting a dog with a firearm if you do the owner can press charges on you and we(the city) will fine you and take you to court for killing a dog. COMPLETLY ignoring what i had just asked.I told the idiot that i didnt want to kill them just scare them with a slight injury,because they killed my pet cat and chickens which i consider pets.I even asked what if my life was in danger what if i caught the dog in the act of killing my chickens he said NO that i should have my chickens caged at all times.All he did was ignore me even my mother called and they gave her the same type of reponse.

Here is what i want to know can I in San Antonio Texas shoot a dog with a pellet gun while in the act of killing my chickens.Can I shoot dogs that tresspass into my property?
What else can I do to protect my hens?
My poor hens are scared to death of everything now,what is everyones opinion on this am I in the wrong here?
Sorry about the long post i'm just furious here why is a dogs life more important then my pet chickens what about my cats? Why is the city more concerned about what happens to the dogs why is it okay to have dead/injured hens but when the dog gets a wound they call cruelty .
Whatever happened to leash laws?!

Anyways
Thank you in advance!

 

[5Leepy!]

I would try catching the dogs yourself and tying them to a tree or something until Animal Control comes. I know here in Austin it can take over 24 hours for them to show up. You can always catch the dogs and drive them to the pound yourself, as well. And, since your chickens are livestock you can shoot the dog if you catch them in the act of attacking your chickens... Texas has livestock laws that are very powerful, although I wouldn't recommend it. Have you tried finding the dogs owners and complaining?

I do agree, though, with the above posters about securing your coop better. If you can't protect them against some dogs, you can't protect them against racoons or opossums either and I'm sure there's plenty of them around. If you don't protect them they'll all eventually be lost and you'll have wasted all your money on chicks and feed. I wouldn't bother getting more until you have a better coop & run for them, too.

P.S. I got free hog wire for our run from freecycle.com. You might want to try joining it and seeing if anyone's giving stuff away. Keep an eye out on craigslist.com, too.

Good Luck!
5Leepy!

 

[lolita117]

I looked up leash laws in Texas. I found this website

http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stustxhealthsafetycode822_001_828_015.htm

And found this under "Certain dogs and coyotes prohibited from running at large; Criminal Pentaly."

The owner, keeper, or person in control of a dog or coyote that the owner, keeper, or person knows is accustomed to run, worry, or kill livestock, domestic animals, or fowls may not permit the dog or coyote to run at large.


Im sure there are plenty of other things on here that fit your situation.

 

[RMBGKY]

Electric on the outside of your run and coop is the cheapest option. You can usually find used stuff on craigslist. One wire about 12 inches off the ground should do it. If it were me I would try to trap them and I would take them off to the pound. If the owners were to retrieve them then I would trap them again and take them to the next city. Killing them sounds good and would be an option if you were not in a city.
You can't control predators and you can't go killing everything that comes on your property. It is your responsibility to make sure your animals have a safe place to live.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: It's not very realistic to think the dogs are going to allow anyone to catch them.

What I would suggest is call the Police Dept, or Sheriff's Office, and tell them the problems you're having.

They will advise you if shooting the dogs is legal

Asking someone who "works for the City" is a wasted effort since they seldom know the laws, but won't TELL you they don't really know

 

[bobbi-j]

Since Animal Control is not doing anything, you have to take matters into your own hands. You are in a city, so your options are limited. DO NOT shoot them with a pellet gun to scare them away. That will be considered animal cruelty. You can't shoot to kill with a "real" gun, either. So, you have to do more to protect your chickens instead. You need to earn some money and replace your chicken wire with something stronger. I don't know how big your run is, but you need to use hardware cloth or welded wire. If dogs can get into your coop, so can raccoons. I know you're in the city, but raccoons are, too. If AC isn't doing anything, call the police department while the dogs are there. Call the sheriff. Take pictures so you have proof, but be very careful. Your health and well-being is far more important than your chickens'. I don't want you to get bit or attacked by the dogs.

 

[Bullitt]

The city government doesn't seem very helpful.

If you are going to shoot a dog, make sure you kill it and then get rid of it, such as burying it somewhere else. If you injure the dog the owner may sue you. It's crazy.

I am sure you can shoot a dog if you catch the dog attacking your animals. You have a right to defend your animals.

But I think the best solution is to put an electric fence around your chicken run. You could install one or two electric wires. After the dogs get zapped, they won't be very interested in your chickens.

You could also pack some rat poison in some hamburger and put it in a trash can near your chicken run. If the dogs get into your trash, that is their fault.

I like dogs. But a person has to protect his or her animals.

 

[citychickx6]

Ok so NO you cannot shoot the dog or even at the dog since it may ricochet and cause property damage or injury. Not even with a pellet gun.

I would suggest your mom make a formal complaint with the supervisor at the animal control office. I do believe your case was perhaps handled improperly. The dog should not be in your yard and out of the owners control.
I would suggest you keep your hens penned up full time and add hog panels to your run. Hog panels should keep the dog out when you have chicken wire with it. OR you can try welded wire with 2x4 inch openings on top of the chicken wire.
How large is your run?
A roll of welded wire six foot tall and 100 foot long here was about 100 dollars.

I am a strong believer that big fences make good neighbors.

How is the dog getting into your yard? If you yard is not fenced then the dogs have open access.

 

[Bullitt]

Oh, if you shoot the dog, you can say that the dog ran at you to attack you and you shot it to protect yourself.

 

[citychickx6]

Oh, if you shoot the dog, you can say that the dog ran at you to attack you and you shot it to protect yourself.

I still think this is a really bad idea. YOUR charges could include ... Discharging a fire arm within city limits, underage possession of a fire arm, cruelty to animals, endangering the public and I am sure there are others they could think up.