Dog problems and animal control is not helping.

[hydeist420]

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!

i've tried catching the dogs but all of them are distrusting of humans.most of the dogs are strays as well.
well as for the coop i hired someone to fix it just need to find the hog wire,my coop is pretty secure because opossums and coons cant enter it but dogs with strong jaws and a few hours can do it easily

 

[hydeist420]

No, you are allowed to protect yourself from physical harm, whether it is a person or animal trying to do you harm. This is just as true within the city limits.

By the way, who is underage?

i'm not underage that's for sure turning 22 in April,can you provide my with proof that i'm allowed to protect myself with a weapon such as a pellet gun against a dog because i'm pretty sure in Texas we are allowed to shoot pretty much anything that enters our yard threatening your life.Thats why i found it strange as to why animal control told me i could not?

 

[Eggsoteric]

Running a strand of electric sounds like your best bet. Believe me, one good zap and they'll get the message.

I've also heard of some folks using paint guns.

 

[Bullitt]

i'm not underage that's for sure turning 22 in April,can you provide my with proof that i'm allowed to protect myself with a weapon such as a pellet gun against a dog because i'm pretty sure in Texas we are allowed to shoot pretty much anything that enters our yard threatening your life.Thats why i found it strange as to why animal control told me i could not?

I don't think the pellet gun idea is very good. As I mentioned before, if you are going to shoot, shoot to kill. A pellet gun will almost always just hurt the dog. Then the neighbors might sue you, and they may want to charge you will animal cruelty.

I knew someone who shot a dog in the butt with a pellet gun when he caught the dog in his trash can. The next thing he knows a cop came to the door with a pellet in his hand and asked if it was his pellet. The guy just said no it wasn't his pellet. Is this your pellet?

Again, the easiest thing to do is put up an electric fence. I am sure you can get them at the home improvement stores, Tractor Supply, and other places.

 

[Eggsoteric]

Um, sorry, that would be a paint "ball" gun.

 

[dainerra]

ask AC if you can borrow a live trap for the dogs. Or you can usually find them pretty cheaply at feed or farm supply stores. Then just call AC to come and pick up the trapped animal.

 

[dainerra]

Running a strand of electric sounds like your best bet. Believe me, one good zap and they'll get the message.

I've also heard of some folks using paint guns.

paint ball will get you an animal cruelty charge as well if the owner of the dog complains. Those things can really leave some giant bruises

 

[Prairie Orca]

First things first... have you talked with the owner(s) of these dogs (that are not strays)? If you have and they have done nothing to fix the problem, then here are my suggestions:

If you have the time and patience and resources, you can stake out the coop (watch from a safe place with a clear view) and wait with a camera for the dogs. When they come, get pictures and video. Send copies of the evidence to animal control and ask them why they are allowing this animal abuse to continue. (Because your animals are the ones being abused here!) As you say your camera takes blurry pictures of the dogs, perhaps you could buy a new one (I can make some suggestions if you are interested). Or you could borrow one from a neighbour/friend/etc.

In addition to picture/video evidence take a watergun and fill it with three parts water and one part red food colouring and shoot the dogs once each (I don't recommend the face because that can make aggressive dogs become more dangerous). From what I've read it stays in the fur from a week to three months and is apparently impossible to wash out - it has to fade or shed out on its own. It's harmless for the dogs. Give copies of the picture/video evidence to the owner(s) of the dogs and inform them that every dog that is marked red have killed your animals and are dangerous to the public and need to be kept under control else they injure a person and charges are laid against said owner(s). If they accuse you of threatening them, say no, you are saying it as how things are ("That's the way it is, and it's a matter of when.").

That's all I can think of that is the safest route for you both legally and physically. (Unless Texas/US laws are more different than I think...)

As for the strays, I'm not sure of the safest course of action. Maybe you could buy/rent a cage trap large enough for the dogs. Basically you set food in there, a dog goes in, and the way they come in closes and they are trapped. Then call animal control and ask them to pick it up.

Also, it may be a good idea to replace or reinforce the chicken wire with something like hardware cloth (1/2" by 1/2"). That will make it much harder for dogs and other predators to get through. Or if you're willing to spend more, get electric fencing.

I'm sorry for the loss of your cat and chickens. I hope you can resolve this quickly.

 

[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.

 

[hydeist420]

Quote:

First things first... have you talked with the owner(s) of these dogs (that are not strays)? If you have and they have done nothing to fix the problem, then here are my suggestions:

If you have the time and patience and resources, you can stake out the coop (watch from a safe place with a clear view) and wait with a camera for the dogs. When they come, get pictures and video. Send copies of the evidence to animal control and ask them why they are allowing this animal abuse to continue. (Because your animals are the ones being abused here!) As you say your camera takes blurry pictures of the dogs, perhaps you could buy a new one (I can make some suggestions if you are interested). Or you could borrow one from a neighbour/friend/etc.

In addition to picture/video evidence take a watergun and fill it with three parts water and one part red food colouring and shoot the dogs once each (I don't recommend the face because that can make aggressive dogs become more dangerous). From what I've read it stays in the fur from a week to three months and is apparently impossible to wash out - it has to fade or shed out on its own. It's harmless for the dogs. Give copies of the picture/video evidence to the owner(s) of the dogs and inform them that every dog that is marked red have killed your animals and are dangerous to the public and need to be kept under control else they injure a person and charges are laid against said owner(s). If they accuse you of threatening them, say no, you are saying it as how things are ("That's the way it is, and it's a matter of when.").

That's all I can think of that is the safest route for you both legally and physically. (Unless Texas/US laws are more different than I think...)

As for the strays, I'm not sure of the safest course of action. Maybe you could buy/rent a cage trap large enough for the dogs. Basically you set food in there, a dog goes in, and the way they come in closes and they are trapped. Then call animal control and ask them to pick it up.

Also, it may be a good idea to replace or reinforce the chicken wire with something like hardware cloth (1/2" by 1/2"). That will make it much harder for dogs and other predators to get through. Or if you're willing to spend more, get electric fencing.

I'm sorry for the loss of your cat and chickens. I hope you can resolve this quickly.

Yes i have talked with the owners they say its not my dog who did it,it's never their dog.Anyways the food coloring,which color should i get that would work with a majority of fur colors because sometimes black dogs come and sometimes white ones or maybe i should buy two colors.I wish i knew about the texas livestock laws