First of all, I am so terribly sorry for your horrible experience with losing your beloved flock. We lost all of our remaining 3 chickens, 1 rooster, and a lone guinea fowl last night to a wild predator of some sort in the evening. I understand. It's horrible.
A few thoughts to consider - those dogs are a serious menace, VERY dangerous. They'll be back. Please be prepared, as you, yourself, are in danger from them. Anything with enough prey drive to demolish a coop is a large, powerful, predator. Please call the Sheriff Dept back again. Speak to the Sheriff, PERSONALLY, have the Deputy/ies come out to your place and show them the damage the dogs did to your coop.
Also, consider filing a small claims lawsuit for the cost of the coop. You have Deputies that witnessed bloody chicken feathers over at the young male owner's residence. A judge in small claims court might likely have a different opinion than the Deputy did, regarding this evidence. I hope you took some pictures of your destroyed coop, as well.
Be sure you have a larger caliber firearm for the next time the dogs come back. Not a .22, not buckshot. These are DANGEROUS, VICIOUS, LARGE, POWERFUL, PREDATORS. They could easily kill you.
Several years ago were 2 young women out jogging over in Carroll County, IN, who were attacked by a pack of 4 pitbull type dogs. The did not stop until a passerby drove her Jeep out into the field, and the women were able to get inside the vehicle, despite the owner having run to the scene to stop the dogs' attack. The dogs did not stop, and bit the owner, too. One of the women had to be life flighted by helicopter to Indy. The other woman was covered in bites, as well.
Having experienced a similar situation with a large unfriendly neighbor dog killing a 30 lb farm animal in our barn while living in Indiana, and neighbors allowing it to continue to roam in our pasture and barn, I can personally recommend a .308
At the time my son weighed less than this animal that was killed by the dog.
We are serious dog lovers and rescuers, as well. But this dog was nasty and vicious, with a taste for blood.
We called the Sheriff regarding the animal the dog had killed. The neighbor came by at the time of the Deputy's arrival, early evening, and admitted said dog had come home covered in blood, spoke of taking it to the vet.... etc. That never happened. The next morning it was running free.
So, that afternoon we target practiced. The next day the dog was loose, laying in our pasture in the afternoon. Shortly thereafter it was back in the barn, this time after the calves. Neighbors were then instructed to retrieve their dog from our barn.
Their teen son contacted the Sheriff's Dept., inquiring as to if something could be done about their now deceased dog. He was informed that, "Yes, there definitely IS something the sheriff's dept. can do about this situation. We can issue a citation against you for allowing it to run at large."
In hindsight there are a couple of additional steps I would take:
1- Contact the Sheriff Dept myself, regarding the citation, insist it be written on day one.
2- File a legal claim against the neighbor for max. damages, the value of the livestock, expenses involved in raising it, including the cost of one .308 shell.
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IC 15-20-2-1Liability of owner or harborer
Sec. 1. If a dog kills or injures any livestock while the livestock is in the care, custody, and control of the livestock's owner or the owner's agent, the owner or harborer of the dog is liable to the owner of the livestock for all damages sustained, including reasonable attorney's fees and court costs.
[Pre-2008 Recodification Citation: 15-5-7-1.]
As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11.
IC 15-20-2-2Authority to kill dog injuring livestock
Sec. 2. A person who observes a dog in the act of killing or injuring livestock may kill the dog if the person has the consent of the person in possession of the real estate on which the dog is found.
[Pre-2008 Recodification Citation: 15-5-7-2.]
As added by P.L.2-2008, SEC.11.
