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Drug house or not, if I shot your dog, I'm going to tell you it's dead. It's the least I can do.
There is ALWAYS the risk of retaliation to your property, livestock and family when you shoot someone's pet. It's one of the risks you accept pulling a trigger- ending a life has consequences, and you have to be prepared to handle them.
I grew up a dirty punk rocker, and I still pretty much fit the bill (tattoos, neon hair, funny wardrobe, weird music taste), so I'm sure a lot of the more conservative element has pinned me as a drug user, even though I'm not. All my weird looking friends come over, and my husband works really odd hours, so maybe they think this is a "drug house". Would I still expect someone to come tell me if they shot my dog? YES. I've known a lot of drug addicts, and a lot of hot-headed people in general. Showing up at anyone's door being like "I shot your stupid mean dog! It was being a monster!" is always going to fan the flames, drugs or not, even if it WAS being a monster. A genuine "I am so sorry, I had no other choice since it was trying to kill my pets and wouldn't stop when I tried yelling and throwing things, please let me help dig a grave" is going to smooth over a lot of tension, and if you're shoveling, who cares where?
In part because I look so strange, I'm pretty well known around town. I'm happy to say my reputation (with most, but like I said, some judge too quickly) is as the woman who has a giant soft spot for outcast animals, and always has a car full of dogs, and it just so happens she dresses funny. If there's a dog loose in the streets, I'll spend an hour trying to lure it into my car and bring it home. So if I showed up on your door saying I had to shoot your dog, you know I really had to do it, and that it is equally upsetting for me. I'm not saying anywhere I won't shoot one, only that it will be a very last resort.
In the case of the aggressive dog, I again speak from experience- I am not going to shoot first. I'll try a paintball round, a rock, any non-lethal projectile, and a whole lot of sound. If I can keep it away from my livestock, I can deal with a mad dog at my front door until animal control can come with her noose-pole and take him. If none of those work, I will shoot it if I must.
I think a big part of this is regional though- any and all loose dogs here are someone's pet. Dogs aren't really used to hunt or guard much here, and we spay and neuter responsibly, so there's not a big feral population anywhere. Heck, most puppies are $400+ for a mixed breed. Our shelters virtually always have room, too, so any real stray that gets picked up stays in lock-up until it's adopted. I understand other parts of the country aren't as on the ball, and I can see how they'd be a particularly dangerous nuisance compared to say a possum, so I don't blindly judge those people, but in my area, it is unacceptable to shovel and shut up if you have to shoot.
