At wits end. Neighbors dogs

[Judy]

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First, research the laws where you are.

A .22 is pretty quiet; most people don't realize it is a gun unless they are quite close.

 

[nzpouter]

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Not sure if this actually allowed in your area, but where we are, any decent farm will have what we call offal pit, this is where most organic leftovers usually end up in (carcass, hides, bones, etc)....

but the most important thing here is to warn your neighbours about the fate of their animals caught harrasing yours, we have a good understanding with all our neighbours, their animals are allowed to wander here at their own risk, if they're just passing through, go ahead, stick a paw in the wrong place, they'll end up in the hole.

 

[rufus]

Fences are the answer. Unfortunately, the city I live in only allows a four foot fence around the front yard. That is not stopping any dog that is a real danger.

Rufus

 

[danielbrown]

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No pre-dug holes(very hard red clay here), just drag them deep in the woods and let the scavagers have at it.
Most people won't figure that the gun shot they heard got there dog.
You can make it sound like target practice by shooting about 20 more shots like you really was target practicing.
Bows are really really quiet and deadly, use same setup as for deer hunting.
I like to go for the head shot with the .22, and a lung/heart shot with the .308. no tel-tel dog yelps just dead in his tracks.

"I don't think I'd have the heart to do it myself, but I am starting to get pretty fed up."
This one that you are going have deal with your self. One thing to think about is how much worry and stress the strays are causing you.
Some one else's dog in your yard after your chickens is just a predator and nothing more.

 

[Judy]

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Also, the amount of stress the strays are causing for your chickens.

Yes, stray dogs are not just predators, they are some of the worst predators. They don't just take one for a meal, they take a flock for the sport. Read on here a bit.

 

[darkorchid]

Most of NH has the most ineffective means of animal control, few towns have the funding for an animal officer. Animal issues are usually handled by the Police Dept and they have much more pressing things to tend.
Give the owners fair and ample warning, next time the dog will be shot.
NH law gives livestock owners the rights to dispatch a problem preditor be it dog, cat, coyote,etc
Some one post on here a while ago as to warning the owners then playing a tape of shots being fired and a screaming animal. If the dog lives close enough where the owners can hear it This would be a first step, if that fails. eliminate the dog.

 

[LizzyJo]

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What a great idea. I would take it to work. You know all those meetings some work places have that you have to attend instead of getting your work done? You could fix up the meeting room! Also it would be the solution for having people go into the break room and heat up their stinky stuff in the microwave for everyone else to smell. Let's not get started with annoying neighbors.

 

[twentynine]

Nieghbor's dogs. The exact situations have happened to me more times over the years than I care to remember.

First off, I have lived in my current location for 30+ years, the property has been in my family for 80+ years. When I first moved onto my property it was rural, very rural, I had one nieghbor, and he wasn't even within eye sight. The road was a small gravel country lane, with the trees alongside shading the road. It was a favorite drop off point for every unwanted animal in the parish. Dogs, cats, puppies, kittens, sometimes momma and babies. At that time we had absolutely no animal control, none, not anyone. It was strictly old west, take care of justice yourself. The number of animals I had to put down still haunt me today.

For my livestock protection it was electric fence around everything, and a trusty Marlin 30/30. A 20 ga with rifled slugs does a good job too. 22 cal not much good for anything beyond coon and cat size.

Fast forward 10 years, 1985 or so, the area is beginning to develop. A few nieghbors within ear shot. The family across the road has divided their 40 acre tract into 1 acre lots. Now instead of drop offs, I got labs, german shepherds, terriers, of every description comming from all directions. Get up in the morning to find 10 or 12 dogs in the yard, no kidding 10 or 12. And, to put the icing on the cake, still no parish/municipal animal control.

At this time one particular dog, that I believe had a good share of the pitbull breed in him, penetrated the electric fence surrounding my chickens. Killed a wheelbarrow full in one night. I knew who the dog belonged to, so I called the sheriff's office, they sent a deputy. We, the deputy and I went to the home, explained what had happened. We were told the dog had never left his yard and no way he could have killed the chickens. We left, however I left them with one warning. That if by chance the dog got out of the yard and into my chickens, I would put him down.

That very night, I hear the commotion in the coop, sure enough it's the dog. I promptly lay him out with a 20 ga rifled slug. The noise of the gun going off was considerable, so the next sound I hear is the across the road nieghbor calling "here spot--here spot--here spot". Well I am going to tell you spot never responded. I called the sheriff, they responded by sending a deputy to my home, guess what it is the same deputy that was at my home earlier. He goes over to the nieghbors tells'em spot has gone to meet his maker. I swear you could hear the catawalling from where I was at.

The next morning I get a visit from the sheriff, seems as if my nieghbors have filed charges against me for "cruelty to an animal". It is illegal to kill an animal yourself. Just exactly what I was suppose to do I don't know, and to this day I am still not sure. I guess just keep buying chickens to supply the dog with sport. I was required to follow the deputy to his office, post a property bond and then I was ROR.

When I got in touch with a lawyer, he advised me to file charges against my nieghbors for the property damages. This I promptly did. The same deputy then makes a trip to the nieghbor's place. The amount of screaming, catawallin, comming from that house was terrible. I imagine that they did not cooperate like I had, the dog's owner was hauled off in hand cuffs.

I wish I could tell you the story had a happy ending, but this is not the case. Both sets of charges were heard at the same time in front of the same judge. The upshot was he paid for his and I paid for mine.

Sorry about the length. In th OP's case the dog's owner has already refused to take responsibility. He is not likely to start now. Some times peaceful people are backed into a corner that leaves them with no alternative than to take actions they would not normally have taken.

 

[highcountrychickens]

Send this to your neighbor as a certified letter as forewarning... (These are your NH laws) If you do bring him to court, also include all legal fees in the damages... Incidentally, there was a case in NH of a negligent dog owner who refused to pay a chicken owner for chickens killed by the dogs... $70/bird (the chicken owner did the math for cost to raise, loss from egg income and use, etc). When the dog owner refused to pay, he/she was taken to court, found negligent and responsible, and had to pay $800.00 PER chicken the dog had killed... which is the maximum amount allowed by law.

Here are just a few of your laws: (peruse this website for more, including serious ones about vicious dogs http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusnhst466_1_437A_9.htm#damage

466:28 Killing Dogs Legalized.

Any person may kill a dog that suddenly assaults the person while such person is peaceably walking or riding without the enclosure of its owner or keeper; and any person may kill a dog that is found out of the enclosure or immediate care of its owner or keeper worrying, wounding, or killing sheep, lambs, fowl, or other domestic animals.

466:19 Liability of Owner or Keeper.

Any person to whom or to whose property, including sheep, lambs, fowl, or other domestic creatures, damage may be occasioned by a dog not owned or kept by such person shall be entitled to recover damages from the person who owns, keeps, or possesses the dog, unless the damage was occasioned to a person who was engaged in the commission of a trespass or other tort. A parent or guardian shall be liable under this section if the owner or keeper of the dog is a minor.

ps... Twentynine, I'm sorry you didn't have a better lawyer... what a rotten thing you went through -

 

[Camelot Farms]

Shhhh....dont tell my neighbor but we re-homed his dog for him to a very nice farm a couple of counties over....they had no chickens!

This was after he picked off my flock of SLW and GLW one at a time.

Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do!