Be responsible for your dogs !!!(graphic pics)

[Aisle12Farms]

I am so sorry for the loss you, and your family, have experienced.

I have a neighbor with 100+ "puppy" that would come to my property 3-4 times a day. The pasture where my sheep and chickens are kept is fenced, but the dog would jump on the fence and try and force his way in. Sometimes I would be moving my sheep up to another fenced pasture, and I would panic because I could see the dog comming down the driveway. I've had to get assistance from my family members to head the dog off until I could complete moving the sheep. It was so frustrating! I tried to speak to my neighbor but they refused to hear my concerns. They said the dog was young and was just playing. I told him that the dog needed to be kept off my property and away from my animals. They told me the dog was not meaning to harm anything...it was just playing. I contacted the dog warden to resolve the situation. I inquired as to the guidelines and means to which I could use to protect my livestock. I stated that I didn't want to shoot the dog, but that I would. The warden spoke to the neighbors. I feel better now that I am informed as to the legal boundries I need to adhere to. Apparently knowing what I am prepared to do inspired the neighbor to keep the dog on a leash.

Stay strong and I'll pray for the one's that are still in your sick-bay. Good luck to you all.

 

[nnbreeder]

Rufus brought up a very good point too. If you have never shot a gun and are unsure about it please take safety courses and get some shooting range time in. Once the shot leaves the end of the barrel that is it and you have to know where it is going.

 

[miss_jayne]

there have been many posts suggesting paint ball guns so you can give them a good sting and mark the perp. i don't have one and never used one, so i am not sure, but maybe someone who does could recommend?

i will be saying prayers too. for healing, protection and for the owners of the dog, that they would be soft hearted to your situation. God Bless.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

I would take pics and send them with a bill! I'm so sorry! Hope you don't give up on chickens! I can see how you would want to tho!

 

[dogzrule5]

This is so sad and such a shame.

I agree with you that all pet owners - not just dog owners - need to be more responsible. I live in the country where it's legal to let your dogs roam free. What people tend to forget is that by allowing their dog(s) to roam free, the dogs themselves are being exposed to danger. I live in redneck country (no offense meant) and there are plenty of people very close by that will shoot a dog or any other animal on site just for the fun of it!

This doesn't even bring into the topic of exposing the dogs to encounters with wildlife/rabies, cars or anything else.

I wish for so many reasons people would be more responsible with their dogs and other pets too!

Again, I'm so sorry for your poor little chickens. They are such defenseless animals really. :aww

 

[stacym]

I'm very sorry for your loss. What always makes it bad is that they have to kill everything in sight and they don't even eat them!!
I know how sick at heart you must be. But don't give up!

 

[chicamama]

Awful!

I came home last weekend to a dead hen (neighbor's *visiting* freind's dog). It was such a bummer. Funny how I worried about a coyote or hawk during the day when they FR and here it is, some bozo's dog. I'm not even so much mad at the dog as the owner for letting him loose in a strange area?

Anyway, beside monetary damages, I hope your neighbors *get it* that dogs do this stuff out of sport.

 

[dixygirl]

This is exactly why i don't turn my chickens loose on the land. There will always be a stray dog, a stray cat, a stray eagle, hawk, racoon, opossum or something. There will NEVER be a time when there is NO stray wildlife or stray pets roaming free. So therefore, chickens should not.

I have a neighbor who always turns her cats out and they often come into my yard. There often show up stray dogs and cats in any area. I have even taken in one or two of them. I have also seen racoons, beavers and foxes in my yard in broad daylight during the hours that people FR.

So anyone who Free Ranges should ABSOLUTELY expect this to happen to their flock. It may not happen the first month or 2 but it WILL always happen eventually. If not by a ground attack, there are always free roaming predators in the air. We can not control either of them. We can secure our birds.


In my mind the easiest route is to enclose a large circle or square with T posts and welded wire fencing and throw a huge 150 foot net over it all. These days you can get a 150 foot net on Ebay sometimes for $20 but always less than $50. A 100 foot roll of fence is about $70. Maybe get 2 or 3 of them depending on how much space you have. You could get away with only 4 or 8 T posts in a pinch. So you could enclose a 25 foot wide square for $100. Or a 75 foot wide square could be enclosed for about $250. That would include secure 5 foot tall welded wire fencing and a net on top. Look at how much you have to spend to replace your flock and pay for feed for many months until they are laying age, over and over again.... It is cheaper to enclose them.

You can enclose a big field or huge horse paddock size field that way and FR would have nothing on that type of enclosure. Except lack of safety.

 

[arlee453]

Dogs are the #1 predators of chickens, judging from all the 'my, my neighbors, a stray...dog killed my chicken" posts on here.

While it is the neighbor's responsibility to keep their dog up, if you let your chickens free range, eventually somebody's dog is going to wander on your property and chase and kill them.

Definately take pictures of every single dead chicken.

Tally up your losses and come up with a $ amount. Hopefully your neighbor will at least willingly and humbly ask how much they owe you for the birds. Being a dog owner myself, sometimes you do EVERYTHING you can to keep your dog up and a mistake or accident still can happen. Works the same way for chickens too...

If you can't come to a good understanding, then file a police report, contact animal control, etc and worst case, take them to small claims court for your damages.

Be sure to document EVEYTHING - time and date every conversation, with the kids, the adults, etc.

Sounds like this guy has a habit of letting his dogs roam free. Maybe a hit in the wallet will persuade him it's cheaper to keep the dog up than to pay for the damage it does...

Sorry about your birds...

 

[spook]

Dog owners tend to be lax on taking responsibility, from curbing their dogs to keeping them in a pen or leash.
"Oh, but my dog would never..." Bull crap.
You need to take these photos to a police officer and the AC and have something done about this. Leash law or actual replacement of equal or better birds. NO NEED OF THIS. None.
Give us the name of the Town and we can write letters to the Town Manager regarding this matter.
I had a friend that lost her sheep, pregnant ewes to a young husky dog. Now the dog did not intend on killing and I can get my PM box loaded, but these dogs are bored and play our livestock to death. Your dog might not, but give it a chance some place else and it would.
Sad sad day for you. God bless and your in my thoughts and prayers. I hope you can take a chance and bring more girls into your life.