Chicken owner charged after shooting dog.

[cmjust0]

Quote:
We have a lab mix that's a real licker.. She cannot help but try to lick you every chance she gets...it's like OCD or something. She's one of the sweetest dogs I've ever known, and I mean that truely.

She's also pretty B/A when she and one of our Border Collies decide they need to resume working out their pack status.. They're fairly equal, so it's been going on for about...oh, I dunno...three years or so? They just flat out don't like one another, and when they fight, it's absolutely brutal. Punctures, rips, bloody gashes.. It's pure survival drive. They both lose all awareness of external stimuli, and if you stick your hand between them, you WILL get bit.

What most dog owners don't realize is that they go just as berzerk and act just as mindlessly when prey drive takes over. Too bad Mr. Harris didn't have video of cute, cuddly Kellie and the other dog -- remember, there was another dog involved! -- going berzerk trying to gain access to his coop and run..

 

[WalkingWolf]

Jody, if it would not be to much trouble could you forward a copy of your email to the AG, also to the local newspaper with an invite for them to read this thread. Maybe just maybe they will not be as biased as the TV reporter.

I think it would be wise also for a BYC member close to that area to invite a competing station to do a story on their chickens, and the problems we have with domestic predators and dog owners failure to take responsibility.

Any close BYCers reading this please help Mr. Harris and the rest of us.

 

[horsejody]

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I did e-mail the station with all the info. The reporter e-mailed me back. I don't think they care. They don't think they were biased. Yes, it would be nice if some local BYC'ers would rattle some newroom cages.

 

[cjeanean]

The only problem that I could see with those laws that were looked up is that it says that "any aminal that "kills, wounds, or injures any livestock not belonging to the master of such dog" may be killed....and we don't know if the dog actually hurt Harris' chickens....I'm not in defense of the dog owner or chicken owner, just trying to stay unbiased....

Just figured that the specific wording of the law will be brought up and argued.

 

[Marie66]

Quote:
The lawyers will have fun with that.
It will hinge on 'injures'
Since the dog can injure (and kill) the birds simply by circling the pen, Mr. Harris was clearly within his rights as stated in the law.
However, to prove injury may be difficult. (death, would be a lot easier to prove obviously)
But, Mr. Harris is the accused, so I would say that a reasonable person can find reasonable doubt and let him off.
Unfortunately, the courts aren't always reasonable.
Besides, there is the issue of perceived injury/death. (if Mr. Harris felt that his chickens were in danger, if he perceived a reasonable threat, then he would be allowed to protect them.
Just like when one defends oneself against an attacker: if an unknown man is coming at me with a knife, I don't need to wait until he knifes me for me to shoot in self defense.

 

[horsejody]

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We don't know that the birds weren't wounded. If they were in a panic flying around and crashing into the sides of the run, it would be reasonable for the owner to assume they were wounded or being wounded. It's all how you look at it. That's the state law. The city ordinance isn't so specific. The city ordinance specifically states that a firearm can be discharged within the city limits to protect property. One would assume that discharging a firearm would injure or kill the animal or person it was discharged at. If the guy has a decent lawyer and the judge isn't a moron he should get off.

 

[Brindlebtch]

horsejody wrote:

They always say stupid things like, "The only way he could hurt you is if he licked you to death." I don't know why they say that, but they always do.

We were at our National Specialty in Tampa and walking with our 3 leashed dogs along trails in a large park in the city limits when around a curve in the trail ahead of us a golden retriever came charging. We quickly gathered our dogs close to us in order to protect them and the golden (and to get a good kick in, if needed) and the dog proceeded to bark, snarl, growl and circle us. After maybe a minute, but it seemed much longer, a lady appeared and I requested in a loud voice that she please control her dog. She said "oh don't worry he won't hurt your dogs!" and I had to respond "you've got to be kidding me! Call your dog please!" Finally the woman's hubby shows up with another golden and runs up to restrain the dog and march it back to the wife.

The woman NEVER EVEN TRIED TO CONTROL HER DOG while we were obviously being harrassed and ASKING her to control her dog. She was oblivious to the fact that her dog was being aggressive and kept saying he wouldn't hurt us. Almost worse, she was oblivious to the possible danger her dog was in. If you don't personally know another's dog you don't know what it might do!

It just boggles the mind.

 

[onthespot]

I used to work at a stable and the head trainer there had a MEAN queensland heeler she kept off leash that routinely bit people. One day she just came barrelling down the aisleway of the barn, with her eyes glued on my shins and I whaled off and drop kicked her so hard under the chin when she got to me that she flipped over backwards and landed on her back. The trainer was aghast and chewed me out in a whiney voice... "You didn't have to kick her like that! Why did you kick her so hard?" I told her if she had to ask, she wasn't worth answering and if it happens again, next time her dog will land in the next county. She kept her tied after that.

 

[flakey chick]

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Or maybe I don't want to be licked at all. Excuse me but I just noticed the poo your dog was eating and I'd really rather not have that all over me. Also they shouldn't be licking anyone wearing DEET based products.

 

[Brindlebtch]