Chicken owner charged after shooting dog.

[EweSheep]

Yes, I wondered about the leash laws for that town too but Monday night we shall see the results. Maybe Jody will fill in the details of the outcome or it would drag on even longer than it should be.

waiting for verdict to come out.

 

[speckledhen]

Just yesterday, while my DH was off somewhere, I let out my broody with her chicks and was sitting in a lawn chair watching them near the coop. I had a phone in one pocket (so I wouldn't have to run up to the house to answer it, no small feat with my healing ankle) and a camera in the other pocket, for taking pics of the little ones. As I sat there, I was thinking that it's sad that we ought to have a phone and a camera ready at all times when these things happen like with Mr. Harris. Might be a good idea to keep a disposable digital camera ready in the coop area just for cases like this, for evidence.

 

[EweSheep]

Excellent idea, SpeckledHen!

 

[Mom2Cool]

Quote:
I know just what you mean. I have actually taken the phone & camera with me at times too while waiting for a call or just because I want pictures of chicks/chickens etc. I don't think it would ever occur to me to have those things ready for some thing like what happened to Mr. Harris.

 

[invalidsession]

Quote:
I know just what you mean. I have actually taken the phone & camera with me at times too while waiting for a call or just because I want pictures of chicks/chickens etc. I don't think it would ever occur to me to have those things ready for some thing like what happened to Mr. Harris.

While it sounds like a good idea let's be honest here, if you see a whatever predator messing with your livestock are you seriously going to start snapping pictures before chasing it away or shooting it ? By the time you have whipped out your camera, switched it on and pointed it at the offender who knows how much additional carnage would have occured ?

Chris.

 

[speckledhen]

Chris, it would certainly depend on the situation. Sometimes, it's just to prove a dog was on your property, even if it wasn't in the act of killing at the time.

 

[JennsPeeps]

Let's not forget that Mr. Harris has a brittle bone disease, and it's likely that it was safest for him to not get anywhere near the dog, including into the coop to get a camera for a picture. In the heat of the moment, he grabbed a gun to protect his birds instead of a camera to document it.

 

[invalidsession]

Quote:
I could see that being a useful defence should the animal just be roaming your property. If said offender should come around at a later date and mess with your property it would be a very useful tool should the owner press charges ala the Harris case.

 

[speckledhen]

Exactly what I meant. Also, if a dog must be shot while killing birds, just a photo of the deceased dog covered in chicken blood while on the property may be a good thing to have.

 

[ivan3]

Here, in Missouri, it is perfectly legal to shoot dogs if they are attacking Ratites (emus/ostriches). Attacking chickens? Yes, sort of (state would prefer the ower of the chooks pursue in small claims court).

If a random, unknown dog shows up here it is simply retired from the target pool.

If I know who the owner is and it is trying to get the girls I retire the dog (otherwise I return dog to owner and let them know I've got poison and Sets out for coyotes and they'd best keep their dog at home), call the Sheriff and file a nuisance animal complaint. But the complaint specifies that the dog was attacking one of us NOT the chooks/turks. It is perfectly copacetic to put down a dog that is threatening a human and, if there are no other witnesses who's to say what happened?

But, in general, it is best to SSS (or feed the Turkey Vultures). Dog was probably hit by a car, right?

Know your local laws like the back of your hand and record all conversations wiith authorities/dog owner (if it comes to that).

The fellow in the story should be pursuing action against the dog owner because the dog's worrying the hens, from outside the fence, threw off his layers and stressed out his roos...