Do You Have An Opinion On Killing Predators?

[Nicole01]

Oh dear Nicole. Sounds like you don't have it easy. I'd have suggested animal control, but you say they won't do anything. Maybe they could lend you one of their long rod thingies with the noose on the end? Then you could take the dog to the pound or something or just hide it for a week until the neighbour says something. They sound like horrible people to live next to. How can they be so inconsiderate? I'm not sure what I'd do in your shoes, but I'm pretty sure it'd involve lots of plotting!

I broke my neck a few years ago and I'm disabled. I could never hold one of those sticks with the rope at the end. I have no clue what they are called either. I have dogs that protect my house. Under zero circumstances would I allow them outside unattended. The neighbors hate their dog to begin with. I'm not sure why they have it since they hated their last dog. Their last dog died because she froze to death. She was an inside dog until they decided they no longer wanted her. She died in the night since it was -20. They said someone poisoned her. Ugh. They bought this dog and it's absolutely vicious. I'm not usually scared of dogs, but this one scares me. He's underfed, so he's hungry! You can see all his ribs. I try not to talk to the neighbors. It's frustrating to no end. I have called a few times that their dog is in my yard. One time this same dog got out and chased my other neighbor to her house snapping and growling. Of course the neighbor with this dog doesn't believe it. These people have burned so many bridges with everyone around here. We live in a very rural area where there are several acres between the houses. People seem to think its okay to let their dogs run loose. I have to constantly keep my eye on the flock while they are out. We are chain link fencing our property next year for our chickens and so we can give our own dogs a little more freedom when hubby plays fetch and when we take them outside. This should keep most of the predators out and we won't have to constantly worry. Dogs and coyotes are our biggest predators right now.

 

[bobbi-j]

Nicole - it sounds like you need to make friends with someone who does know how to handle a firearm and get rid of that dog. You should not have to be afraid to go out in your own yard. If animal control won't do anything, call the sheriff's office. Call every time that dog is in your yard, harassing you or your chickens. Especially if you have kids. You don't want one of them to get bit.

 

[Nathan Sampson]

I would invest in a .22 cal rifle they are easy to use and cheap to learn how to shoot.

 

[Citychicken12]

Nicole,

I can't believe those people are allowed to own an animal. What city do you live in? Where is law enforcement when you need them? Acreage or not, dogs should not be allowed to roam free. I would never let my own dogs roam, not for the neighbors sake, but for my own and to protect my dogs. I love them and loose dogs = trouble.

 

[thaiturkey]

Neither of us have ever deliberately killed and animal, not even for food. However, we have now reached the end of our joint tether.

Over the last two years or so, we have lost around fifty turkeys and chickens to dogs. A needy dog that we were caring for temporarily last year was attacked by a neighbour's dog. He watched as his dog ripped gashes in our dog's flesh and his only reaction was that we should consider paying for a vet. to treat the wounds. We now have only a small but growing flock of semi-wild, free ranging banties and a couple of rescue kittens. None of them ever leave our land.

Let me explain about dogs here. Most are what we describe as 'soi dogs'. They have owners but are poorly fed, not cared for and roam the streets (sois) day and night. Singly, they usually mind their own business other than to chase motorbikes but they form small packs from time to time and go on killing rampages. There are no laws to protect the reasonable rights of animal owners and there is virtually no chance of getting compensation for losses.

We have a two metre wall around most of our land at home and hedges, reinforced with natural barriers, around the remainder. It all works well but neighbouring land was recently cleared ready for building and the natural barrier at one point was removed ready for a wall to be built. A few days after that, I heard a dog bark on the land and found two dogs munching on a chick and a cockerel out back. One dog belonged to a neighbour who didn't respond to our complaint and laughed at me running down the soi after another dog with a pepper spray in my hand.

That was the last straw and we decided to act. We aren't gun types but decided that a 22 was needed. My wife went to the Amphur office (local government) to apply for a licence. In true bureaucratic style, she was told that only the senior manager could approve applications and he had retired, not to be replaced until 'next year'. All we can buy is an air gun, not much better, I imagine, than my BB hand gun. So, we had to resort to the usual method which involves chicken filled with rat poison. We didn't like doing it but justified our action with the argument that killing a few predatory semi-stray dogs would, eventually, save more lives.

As far as we can tell, only two dogs have succumbed, although the soi is very quiet now. The two dogs belonged to our nearest neighbours who now make comments about dog killers so that my wife can hear them. They have no conscience about what their dogs have done to our animals over the past two years. I imagine that their will be reprisals in a few days' time.

My wife is Buddhist and very upset by the whole incident. She called a senior monk yesterday for advice and was reassured when he supported our view that we had to protect our own if neighbours refused to keep their dogs in check. She will visit a temple soon to seek a blessing - a kind of absolution, I suppose.

I'm furious about all of this and the insults from across the road confirm to me that we did no more than was reasonable in the circumstances. We have made it known in the village every time that dogs have found a way onto our land but no dog owner has done anything to help us. We have tried scaring dogs away with the BB gun and pepper spray at dawn, the usual killing time, but they aren't deterred for long. Killing is the only way to stop them. Now that the line is crossed, we shall lay more poison, get an air rifle and, when my wife can get a licence, buy a more substantial weapon. We feel that we have lowered our standards because of the attitude of local dog owners and that's a pity but my conscience is now clear.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

I live in the mid west,, policy here is S.S.S.

 

[thaiturkey]

I live in the mid west,, policy here is S.S.S.

Shoot, shower and shave?

Guns require the shooter to be on hand at the right time. I'm darned if I'm going to sit around before the crack of dawn every morning.

Also, I will have to be careful walking around the land with a 'real' firearm. Foreigners here can't have gun licences and I am limited to picking up my wife's gun in order to defend her. I can get around that because I can barely be seen on the land and probably the police won't give a darn unless I walk up and down the road like a gunslinger in an old Western movie. Poison laid at night will be the standard method until the dogs are all gone. On the other hand, given my present mood, a few pot shots from time to time from my own land will make me feel a lot better.

The dog menace has got worse during the last few years. Trucks used to cruise the sois buying and collecting dogs for shipment to Laos. You might guess why they were wanted there. The Thai government has stopped that trade around here but without introducing new measures to control the dog population or make owners take responsibility.

 

[thaiturkey]

We went to a gun shop and explained the enforced delay with the licence application. There is no alternative but to wait and, the bad news, my wife also needs a licence for an air gun. However, incredibly, she can legally buy a second hand gun before applying for a licence! Strange logic. She is now the owner of a Smith & Wesson .38 revolver - legal and clean history and a legal purchase. We can get tuition and practice at the local army base too!

 

[DaphneNL]

Well, since I'm from the Netherlands, no guns here. My biggest problem are the stone martens, that killed one of my roosters some time ago and almost killed a little roo last summer. Stone martens have been protected animals here in Holland over decades, so it suprised me to learn they will no longer be protected starting next year.
The problem with martens is that if you kill one, you get two back. Male martens will start breeding more females if they notice some of their "mates" got killed.
When it comes to good old rats and mice, I always have some special boxes with rodenticides, because we also have horses and they love to hang around in piles of manure.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Shoot, shower and shave?

Guns require the shooter to be on hand at the right time. I'm darned if I'm going to sit around before the crack of dawn every morning.

Also, I will have to be careful walking around the land with a 'real' firearm. Foreigners here can't have gun licences and I am limited to picking up my wife's gun in order to defend her. I can get around that because I can barely be seen on the land and probably the police won't give a darn unless I walk up and down the road like a gunslinger in an old Western movie. Poison laid at night will be the standard method until the dogs are all gone. On the other hand, given my present mood, a few pot shots from time to time from my own land will make me feel a lot better.

The dog menace has got worse during the last few years. Trucks used to cruise the sois buying and collecting dogs for shipment to Laos. You might guess why they were wanted there. The Thai government has stopped that trade around here but without introducing new measures to control the dog population or make owners take responsibility.

Lol right. S.S.S. is not just sitting around waiting for something to happen though. I carry a pistol in my waistband everyday all day. I have a rifle and shotgun within reach if the job requires that weapon. It wont be for everyone, depending your situation like you not being able to have a gun, Darn it!! The biggest problem with poison is if one of those animals eats its and dies and another animal carries it in and then your domestic animals finds and eats it. That is my fear of poison. I have cats and dogs and then of course the chickens and turkeys. Alot of people have had luck with poison, I have had luck with S.S.S.

Are the dogs wild? Can you possibly trap them and turn them over? They will breed like wildfire just like the cats I am having to take out. I should would go nuts if I wasnt allowed to carry a weapon to protect myself or my property.