Dog attack, three birds dead, how to legally proceed?

[Acre4Me]

I was thinking about offering to help look for holes, we've had to do it to keep our birds in our yard and if it helps protect the flock...
The dog is a Jack Russell, meaning he either dug a hole or will dig a hole to get out. However, he did give us a flyer for a place that sells birds this late in the season, and has offered to pay for 4 birds. We do free range our birds, and this is a risk we have had to deal with many times, but we can't bring ourselves to sentence these birds to a life in a cage / fenced off yard. He lives several doors down, and i'm honestly surprised that the dog ran this far from home.

The hatchery he has offered has some fairly pricey birds, and he has been very clear that he would only replace the birds his dog killed, so I think it would be best not to push my luck by making any list...

Perfect! I’d go with the place he had the flyer from. Agree, looking for holes in his fence would be helpful to him. And, lastly, penning up the chickens isn’t terrible ...they just need adequate space! They are creatures of habit, so if they live in a run, they get used to it, but if the free ranging works well - that is also great for them! Once I get the garden closed up, then the chickens are allowed out of their run in the fall and in the spring before things are planted. Otherwise, no free ranging here bc they truly are efficient in their destruction.

 

[MykaMom]

Before I call animal control, I don't know if we were suppost to do any sorta of "registration" when it comes to us keeping chickens. IF so, we haven't. Would calling animal control put the whole flock at risk?

That depends completely on your local ordnance. Check your community's website for animals and zoning.

 

[MykaMom]

I was thinking about offering to help look for holes, we've had to do it to keep our birds in our yard and if it helps protect the flock...
The dog is a Jack Russell, meaning he either dug a hole or will dig a hole to get out. However, he did give us a flyer for a place that sells birds this late in the season, and has offered to pay for 4 birds. We do free range our birds, and this is a risk we have had to deal with many times, but we can't bring ourselves to sentence these birds to a life in a cage / fenced off yard. He lives several doors down, and i'm honestly surprised that the dog ran this far from home.

The hatchery he has offered has some fairly pricey birds, and he has been very clear that he would only replace the birds his dog killed, so I think it would be best not to push my luck by making any list...

I have chickens inside city limits. My property is fenced. Without it, my girls would be all over the neighborhood. Fencing lets them have the safe freedom of a yard without being confined. It's a safer alternative to free range with a lot of benefits.

Another option would be a good-sized run, for safe exercise when no one is home to keep an eye on them.

This doesn't hurt or punish the chickens.

 

[Salacker]

https://www.hobbyfarms.com/neighbor-dog-attack-chickens

Thanks for sharing this link. Good information on how to deal with the issue. Unfortunately I foresee this problem where I live. I am just starting out, waiting on my coop and chicks. But there are several dogs in my area that roam free one of which already feasts on my cat's food daily. (seven cats) I'm leaning towards training him myself with a paintball gun. The dog actually belongs to a friend of mine and he is not going to keep his dog from roaming.

 

[MykaMom]

Thanks for sharing this link. Good information on how to deal with the issue. Unfortunately I foresee this problem where I live. I am just starting out, waiting on my coop and chicks. But there are several dogs in my area that roam free one of which already feasts on my cat's food daily. (seven cats) I'm leaning towards training him myself with a paintball gun. The dog actually belongs to a friend of mine and he is not going to keep his dog from roaming.

Don't do the paintball gun, that would be considered animal abuse.

Instead, invest in good quality fencing or a safe run for your chicks. Be aware your cats WILL predate on the chicks. They may even go after adults birds, but at least the adults fight back. I know as we have a feral cat population where I live.