Dog destroyed our coop.

[ChickenCanoe]

I would approach the neighbors, and ask them to make financial restitution. Not doing so IMO is enabling them to continue their irresponsible management of their dog. If they did not make things right, then I would be filing a police report and calling the ACO. This dog is a killer, there needs to be a paper trail. No amount of money can make up for the terror of the animal being murdered. But, at the very least, they should offer compensation for building repairs and purchase price of birds at POL.

All good points. My chickens have been attacked multiple times by neighbors' malamutes, huskies and beagle. 3 different neighbors. Multiple birds killed on two occasions by one neighbor's dogs plus other incursions by the same dogs. I approached her and she paid the first time. The second time she was reluctant but I insisted and she made payments over time. Those dogs haven't been back.

A pair of huskies from another neighbor attacked but some friends and I were able to get the dogs on leashes before they killed anything. We called animal control and they were able to locate the owner. The animal control lady said the owner was on the way to get the dogs. I said, "no they aren't. You are coming for them. These dogs aren't getting a 'get out of jail free card'." I knew that without the owner having to pay to reclaim their dogs and there being a paper trail, those dogs would be back.
I like to have a paper trail before the dogs meet my shotgun.

The beagle was a stray but apparently had been unofficially adopted by workers at a retirement home by me. It hadn't killed but we got the dog out of the coop after it had pulled feathers from all the birds and terrorized the whole flock. The birds wouldn't come out of the coop for 3 days and I didn't get an egg from that flock for 2 months.
The retirement home workers came to get the dog but I insisted it go to animal control. They got aggressive with me and I gave them the option of going to animal control or I'd kill the dog on the spot.

In Missouri, and I imagine in many states, you can kill any dog "worrying livestock". In fact you can track the dog across the state and kill it wherever you find it except in a pen on the owner's property.
Dog owners are required to pay restitution for damages. If the owner can't be found, you have 48 hours to apply to the county for reimbursement of your losses which are paid from a fund maintained by the county from dog license fees. To apply for the reimbursement, you have to have a corroborating adult witness who is not a relative.

Animal control should always get involved so there is a paper trail.
Most workers at animal control were shocked when I suggested I would kill the dogs for attacking my chickens because they weren't aware of the law. I had to go all the way to the highest supervisor before I found someone legally knowledgeable. He then enlightened all the employees about standing law about dogs and livestock.

I agree, but I think that approaching them is worth trying, once. The OP may already have an opinion about them, and be able to judge how useful it will be to try the 'neighborly' approach, or not.
Mary

X2 Make contact a give them the opportunity to offer reimbursement. If the offer isn't immediately forthcoming, explain what the dog attack has cost you in monetary terms. If it gets nasty, call police.
Some dog owners/neighbors are in a habit of behaving badly.

 

[Brahma Chicken5000]

@ChickenCanoe you are so right that you have the right to defend your livestock from harm. I have had parents allow their children to throw rocks at my chickens for fun. Some people while walking their dog would let it go right up to the fence and scare the hens and my rooster would start trying to attack said dog.

 

[PirateGirl]

Update? Did any of your flock turn up in the morning?

Also, for what it's worth, and animal control officer once knocked on my door. I was thrilled (if I remember right, it was us that had called them about a neighbor dog and they were finally responding), we finally got to officially voice and file complaints about a troublesome dog that had ongoing issues with barking constantly. I didn't want to be that neighbor, I have dogs myself, but enough was enough. The officer lectured us! Now we were the ones in trouble! What happened!?! How did this get turned around? We were told in the future if we had any issues with neighbors (not just animal issues), to NOT confront the neighbors and call the police to deal with it first hand. Confronting neighbors can be inviting an escalating argument, can lead to an ugly and perhaps physical confrontation, becomes a he said/she said story, etc. etc. Anyways, and I clarified with them, if my neighbors music is too loud, or dog is barking, or anything else that the police would prefer to drive out on regular noise complaints vs. me just knocking on a neighbors door and asking them to be quiet, and they said yes, it's their job, let them handle it.

Don't be afraid to involve animal control, just don't expect a certain solution from them. Animal control will advise you what to do and what to expect going forward. Don't feel like you need to confront your neighbor, it's not always the best course of action.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

 

[speckledhen]

I have a more "Vanilla Ice" kinda mission statement. I live & let live outside the boundaries of my property line.

While I can appreciate the perspective previously given that you should find out who owns the dog that wreaked havoc on your property and your coop, I am wondering what the next step would be?

What are you going to do when you find out? Ask them nicely to not let their stupid dog roam? Tell them what happened because of their stupid dog and THEIR carelessness & complete irresponsibility? Wait for them to apologize, offer compensation & a neighborly hand at helping you rebuild your coop & flock?? Demand some of the above, all of the above, none of the above??

I submit that if the animal's owner gave a flying farthing about the damage or trouble that their dog or cat could get into/be responsible for, then you wouldn't be in this unfair situation, looking for your missing flock & hoping that they're ok. You did nothing wrong & the chickens most certainly didn't either.

Inside the boundaries of my property, well "if you make it my problem, yo, I'll solve it."

We must be long lost sisters (and BRs are my favorite, too)

 

[song of joy]

@Emberfalls - Were you able to find any of your hens alive? Did any come home yet?

 

[lazy gardener]

Good post PG. I have had mixed dealings with my ACO. I have called him repeatedly. We're on a first name basis now. Varying issues: neighborhood dogs showing aggression to husband and myself when they came into yard to attack my penned chickens, coons out and about in the middle of the day chasing cars and people. I have had to be forceful with ACO to force him to do his job, in this case it was to pick up the above mentioned dogs when they returned a second time and CAME WANDERING INTO MY HOUSE! I held onto the big wet mutts until ACO finally came and picked them up. Always, always, always keep a paper trail, and involve local authorities. My ACO did not like to hear me say that I would employ my shot gun if necessary to protect my animals.

 

[BarredRockMom]

We must be long lost sisters (and BRs are my favorite, too)

Lol, sisters indeed! Lock & load, SpeckledHen, lock & load. Everyone can do whatever they feel is right. I most certainly do. Never first, but never a 2nd chance.

 

[speckledhen]

Lol, sisters indeed! Lock & load, SpeckledHen, lock & load. Everyone can do whatever they feel is right. I most certainly do. Never first, but never a 2nd chance.

Ack, you're killing me here! You are using my catch phrase! I knew it! SISTERS! LOL!
If you only knew how many times I've said "lock and load" about situations in the world today, not only chicken predators... Hiya, Sis!

 

[Howard E]

Have been monitoring this thread with interest. Had a couple observations over the weekend that might be relevant.

First one is we are dog sitting a Jack Russell terrier for a few weeks. Dog is very well behaved around us, but I've already seen enough to know he could become a serious problem for the wrong person. Not knowing what to expect, we tried walking him around the yard with the birds in full view. Initially, he paid them no mind, but then got close enough to make a lunge for them. His strong prey drive took over (they were bred as hunting dogs). I have no doubt that had he not been on a leash, he would have killed a bunch of birds. Then later, I put him on a leash (with birds in full lockup) and let him run around in the yard dragging the leash. After marking every tree and bush, he ended up around the chicken house. One trip around that (with birds safely inside) and he moved on. He then immediately found a shallow dip in the same section of chain link fence used by cats, coons, skunks and possums, squeezed under it and was free to run loose. Two small house dogs have never tried that in over 2 years, but he found and used it with a few minutes. That was with me in hot pursuit. I'm told he could have climbed or jumped the fence just as easy. Later on, I took him for another walk and all he was interested in was the dog barking about 1/4 mile away. I have no doubt that if he had not been on a leash, he would have been gone.....and up to who knows what type of mischief and carnage at all the neighbors houses. To anyone with chickens, that dog would be a serious threat to them if not controlled. A lot of folks would just let him run. Not me......but a lot of other folks would. Most likely they would also be the same ones who would get pissed when you shot him......lovable mug that he is.

Second incident.......dropped by my daughters place yesterday to retrieve some tools, and on the way out, encountered two strange dogs in their driveway. Both medium sized black lab mixes......wearing collars and tags, but otherwise, running lose. No clue who they belonged to. That was about 100 feet from the hoop coop where my daughter's remaining birds are housed. If not for the fact that it was reinforced with welded wire and essentially bomb proof, I would not have been surprised if those two strays would have been most interested in killing every thing in sight. As it was, they could do nothing but sniff around and harass.....but not kill anything.

So the point to all this is the threat from dogs (and other predators) is real and is constant. If you open the "worst predator" link to check out the survey, you find the two worst as indicated by BYC posters are coons and dogs. Those two alone account for nearly half of all losses. So take that as a given and plan accordingly. Go into this endeavor of raising chickens assuming there is a constant threat......24/7.......from these two predators. Worrying about what to do after the fact is of no help. To shoot or not to shoot is not the question. The question is how can you eliminate the threat of losses......day or night......from all comers? Be proactive, make your coop and run bomb proof and the issue resolves itself. Beyond that, if you want to allow more room to roam about, think electric fences.....but in any event, get ahead of it before your birds are all killed......not after.