Dog killed 3 of my girls

[real_redhead]

Thanks for all the support and I am so very sorry for those of you who have had to go thru this. I have no other place to vent and I know I am venting and I know I need to move on and get over this. But if she would have kept control of her dog this would have never happened. I can go on and on like I have about my pets being in my yard in a fence then in their run. And the expense I am having to go to to make sure that no one elses dog comes on my property and doesn't harm my girls is extreme.

 

[the1much]

the good thing coming out of this,,is your teaching your community that even when dealing with those "good" people, you can do with respect, class,and dignity. for others to learn they need to be taught, best way of teaching is through showing.. show them what real neighbors are, and do it with head held high.

 

[real_redhead]

That is exactly what my good friend said, don't stoop to their level! THANKS!!!

 

[kittycooks]

I'm sorry for your loss. I had a stray dog enter my coop and kill a previous flock. The dog figured out how to open the spring latch door but didn't have the motivation to let itself out! My 6 yr old daughter and I were on our way out to collect eggs and found the dog in the coop. Animal control took the dog and I asked and received money to replace the chickens and for them to clean up the mess. The young man who owned the dog said it was the grossest thing he had ever done. You'd think he would have learned his lesson, but the darn dog showed up again a few weeks later. I caught it again and turned it into animal control. We have not seen it since, but I heard the ticket for multiple offenses is exorbitant. I hope you filed a police report to put it on record.

Your neighbors paid restitution as agreed and even brought over an extra $44.00. It is a very emotional thing indeed, but they gave you written apologies and the money. Release your anger and forgive them.

It is sickening to feel violated and we cried rivers, but my kids learned about resilience and coping with loss. Not a first lesson as their birth mom died when they were young BTW. Please try to keep things in perspective. My kids enjoyed picking new chicken breeds with the money and loved raising the new chicks. It is a blip in the timeline and the lessons about life are priceless. God bless all of you as you work through the pain.

 

[galanie]

Thanks for all the support and I am so very sorry for those of you who have had to go thru this.  I have no other place to vent and I know I am venting and I know I need to move on and get over this. But if she would have kept control of her dog this would have never happened.  I can go on and on like I have about my pets being in my yard in a fence then in their run.  And the expense I am having to go to to make sure that no one elses dog comes on my property and doesn't harm my girls is extreme. 

I am just glad you are headed the right way. As for the gun, I agree. Just be sure you know how to use it safely!! Take classes if you haven't much experience with them. It is rare to have someone pay up for damages their dog caused. You actually came out much better off than most people. I'd never like those people or try to be very friendly to them again if it were me. It's not so much "holding a grudge" as it is "now I know what kind of people you are." Yep, you gotta do what you gotta do. If there's any way a dog can get in, it might be another one next time. And yeah, Lock that back gate!

Yep it's illegal to discharge a firearm even if it is legal to kill the dog. But for me, I'll deal with the charges after the predator is gone.

 

[Mattemma]

You can not throw money at a sitaution where death occured,and expect it to be all *better* but that is how some people think. I know my kids would be very emotional and would proably bring up the kills years later!

Till (ir if)you get a gun you might want to consider some bear mace.Perhaps even keeping a bat or pitch fork handy. A dog attacking animals will certainly have no issue attacking you,and it would be self defense.Best wishes and I do hope no dogs get to your chickens again.

 

[real_redhead]

We are keeping a pitch fork in the back yard and I have instructed the kids on what to do. My son said he couldn't stab a dog but my daughter was all for it...should I be worried? I told him he didn't have to stab it but it was a good tool to use to keep a dog away from the chickens if need be. For those who have PM'd me and wanted an update here you go. I decided to let the issue drop, I didn't press charges, it was eating me up thinking about the dog owners and how they acted but I let it go and have tried to move on. Crap happens! The dog owner used to walk by our house pretty often and walk thru the alley with the dog but since the incident I haven't seen her close by. Well today I had just finished mowing and saw her up the street, I thought to myself I hope she doesn't walk by...I know it is a free country but that dog will come back if allowed, because once they have tasted blood...you all know. She is nuts, I see her coming and she walks her dog into the neighbors yard across the street, I thought she was going to the neighbors house because she walked all the way up the driveway and almost to the back of the house to let her dog say hello to the neighbors dog, what in the world is she thinking going onto someone's property like that. I was hoping she would walk on by. I was filling up my watering can to water my potted plants and trying to ignore her, head down, back to her, when she walks across the street toward my yard. I really wanted to pick up the hose and spray her but I kept trying to ignore her, and thankfully she didn't proceed to the sidewalk or I might have done that (its nice to dream), watch out Real Housewives there might be a show here haha. No HI or anything, but she asks "how are your chickens doing" (mind you her dog killed 4 of my 5 girls - I now have 3 more about 9 weeks old which how would she know I don't associate with her). (I know some of you will say she was just trying to be nice but a hi and keep going is nice not asking how my chickens are after your dog killed most of them.) I said fine and turned my back and continued on to some more plants, making it obvious I didn't want to talk to her. She continues to ask about the chickens and asking questions. My heart was racing and I really wanted to curse at her but I turned to her and I said, "I do not want to talk to you!" It was like a cartoon, her mouth went into a perfect O and she said "Well I'll remember that"...like what the heck. Is that a threat? I told her that she and her husband didn't do as they said and I had nothing to say to her and why would she think it was ok to talk to me. I wasn't friends with this lady before and do not want to be now. Maybe if she just said hi to be neighborly I would have responded hi and let it go but in her sing song voice asking me questions I about lost it. I was still a lady and didn't curse. It is so nice sharing my story and getting this off my chest!

 

[dainerra]

I would be worried that the dog's owners would file charges against YOU for attacking their dog with a pitchfork, especially with your recount of your last meeting with her.

I have to say that you might have handled it badly. It's very possible that she was trying to make nice and you shot her down. Dogs don't come back because they got a "taste of blood" They come back because they remember that it was fun.

that said, invest in a gun if you are allowed in your area. It is legal in pretty much every state (minus laws about how close you are to another person's home) to shoot a dog that is attacking livestock. You haven't let the issue drop, since it is still eating you up so badly. She HASN'T let the dog come back. That is what is important. If the dog does come back, contact Animal Control, shoot it if it's legal, whatever it takes.

But don't stress looking for a problem that isn't there yet. Just enjoy your girls

 

[bobbi-j]

I understand that you are upset, but being angry and bitter (yes, it shows) is only hurting you. Not her. If you want peace, you are going to have to truly forgive her in your heart and let it go. Completely. Don't keep trying to drag it back. She really may have been trying to be friendly, but your bitterness caused you to react in an unfriendly manner. Please - for your own health and well-being - try to move on. I also have to comment on the pitchfork idea. I would NEVER suggest to my kids to stab a dog. Who knows how an injured dog may react? It may turn and attack your children. And a gun? Are you experienced in the use of one? Shooting a gun in a residential area is very dangerous! Do you know how far a bullet can travel? Would you want to be responsible for the death of a child several blocks over because of your stay bullet? It could happen.

 

[downsm75]

Exactly.