Dogs...

[Shezadandy]

Huh apparently wolves have been killing sheep and dogs in my county recently. Anyways looks like we’re under the county sheriff’s jurisdiction, and they take this stuff pretty seriously.

Haven't dealt with wolves!!! I'm glad they take it seriously where you are, as the saying goes ... your dog on your property is a pet, your dog on my property is a predator.

 

[Willow2253]

I’ve heard about wolves in the area, though I haven’t seen any yet. Apparently they’ve only been showing up recently.
Looks like the dogs will be impounded and tested if we report it, and the owners are liable for double the value of the livestock injured or killed.

 

[cmom]

(1) The owner of any livestock which has been damaged by being injured, chased, wounded or killed by any dog shall have a cause of action against the owner of such dog for the damages resulting therefrom, including double the value of any livestock killed and double the amount of any damage to the livestock.

I hope you took a lot of pictures. If you see the dogs on your property again get a picture.

It's been several years ago, a BYC member was being plagued by a neighborhood dog. As I recall she did talk with the owner and he denied it was his dog so the next time it came on her property and went after her birds she shot it with a paintball. I don't remember what happened after that. Good luck...

 

[Willow2253]

Unfortunately we didn’t get pics of the dogs. The ran off pretty quick after we showed up. I wish we had our game cam set up still. We didn’t take any of the dead birds either, just picked them up. There are still feathers everywhere.

 

[Willow2253]

Sunny is back! We found 1 of the missing Easter egger pullets this morning and she’s alright, but we also found another dead pullet and a lot of feathers from the missing rooster. Now it’s just him, and the last Easter egger pullet missing. I guess I miscounted and we found 8 last night.

 

[cmom]

The game camera would be nice. I'm pretty sure the dog will come back probably when you least expect it.

 

[bobbi-j]

Looks like the dogs will be impounded and tested if we report it, and the owners are liable for double the value of the livestock injured or killed.

That would be a good reason to report it, then.

 

[thepick4uchicks]

We were away from home for about 2 hours this evening, and returned to find 2 hunting dogs in our driveway and 7 dead chickens. 5 more are still missing, we searched for an hour before it got dark, and another is injured pretty badly but still alive. I’m not sure if she’ll make it or not. That leaves us with 3 hens, 3 pullets, and a rooster that all appear ok, and the 10 chicks in the brooder that they didn’t manage to get into.
We know who’s dogs it was. They’re our neighbors a little over a mile away, and the owners of the store in our small town. We confronted them tonight, and they laughed us off. They don’t understand that these chickens are basically our pets. We love them. We’re devastated.
Does anybody have any experience dealing with something like this? What can we do?
We’re already taking measures to keep the rest of our chickens safe. They have a secure pen that they will not be leaving for the time being, though they’re normally free rangers. If we see those dogs on our property again they won’t be going home.

I agree with your last statement wholeheartedly. You have every right to that in my book. Especially... since they laughed you off. See if they laugh when they can’t find their hunting dogs. I would be furious with both situations. Probably more with the humans actually. Dogs are going to be dogs and do stupid dogs things and I still love dogs and always will but humans have no excuse. None whatsoever for not respecting another person’s property or opinion when it concerns their property on their own property for sure even more so. Jackasses for sure your neighbors and sound entitled even more so. Pull out your fire arm and dig a deep hole and cover it with something that doesn’t look like a hole was ever dug there or anything ever disturbed the environment and if anyone comes looking they won’t find those dogs. Let the place look like it hasn’t been disturbed in twenty years! Lol!

 

[Vickischics]

Agree.
When we lived in Kentucky, I saw a sign spray painted on the side of a barn shed that housed chickens.
It read
" If your dog is killing my chickens, I WILL SHOOT IT!"
Now, Thats a fair warning.

 

[EmmaDonovan]

Gosh that's awful, I'm so sorry. I love love love dogs - I want all the dogs - and I know my dogs would defend my life with their own, but that also goes for me as the pet owner, I'll defend my pets' lives, too. I would be devastated to come home and find something like that. You have every right to defend your birds from predators. Maybe it's time to install some fencing?