HEARTBROKEN - They're all Gone!

[babalubird]

Oh, no, Larry. At that point, I would have called the county sheriff, taken him or met him at that property, pointed out the dog, and filed the report. At least there would be a report then. If the sheriff wouldn't pursue it, at least you would then have something, the report, to take to court and then he couldn't deny the dog was his.

People are so bad any more. No decency, responsibility or accountability.

Connie

 

[jjthink]

DITTO the above. Our birds deserve our efforts to prevent further bad human behavior like this.
JJ

 

[Nic&Chickies]

Wow, I am overwhelmed, and touched by all of your reactions! I posted mostly to get it out, off my chest (pick a cliche), not even looking for sympathy; but that I got, and empathy as well. This is what community is all about. Thank you all.
I called the animal control police officer this morning, he was here within half an hour. I told him what happened, showed him where I found the first two (We moved their bodies into the small pen last night, 'cause we couldn't bear the thought of something else getting to them --esp. before the police came). He went next door, (my son thinks the dog is from there) but She wasn't home, and the people on the other side of her shared driveway said neither she nor they have a dog. After I thought about it, I let the officer take their bodies to dispose of them. (Awful, horrible, to pick each of them up and put them in the empty layer pellet bag --of course, I just bought 50 new pounds of feed on Saturday.

)

elizabethbinary, I think the officer understood they are both livestock and pets. I now have to figure out, how to figure out the monetary value of my livestock: what do 10-month-old laying hens cost? How do I figure what farm-fresh eggs go for, now that I have less than a half dozen left--I don't even know where to get some around here. Oh,No- back to grocery store eggs!

Mattemma, jjthink, WingingIt, Chihuahuamom444 : No, after it hung around for a little while, my boyfriend scared it off. If/when it returns, now that the coop-n-pen are empty, I'll guide it into there to hold it until the police can take it. It's a $92 fine for Roaming to start with, and if it really isn't current on shots & registration (those tags I didn't see), that's another $140, I think he said. Not sure if there's a criminal charge for letting your dog kill other animals, but I'll have to take the owner, if located, to civil court.

nancyleeny wrote ...please don't blame the dog, or ask that he be put down. He was only doing what dogs do. Huskies, especially, are responsible for getting their own food in the north, so they are hunters. But very sweet dogs....Make the owners pay for your chickens, and ask they get a fine for the dog being loose. A hefty fine, so they take precautions to keep the dog under their control.

When it was still hanging around, I did notice it had its tail tucked under: It knew it did wrong. I know they can be sweet. My sister has a Husky, a big friendly fluffy puppy, who forgets he's not a lap dog, and can't understand why the deer and squirrels run away when he tries to play with them (they live next to, and take walks in, a park).


drdoolittle, Chihuahuamom444, larryj57 Thank you for sharing your feelings with me. It still hurts, but knowing you've been through the same thing, helps some. I guess this is what "Misery loves company" is all about, like our own club we didn't plan to join.​

 

[NKWood]

I sure am sorry to hear about the loss of your birds to dogs. I lost eighteen at one go to a couple of strays that got in the run. I'll never forget how sick it made me seeing all my beautiful girls dead!

Then a few months later my neighbors malamutes jumped the fence and got a few more, luckily I had just installed an L hall and they couldn't get into the updated run. I confronted the neighbors after their little boy told me it was their dogs that did it,and when I figured up the bill and presented them with it, they just about swallowed their tongues!! I have found that the best defense for neighbors dogs is an electric tape around the top of the perimeter fence or run.

I don't know about where you live, but here the owner of the offending dog is resposible for the actual cost of the bird, everything you have put into the bird (feed, medications etc.), and the loss of egg output for it's life expectancy. If you google it you can find formulas to figure it all out. The 18 birds I lost ran into the thousands of dollars!! No one ever claimed the dogs however, so I never had a chance to prosecute. I would call your local animal control and ask them about it.

I hope you can recover from your loss. I was never able to let myself get attached to my chickens like that first group, but I still really enjoy my birds!! Good luck to you.

 

[vfem]

I'm sorry this happened. I am shooting at stray dogs and unleashed dogs all the time. People just don't care enough for their pets, so we have to deal with them on our property. In my county they won't do ANYTHING about a wondering dog, but the law says I can shoot to kill if I so choose!