heartbroken... what to do?

[animalgirl2010]

Thanks everyone. I dont know exactly who the owners are it is a trailor park behind us with probably 5-6 trailors and the dogs all hang out back there usually. They recently started chaising another neighbors horses and he warned them about the fact that the horses may kill them, they obviously dont care. I have noticed two or three of the dogs back there gone so maybe thats what happened. The one that killed the chicken has only been around back there for about a week. Maybe they got it as a replacement for the others?? I was thinking of maybe gettin a paintball gun for now that way the owners would obviously know their dogs are somewhere else they dont belong, probably wouldnt make them do anything different though. It makes me sad to have to even think about sss when its the stupid owners fault but it may come to that.

 

[FireTigeris]

Shooting with a paintball gun might be considered 'cruel' a real gun ;protection; - check the laws...

 

[BarnsB]

It is not uncommon in rural communities that laws exsist regarding the killing of livestock by dogs. For instance, in our area notification of harassment or killing of livestock by dogs, given 3 times, is grounds to shoot the offending animal legally. Dogs must also be licensed and vaccinated for rabies here & it is likely required in your community too under penalty of fine. Free roaming dogs are dangerous to livestock & people & a danger to themselves.
I'm not suggesting or advocating that you start a range war by shooting your neighbors dogs. Just inform yourself about the local laws & then approach your neighbors & explain the laws politely to them & request that they replace your chicken at their expense. This is reasonable & may be the only way your neighbors ever know that their dogs are killing. I suspect that they won't want to replace chickens or goats on an ongoing basis & would probably be amenable to fixing the situation. If not... file a police report with the sherrif and contact the nearest ASPCA for legal advice about how to prevent further attacks on your animals. Often times the ASPCA will handle these issues more effectively than the police.

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

introduce those dogs to Mr. 22.

 

[horsejody]

If you don't have an animal control office, call the Sheriff's Dept. If they won't come out, go to them and file a report. That way, when the dog returns and kills a goat or gets shot there will be a paper trail showing that there is a history. Be careful with the notion of things like BB guns, pellet guns, paint balls and rock salt being a good option. In most places it legal to shoot to kill but considered cruelty to animals to shoot to wound (even if the wound is a mild bruise). Ask around the trailer park to find out who owns the dog. You might get lucky and find that it's a reasonable person that will either fence the dog in, keep it on a leash or rehome it. If it's not a reasonable person, then it's best to just shoot the dog if you see it on your property again. If you encounter the dog (or dogs) attacking your animals, please realise that there is a great deal of personal risk involved if you try to intervene and just try to grab the dog or shoo it away. My sister learned that lesson the hard way. She had dogs turn on her, and she may never have full use of her hands again due to dog bites that tore her to the bone.

BTW it's fine to cry over a chicken. She was a pet, and she suffered a horrible death. Many of us have gone throught the same grief.

 

[Stonerowfarm]

Like you, I have chickens and goats. I had four babies born last year and worried intensely about them, even with good mamas protecting them. As you probably know, all it takes is for a dog to worry the goats (running the fence line, etc.) for them to stress them to the point of death.

If you can't double fence your property; one fence at the property line and a second one closer in to your barn, then perhaps you could electrify the fence as a deterent. Personally I don't agree with SSS and it sounds like it might not be the best for your circumstance since they would probably just keep replacing the dogs. So, if you can fight them then make it impossible for them to get in or give them one heck of a zap if they try. Unfortunately this dog will be back and it would be horrid if it got one of your goat-babies.

So sorry that you lost your sweet hen. At least you were able to give her a good loving home.

 

[arch_cpj]

OK heres how to take care of those dogs without killing them bury that hole they dug then heres what I would do go to TSC and either buy insulators or step in electric fence posts and some 14ga wire run that wire on extension insulators 4 - 6 inshes off the ground if on a fence or if using step in posts along the lowest knotch and then up from there every 6 - 8 inches til you have 3 or 4 strands buy a fencer on sale now at TSC for 19 bucks or you can go bigger the more you spend the more powerful the fencer buy the digital testor while your there its 25 bucks... anyway on your way home get either tinfoil or little pie tins... OH I forgot while at TSC pick up a couple cans dog food a nice ground up one... Now go set that fence up youl spend 1/2 day max!!! wire those pie tins or fold the foil into 6 x 6 approx squares and hang them over the wires I kinga roll em around the wire till they look like little flags hangin down... Not take that dog food and smear it liberally on the foil or pie tins turn the fencer on and test it you want at least 2.9 to 3 on the read out if using the little 19 dolalr fencer mine is a cow fencer and Im at 9!!!!! thats 9000 volts!!!! Anyway leave the fence on and get a glsaa of lemonade beer what ever suits you sit on the porch and watch the dogs investigate that nice smellin food maybe beven take a lick huh well they will do it once and squeal all the way home my neighbors dog did this 2 years ago he hasnt been within 200 feet of the fence since!!!!

 

[Willow's Meadow]

ohhhhhh its okay!!! I kinda know how you feel. Pets---dogs, cats horses anything can become like a sibling and its so hard when they die. I've had horses and dogs die and it is never easy, its like losing your best friend. It seems like when everyone in the world is mad at you or not being nice the animals are always there--always forgiving and loving you no matter what. I went to a horse show last october. And I did NOT do that good. I was so upset and mad. I WAS THE ONE messing up, I WAS THE ONE riding wrong. Afterwards I took my horse in a stall and just cried. But he was so forgiving. He put his head way down and rested it on my shoulder. I was so upset and he still loved me even though I totally messed up and freaked out in the ring. It is truly amazing how loving, forgiving and majestic any animal can be. That is something I learned at a very young age. I hope you feel better, even though life seems like it will never get better now, it will. It just takes time.

 

[animalgirl2010]

Thanks everyone for all the kind words (and great ideas!) I think we may have solved the problem talked to the owner of the dog who turns out is the owner of all the trailers she didnt really say much after I told her what happened but I havent seen any of the dogs back down this way since I talked to her.