Help my neighbor's dogs just killed my duck

[laughingdog]

Most trouble you can get into is destruction of private property. Well warning your neighbour that you'll shoot the next "stray" dog could do the trick, but don't say you would shoot his dogs, as that constitutes a threat. if cops refuse to do anything about your complaints, they probly won't care about your neighbors either, and you were just partecting yourself from these vicious dogs that the neighbor now knowingly let loose on you, and laughed about. Try filing charges on that. or shoot the dogs and take to dump wrapped up or in garbage bags. you have to wrap up and not tell that animals as they constitute health hazard for some reason.

sadly id advise seriously against getting any more animals, as sounds for sure now like your neighbour enjoying your torment as sport.. sorry. i had some local laid off drunk cops that lived doors down from me, that were shooting my animals in their cages with their children saying teaching them how to shoot when came home one time and caught (couldn't hit the loose ones apparently), and city said to try talking to them before the city would do anything.. ended in fight with one, and another threatening to shoot me. Most law crooked, don't care, or cowards afraid to do what they swear under oath to do. sad but truth. all ill say on that as seen much worse, some good honest cops but few and far between. i hope your "law" are just the lazy brand.

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

I filed a police report today and had a seriously difficult time with the police officer. First of all he was very condescending about the whole thing and when I told him that I've filed several reports about these dogs and the police have even been to my house because of these dogs he make some remark that he's "not even sure if that's on record." So they don't record the reports that are made or the calls they respond to?! Tomorrow he's going to talk to the neighbors and if they admit that the dogs were loose they'll get a fine, but if they deny it nothing happens. If they deny it then the cop told me I could file a criminal charge and it would go to a prosecutor but I "shouldn't bother with that because the prosecutor will see this all as a joke." 

I just can't believe my town's police department behaves like this.  

Have you considered going above your Local and contacting your County? I'm also in MI and here there's no problem getting someone out here for that sort of thing. Another thing that is common here is that they will mail copies of the ordinances, sometimes seeing things in print really makes a difference. I wish you luck. I def wouldn't allow my flock out with predators on the loose like that. I would also say no more than 1 drake to 2 females, but like Miss Lydia, I don't keep your breeds.

ETA: Another idea I have for you is to head over to the Michigan Thread in the Social area, you might find/talk to someone relatively close to you who can help you thru it. Who knows? Their flocks could be dealing with the same issue.

 

[laughingdog]

Hollyduckfarmer has a great idea. one of my area threads had a local law enforcement officer for husband. maybe you could ask about local law officers that maybe fam or friends even of group members, that maybe more sympathetic and helpful. good luck!

 

[denise91]

Have you considered going above your Local and contacting your County? I'm also in MI and here there's no problem getting someone out here for that sort of thing. Another thing that is common here is that they will mail copies of the ordinances, sometimes seeing things in print really makes a difference. I wish you luck. I def wouldn't allow my flock out with predators on the loose like that. I would also say no more than 1 drake to 2 females, but like Miss Lydia, I don't keep your breeds.

ETA: Another idea I have for you is to head over to the Michigan Thread in the Social area, you might find/talk to someone relatively close to you who can help you thru it. Who knows? Their flocks could be dealing with the same issue.

That's a good idea, thank you!

 

[Miss Lydia]

How's it been going? Dogs staying in their yard?

 

[StruckBy]

I hate to say it, but these people sound like they'll just get more dogs if you ensure these ones vanish. I wouldn't be hugely surprised if they didn't even bother to pick them up at the pound because they'd have to pay the fees & just go get more free dogs off of craigslist. And I’m 100% any future dogs they get will have the same bad-behaviors. Humans make me crazy.

I'd go with aversion training on these specific dogs. Electricity is your friend! A strand of well-charged wire around your yard will keep them out (it's the only thing that got my own rescue dog to stop going after my birds every time my back was turned). Another option (used successfully with dogs going after horses by, um, nevermind…I admit nothing!) is to buy a high-power paintball gun and blood-red ammo. Shoot dogs with it every time they come into your yard. Stings like a @$*! to teach the dogs your yard is not a good place AND gives the owners something to deal with…a scare when they see the color & a mess to clean up.

I'm sorry about your birds.

 

[Kelsykin]

I am in Wisconsin. I would take the law to a lawyer and as. Many lawyers will explain a law to a person for free. At least where I lived back east, they did. Many times you can ask for clarity of a law by the local law enforcement. I know that If a dog tagged or not was to attack my animals I would be shooting it. That to me is a vicious animal that is not under the owners control. If it was me I would follow SSS. In that case let the neighbors try to find their missing dogs. Oh and most likely if the owners let their dogs go like that they are doing something illegal IE drugs or dog fighting.

 

[kaumlauf]

I am wondering how you are doing in this situation. It is a tough spot to be in. If you kill the dogs, you will make enemies for life with your neighbors, and maybe be in hot water with the law. If you trap them and take them in to the pound, the neighbors will hate you. If I were in your shoes, and could not make a stronger/better fence, I'd take the laxative route. I'd also use a game camera to document their activity. Good luck.

 

[StruckBy]

Oooo...game cam! Good idea!

 

[denise91]

Things have been good so far. I'm going to deal with the country from now on instead of the local police and I'm going to talk to a lawyer to make sure what's legal and what isn't. The neighbor's actually lined almost their entire property with patio blocks! They've placed a few blocks in the holes before but it was always after the fact so it's great that they seem to be taking some initiative to keep the dogs in their yard. The dogs have never dug under where the patio blocks were before so I'm really hoping this will work. I also got some dog repellent that contains red pepper that I'm going to place along the fence. I'd really like to have an electric wire but how much would that cost?

I did get another drake. I know it probably wasn't a good idea with the dogs still being a problem but my female was in real bad shape. She wasn't really eating and would just lie there. Not even a bath would cheer her up. I'm really glad I got him. He was kept in a dirty, too small wire cage, his nails were so long that he couldn't walk right, and he'd never had a bath or touched grass before. It's been such a joy to see him learn how to be a real duck and my female already adores him.