It started 2 months ago. The neighbor's dog (an LGD, ironically enough) killed 2 very valuable, very important (to me, anyways) Dominique hens of mine. I went and talked with her, and she was incredibly apologetic, and promised it wouldn't happen again. I offered her a tie-out and chain that I had, and she said that she would just keep the dog inside (where it belongs, IMO). She seemed so sincere that I told her that as long as it didn't happen again, I wouldn't make her pay for the chickens. I know she's struggling financially and raising her grandchildren...
Well, of course, the dog came back. It killed a pullet, 2 silkie chicks, and partially skinned a turkey. When I confronted her this time, she told me that her dog had been inside all day, and that there is a stray identical to her dog. She said another family down the road could attest to that, since the stray hung out by their house. Turns out, there's no stray. (I know, I should have known better than to trust her)
The dog came back again. And again. Luckily, I've been able to chase it off before it killed more chickens, but nursing back tortured chickens is getting old. This morning the dog killed 3 chicks and a guinea. Enough is enough! I called the sheriff.
Well, the sheriff said there is no criminal law against your dog getting loose and killing livestock, but I could pursue a civil case. Also, since I am in city limits (with a population of 150, so not exactly a city), I cannot fire a gun. Which I don't own, but if I did...
And, to add insult to injury, the neighbor has now become threatening (says I was trespassing by knocking on her door to deliver the bill for the chickens I've lost), insists it was not her dog, and is making harassing phone calls. I've offered to take the dog to shelter, which she said was no problem, I was welcome to take it, but no shelters in my area are accepting dogs right now.
Filing a civil case looks like it's going to be a little expensive, and I don't have a lot of evidence other than eye witnesses - and pictures of every chicken it has killed or maimed that it didn't carry off. The sheriff said if I could get a picture of it with a chicken in it's mouth, that would be best, but when a dog has one of my chickens, I go for the dog, not the camera.
Anyways, my question is what is the best way to deal with this? Has anyone tried suing in civil court? Have you been successful? What would you do in this situation? I'm ready to go borrow a gun and be done with it, city ordinances be darn.
Added 7/7:
Thank you all for your advice. Regarding the fence issue, the reason I am so resistant to build a pen is because my property (all 4 acres) is already fully fenced, I have a Fort Knox chicken coop, and I have dogs that take care of all predators but other dogs (they're Golden Retrievers...they've never met a strange dog or person they didn't like :
)
Anyways, I talked with the mayor last night, and he said that he has been having a lot of problems with this family as well. The sheriff had said the same thing. While the sheriff can't legally do anything, the mayor said that if the dog trespasses on someone's property that is outside city limits, it's fair game. The mayor said he had several friends with guns outside city limits that had seen the dog before and he said "don't worry about it anymore." I haven't seen the dog today, so it sounds like I talked to the right person.
I also talked with the landlord of the neighbor, who I am friends with and who has rescued a chicken of mine from their dog before. He agreed that the situation needed to end and told the neighbor that she was no longer allowed to keep dogs at her house - if she does, she will be evicted.
So while it's not exactly the outcome I was hoping for - I would have liked the neighbor to have taken responsibility, one way or another, and paid for my chickens - at least the dog shouldn't be coming around anymore.
Well, of course, the dog came back. It killed a pullet, 2 silkie chicks, and partially skinned a turkey. When I confronted her this time, she told me that her dog had been inside all day, and that there is a stray identical to her dog. She said another family down the road could attest to that, since the stray hung out by their house. Turns out, there's no stray. (I know, I should have known better than to trust her)
The dog came back again. And again. Luckily, I've been able to chase it off before it killed more chickens, but nursing back tortured chickens is getting old. This morning the dog killed 3 chicks and a guinea. Enough is enough! I called the sheriff.
Well, the sheriff said there is no criminal law against your dog getting loose and killing livestock, but I could pursue a civil case. Also, since I am in city limits (with a population of 150, so not exactly a city), I cannot fire a gun. Which I don't own, but if I did...
And, to add insult to injury, the neighbor has now become threatening (says I was trespassing by knocking on her door to deliver the bill for the chickens I've lost), insists it was not her dog, and is making harassing phone calls. I've offered to take the dog to shelter, which she said was no problem, I was welcome to take it, but no shelters in my area are accepting dogs right now.
Filing a civil case looks like it's going to be a little expensive, and I don't have a lot of evidence other than eye witnesses - and pictures of every chicken it has killed or maimed that it didn't carry off. The sheriff said if I could get a picture of it with a chicken in it's mouth, that would be best, but when a dog has one of my chickens, I go for the dog, not the camera.
Anyways, my question is what is the best way to deal with this? Has anyone tried suing in civil court? Have you been successful? What would you do in this situation? I'm ready to go borrow a gun and be done with it, city ordinances be darn.
Added 7/7:
Thank you all for your advice. Regarding the fence issue, the reason I am so resistant to build a pen is because my property (all 4 acres) is already fully fenced, I have a Fort Knox chicken coop, and I have dogs that take care of all predators but other dogs (they're Golden Retrievers...they've never met a strange dog or person they didn't like :
Anyways, I talked with the mayor last night, and he said that he has been having a lot of problems with this family as well. The sheriff had said the same thing. While the sheriff can't legally do anything, the mayor said that if the dog trespasses on someone's property that is outside city limits, it's fair game. The mayor said he had several friends with guns outside city limits that had seen the dog before and he said "don't worry about it anymore." I haven't seen the dog today, so it sounds like I talked to the right person.
I also talked with the landlord of the neighbor, who I am friends with and who has rescued a chicken of mine from their dog before. He agreed that the situation needed to end and told the neighbor that she was no longer allowed to keep dogs at her house - if she does, she will be evicted.
So while it's not exactly the outcome I was hoping for - I would have liked the neighbor to have taken responsibility, one way or another, and paid for my chickens - at least the dog shouldn't be coming around anymore.
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