Latest UPDATE on neighbors dog (LONG POST)

[horsejody]

Always report vicious dogs. If there are enough incidents, the dog owner may be banned from owning dogs. Talk to the idiot's father. He may have more common sense than the son, especially if you remind him that, since it's his house that the dog lives at, he is liable for harboring them. Make sure that they also know that the dane will be shot on sight if it's ever in your yard again. Let them think that you are the crazy, mean neighbor. Let them be afraid of you rather than vice versa. I have nasty dog owner neighbors too. We all ended up in court. I won. They also know that I will shoot their mutts on sight if I see them on my property again. I refuse to live in fear of my neighbors. I just let them think that I am crazier and meaner than they are. That policy seems to be working for me. Intimidation has been their way with other neighbors, but they seem to be giving me a wide berth.

 

[chickenjones]

DH has talked to dad in person and on the phone. the dad will no longer talk to us. We left him a voicemail today but havent heard back. I doubt we will but we will go to him at his home and we are giving their first and last names and address to the police. They are going to do a background check on them. I would not be surprised if the son has something.

I bet we could get everyone on the street to complain about their dogs. Everyone has had issues, just not this severe- they don't live next door either.

 

[fordmommy]

You should be able to do that yourself. We have renters in our old house. We do back ground checks before we rent. Your local library should be able to help you find out where to look on the internet. I know here it's very easy and it's all free. It's public access. You will be able to see everytime he has been in court since being an adult.

 

[chickenjones]

My DH talked to the owner of the Great Dane a while ago. He said he came home at 11am today (because of the weather) so he knows his dog was in. Well it happened well before 11am and his SON was home- the one with the pit bull we shot. His son doesn't live in the house, but in a separate building from the main house. He comes and goes all the time so dad would never know what was going on. My DH has gone to borrow our friend's game camera so we can set it up at the coop tonight. We are going to put food out there too to draw him in. If we can get him on camera then that would be great. The son is only 18 so I don't know what would be on file as far as a record. I keep hoping one of my chickens will come wandering out of the woods to roost. We got lucky Tuesday when that happened. Both the chickens he took were black so I have no idea which ones feathers I found. There was blood but no body.

Evidently they took the pit bull to the ER vet and the vet said a dog gave him those injuries. They need a new vet- 2 bullet holes look different than a dog attack. Whatever. DH was up front with them. He said he would hate to shoot the Great Dane but he would if we caught him on the property. We will see what we catch on camera. I KNOW there is no other dog our little dirt road with feet that big and the prints go straight back to his house.

 

[BigBadCryBaby]

That is so terrible, my heart goes out to you and your husband. Only a self-centered person would make a comment to your husband about killing a dog over a chicken. He doesn't see how traumatic having to kill that dog was to your husband. I guess the next thing to consider would be electric fence with a big jolt to knock any dog on it's ass should it get near your flock. This is just reprehensible. There should be tickets issued over this...don't they have trespassing and menace laws there? Don't they have laws that prohibit dog owners from letting their dogs at large? If the police ticket the owners, then you can take civil action much easier.

Unbelievable. I hope you and your husband are okay.

 

[rhodiegal]

It's just a bad situation all around. It sounds like the dogs had gotten used to going to your chickens for sport and the fact that you found large paw prints with human prints.............did the son run out to catch the dog when he figured out it had escaped? It sounds like you have gone above and beyond trying to convince these people of their error and they don't seem to really grasp it much less care. I really do feel for you guys - obviously you have a good heart and hate the idea of having to hurt another dog due to the irresponsiblity of its owner.

 

[mdbokc]

Or did the son bring the Great Dane over and turn him loose? Never underestimate the meanness of some people...and these look to fit the bill.

 

[Cara]

Quote:
That's what I was thinking. I'd keep pressing the police over this, they sound like they'd deny be able to do anything even if you had the whole family and all their pets in the coop.

 

[Penturner]

Man I am having trouble wrapping my mind around your neighbors thinking. When I lived on our farm it was already understood that our dogs would be shot for killing chickens. My brother had a little terrier that brought a couple home from the neighbors. We not only went to the neighbors to pay for them and let them know just what dog it was. but we helped reinforce there coop to try and keep the dog out. nobody wanted to kill anything but when dogs get a taste of chicken it is just about the only answer. I guess I just don't get anyone that thinks there animal can go attack someone else's animals and nothing is going to be done about it.
by the way your husband did exactly the right things. except maybe letting the dog get so close that he had to make a poorly aimed shot. but he pushed the warning shots almost further than he could afford to. It is a hard thing to do and my respect to him for doing it.

 

[FortWorthChicks]

I would firstly avoid these people! The son apparently has it out for yall and sounds like he is taking his dog for walks and letting him run to your coop for a snack.

Terrible, low life. Low lives are scary....

I hope nothing more happens. Seems if that son cared about his other dog he wouldn't send it off to your coop. That just shows how messed up he is in the head. He doesn't care for the dog, its revenge. I would keep a gun handy. And document and report everything.