My neighbor's kid stole my quail from my yard and after we confronted them he let it loose in the wild, what can I do?

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

I have not seen anything that says the age of the child. Did I miss it?

The poster never mentioned it and has only reposted the same text a couple times.

 

[BigBlueHen53]

The poster never mentioned it and has only reposted the same text a couple times.

Ah, I see, thanks.

 

[IrishNceladon]

Have you said how old is the child?

The kid is less than 10 years old and Amish and this is the second time he has stolen from us before the first time stealing a animal, he likes to be on our property messing with the miniature horses and I do have cameras set up but I've never been able to catch him on camera for he's small

 

[IrishNceladon]

I don't have any tips for re-capturing your roo. I'm really sorry about this situation.

If you don't already have them, a combination of cameras and BIG prominent signs announcing that you have cameras could be a good idea. I know that Ring cams can be programmed to sound a siren when they detect a person. This would also give you video/photographic evidence of his trespassing.

I'm a teacher and have worked with many children with many different disabilities. Even a child with really severe Down Syndrome can understand rules and boundaries. This is a tricky situation because things like having him arrested/charged could have really negative impacts for his future. And I'm not saying you're wrong at all to get the law involved, I just think it's an ethically tricky area. The above comments that the parents are really at fault are spot on.

If possible, and maybe with the help of a mediator (like a neighbor who gets along with you and this child's parents), perhaps you could have a conversation. If not, you could send a notarized letter. Either way, it could say: first, that you have suffered loss of your animals; second, that you are putting in place cameras to document what happens on your property; and third, that you will prosecute and or use civil court to recoup any losses. Include the amount you will be asking for each animal, and make those numbers LARGE. This should incentivize them to keep better watch over their child.

And while this is a bit more extreme: a child with a disability is being allowed to roam out of his parents' supervision, bringing him into situations (like going near your horses) that could result in injury or death. This is neglect, and it would be grounds for a call to child protective services in your area. This could actually be more effective than going the criminal route.

I guess my final thought is that you know your neighbors best. Things like criminal charges, a call to CPS, a letter, etc, can all be read as "aggressive" by some people.

Things like installing better locks on your cages, putting up cameras, etc, are more defensive. I'm a really non-confrontational person, so I tend to go much more in the defensive direction when protecting myself and my animals.

You should choose an approach based not only on what feels "fair" in the moment, but what is also least likely to lead you into a more intense situation.

I do have 2 cameras set up pointing to the front and backyard and I cannot afford to pursue civil charges for one I'm at the end of filing an estate with a abusive uncle who has cost us over 40,000 legal fees to defend ourselves in court and he doesn't want to distribute assets to us and loves to harass us for its been a 3 year battle and two I'm currently receiving disability and I know if I filed criminal I wouldn't need to pay a lawyer and the kid might learn his lesson for one we have a fence around our property but he has decided to break down low boards to get onto our property, and I am thinking about getting a better security system in place

 

[IrishNceladon]

I have to deal with wild animals that want to mess with my infrastructure and my chickens. You have neighbors that are behaving like wildlife and messing with your infrastructure and animals. I believe the same sort of deterrence that has worked for me should work for your form of "wildlife".

Rig hot wire energized by a solar fence charger around the perimeter with special configuration at the points where those pests are entering your property. This system will not harm your animals, and the quail should be okay as long as the hot wire doesn't come too close to any metal fencing that the quail might want to rest on.

Throw the switch and station yourself in a spot where you can watch those brats experience the consequences. Very, very gratifying.

We're thinking about putting up electric fence with our horses but the problem is the Amish neighbors don't weed eat their property line so it's a fire hazard and two I told my mother about putting up a cattle mesh fence that like chicken wire to put up along our fence on the property line to keep the kid out

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Yikes. A kid of that age with special needs being let to run amok is very concerning. Not only for you but for the child’s safety. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

 

[The Moonshiner]

My neighbor's kid has down syndrome and he has come on our property before and he has taken halters off our miniature horse stud head not once but twice after we confronted him the halters were found in the dirt in our property so we're well aware he comes on our property and steals so I had all my quail in large dog cages and all my cages had a outdoor clip on them but one, for it had better hinges on it so last night I had checked on them 12am or 1am in the morning and there was 7 pharaohs in the cage for I know one was in the house with chicks in the brooder for he's lethargic and I believe one is still loose in the house somewhere for I believe I have 9 pharohs in total anyway I had 2 roosters and the rest hens in the cage, I have one of my foundation hen raven, 2nd generation hens yellow, brindle and two Young other ones that are around 6 weeks for there recently started laying anyway I went outside today at noon and one of my pharohs hen was gone no cage door open and all my pharohs when they saw me had a flight response and all flew up to hit the top of the cage, my white ones were not disturbed or my tuxedos for my Tibetans were in the garage in a clean cage for I'm working on cleaning the rest of the cages I got one clean out last night and I'm working on other ones currently I need to wipe them out and put the rest of the quail in the garage anyway we went immediately to the police and file a report, a state trooper talk to me and said if there don't cooperate with us they will file charges and all I needed to do is call back the non emergency number with state Police so after we confronted the neighbors and I went in there barn I was looking around to see if the boy had something in his hands my mother told them if they don't return the bird now we're pressing charges, after that I was outside getting ready to clean a cage with soap and I heard the father tell the boy "you're in trouble" and then I see a pharoh Japanese quail flying in the air and I immediately went running towards it and it flew farther into our horse field I went over there and couldn't find it but the neighbors kid did have my rooster, after today when we got done with our errands at 3pm I had one rooster in the dog cage and the kid did put the pharoh hen back now I have a loose pharoh rooster, we follow the trooper advice and got a lock on the cage and the ones with outdoor clips he didn't touch but we used ultity tape to reinforce the cages, the neighbors kids never touch my 3 coral blue guinea fowl but he sure did take one of my prized roosters and they come from 2 bloodlines from two different states two different breeders and I hatched them from eggs, I've called animal control nobody answered, I call game Warden emergency number they said hire a private trapper they couldn't help me and tomorrow the trooper is going to call me back and I'm pressing charges for he's in trouble for the troopers told us it juvenile theft and he's going to jail, so now I'm worrying if the quail will return to his flock outside in the pens for now we have to leave the other out there to make him return, he's a juvenile rooster anyway, any advice would really help me for I'm devastated and we're financially broke now due to lawyer fees from handling my grandmother's estate. Please help

This is crazy.
Not gonna lie, you post was super long and rambled into details that drifted from the necessary (for me) so I might blurred out there for a few and missed something.
What do you to happen or what's your goal here? No help on catching the bird. If you spot it fishing nets with long handles could be of use as would available helpers. Run it down is all I can say.
I think compensation for a replacement quail isn't asking for much. Criminal charges against that kid seems extreme to me but that's just me. The parents are the problem.
Call the trooper back out and have them go over with you and have a chat. They can explain how this can escalate into charges or what not. Me, I'd make it clear that's not what I wanted but something has to be done. Maybe the fear of police/courts would convince them to do the right thing.
Might very well not change a thing or be a temporary change. I'd fence the property line with a fence that would make it clear that the kid isn't just gonna stroll on over anymore. I'd skip any hot wire fencing unless watching a handicapped kid pee themselves is your sorta thing.
Tough situation for sure but my thoughts are to keep him on his side. No need for more theft, harassing your animals or risking injury for him. He gets hurt on your property they could try to sue you. That alone would get me to fence building.

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

This is crazy.
Not gonna lie, you post was super long and rambled into details that drifted from the necessary (for me) so I might blurred out there for a few and missed something.
What do you to happen or what's your goal here? No help on catching the bird. If you spot it fishing nets with long handles could be of use as would available helpers. Run it down is all I can say.
I think compensation for a replacement quail isn't asking for much. Criminal charges against that kid seems extreme to me but that's just me. The parents are the problem.
Call the trooper back out and have them go over with you and have a chat. They can explain how this can escalate into charges or what not. Me, I'd make it clear that's not what I wanted but something has to be done. Maybe the fear of police/courts would convince them to do the right thing.
Might very well not change a thing or be a temporary change. I'd fence the property line with a fence that would make it clear that the kid isn't just gonna stroll on over anymore. I'd skip any hot wire fencing unless watching a handicapped kid pee themselves is your sorta thing.
Tough situation for sure but my thoughts are to keep him on his side. No need for more theft, harassing your animals or risking injury for him. He gets hurt on your property they could try to sue you. That alone would get me to fence building.

They've mentioned they've already got a fence and the kid has broken lower boards to get on the property.

 

[The Moonshiner]

They've mentioned they've already got a fence and the kid has broken lower boards to get on the property.

Ya saw that so thinking different type or modifications

 

[Fluffy_Butt_Hutt]

Yes, with the kid's age I'd call CPS.

You need to gather more concrete evidence of the repeat offense done by the kid to get anything done in criminal court, especially with a free lawyer. An ankle monitor would not work because the kid would not be able to charge it (Amish). I guess they could plead he has mental problems, but that'd just get him in a mental institute, with more technology. I am sure they would not lock up a young kid like that in jail.