Neighbor's dog came back for our ducks today! What to do?

[TJAnonymous]

I just discovered that the dog actually got me!
First picture is the dog cornered under my workbench.

I'm late to this ball game...but my husband works for the Health Dept in our state and is the person responsible for dealing with dog bites in the county. IN our state (your laws may be different), any dog bite that is reported to health officials (either your doctor or a hospital) MUST be reported to authorities by state law. At that point, the authority in that county MUST see vet records to show that the dog was PROPERLY vaccinated for rabies. If the owner CANNOT show vaccination records FROM A VET (many try to do it themselves), then they have two options - 1) dog must be quarantined by the state for 14 days at owner's expense OR 2) dog is put down, head chopped off and sent to a lab for rabies analysis.

Either way, these people can threaten all they want but the law is on YOUR side. Their animal came onto your property and threatened your livestock and yourselves. You are completely within your right to shoot it, hit it with a shovel, or do anything else to it that you choose. If they don't like it, they can pay the damages and keep their dog on their property.

 

[TJAnonymous]

There must be something in the air today.... I noticed my ducks were running and looked panicked earlier today when I looked out the window. I looked a little closer and realized there was a stray cat out there stalking them in their pen. I rushed out the backdoor in my socks with my dog hot on my heels. The cat saw us and panicked....couldn't figure out how to get out of the fence (ours is 4 ft tall) and was throwing itself at the fence in terror. I climbed the fence into the duck pen since it would have taken me too long to run around to the gate. Tore my sweat pants in the process....lol. Cornered the cat who finally figured out he/she could jump OVER the fence to get out. It took off with my dog chasing it like the hounds of hell...until she got to the limits of our backyard....ha ha. I have been checking on the ducks every hour since then....no sign of the cat coming back.

 

[HeatherKellyB]

Ps to OP: yes you are right to blame the neighbor/ owner, not the dog. However, i disagree that your actions caused the situation to "spiral out of control." The dog was attacking your ducks on Your property, & you attempted to protect your ducks. Most dogs will NOT bite when cornered; they will do their best to flee, or simply cower. Whether fear-aggressive, people-aggressive, livestock-aggressive, etc etc, you DID encounter an aggressive dog. That BIT you. Your actions didnt cause it to be aggressive; it already was. Please keep the blame on the owner (& by extension the aggressive dog), & not in any way on yourself. Again, you did nothing wrong in attempting to protect your ducks. Dont get me wrong; im not confrontational by nature and am very grateful i have good (rural) neighbors. But your neighbor, like her dog, has ALSO essentially attacked you first. Thats why i adamantly say to stand your ground.

This 100%! You did absolutely NOTHING wrong. If we're being honest here, you've shown nothing but kindness, patience and understanding in spite of this. Keep in mind that a lot of people act out defensively, oftentimes threatening and desperately trying to point the blame away from themselves, when they know they're in the wrong. You have nothing to worry about legally and if your neighbor is ignorant enough to continue, the law is on your side, especially since you have taken steps to notify the authorities and document everything. Please take care of your bites. It can turn lethal before you know it.

I agree that it'd be beneficial to be able to get along with your neighbors, but they should be the ones reaching out in hopes of repairing the relationship they destroyed. You went above and beyond and already tried to keep things amicable, but they crossed the line by threatening you. Plus it's obvious that you can't count on their word. They proved that today when the dog came back.

 

[Mimi13]

I feel like I’m gonna miss something replying in two places , but YOU and Nona Duck both need antibiotics. Dog bites that break the skin, no matter how small, can be vicious. Please seek treatment for yourself and treat your duckie!

 

[Mimi13]

Hillbilly, how are you and Nona Duck today?

 

[sourland]

Please give an update.

 

[bhawk-23]

I'm late to this ball game...but my husband works for the Health Dept in our state and is the person responsible for dealing with dog bites in the county. IN our state (your laws may be different), any dog bite that is reported to health officials (either your doctor or a hospital) MUST be reported to authorities by state law. At that point, the authority in that county MUST see vet records to show that the dog was PROPERLY vaccinated for rabies. If the owner CANNOT show vaccination records FROM A VET (many try to do it themselves), then they have two options - 1) dog must be quarantined by the state for 14 days at owner's expense OR 2) dog is put down, head chopped off and sent to a lab for rabies analysis.

Either way, these people can threaten all they want but the law is on YOUR side. Their animal came onto your property and threatened your livestock and yourselves. You are completely within your right to shoot it, hit it with a shovel, or do anything else to it that you choose. If they don't like it, they can pay the damages and keep their dog on their property.

This! And the dog is a "fear aggressive" dog and is actually one of the most dangerous because you can never know when and how they will react in situations. Most definitely get to a Dr to be seen and they will know what to do for your particular local laws.

Reporting this is a necessity because unfortunately many kids are not taught proper dog etiquette and a fear biter can, and will, lash out at unpredictable kids in fear.
Best case scenario these are good, but ignorant, dog owners. The dog will be up to date on all shots and they will quarantine. They will also be educated about dog laws and their responsibility as owners and get the proper help for their beloved pet. End of situation. OR, they choose to be ignorant and you've helped a dog get out of a bad situation. Either way, it's a win.
PS, I've worked at vets and attended vet tech school. I've see both types of owners. Most have the best of intentions just lack of education. The other ones are better off without a dog.

Please update with how you and your bites are doing!

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Sorry folks, i had a mental meltdown late yesterday evening and went to bed after i brought the ducks to bed and today wasn't any better!

I will go back to answer all your posts from yesterday and today, but first the good news: Nona Duck is doing much better today, she drank, ate and walked around. However there are some issues with her, probably mentally, please read the post in the other thread.

I went to my primary care doctor today, had an appointment anyways, she looked at my scratch and diagnosed a bite mark and sent me to a nearby urgent care clinic for a tetanus shot and notification of Animal Services.
At the urgent care clinic the doctor asked me how i had treated the wound and when i told her hot-water and soap, then rinsed with alcohol and finally applied triple antibiotic ointment she concluded that i don't need antibiotic injections around the wound. [Great relief for me with my "needle phobia"! ] - But i need to swallow a bunch of antibiotic-pills.
In regards of the tetanus-shot, i must have received a vaccination against tetanus in 2014 or ~15 during my greencard processing, together with countless other vaccinations. - I remember feeling like i'd hugged a porcupine at one point… So no additional shot necessary. [And a great victory for my "needle-phobia"!]

And guess what: Back home i received a call from Animal "Services":
A "call"! - Not a "return call"!
What's the difference? - Pretty Easy: I am the bad guy now!
The neighbors allege me to have injured their dog yesterday! They have found a couple of bruises on their dog like he was hit by a shovel.
And my cheeky mouth told the officer that, had i hit the dog with a shovel, it had suffered way more damages than a couple of bruises, in fact there would have been only one bruise, a very, very big one! - That didn't caught well and i was lectured that hitting an dog with a shovel would be animal cruelty and can be punished even with jail time…
At this point i told the officer that i would like to end this conversation, briefly explained her that the dog crossed two property lines, strayed way into my property, jumped a fence and attacked my ducks and that i have the right to defend my livestock!
At which point she interrupted me: "Yes, but not with a shovel!" - Continuing with "And by the way we were told that your ducks live in deplorable conditions and look neglected and emaciated." [A new word that i had to look up!]
And upon that terrible disappointment, i ended the phone call with the sentence "I will be home over the weekend and be working from home next week. You are invited to come here and check on the health of my poor ducks, but all those accusations are rubbish. Have a nice weekend!" and hung up.
Then called my legal insurance and asked if Neighborhood disputes are covered by my policy. - Yes they are! - Saved my day…

 

[TJAnonymous]

Sorry folks, i had a mental meltdown late yesterday evening and went to bed after i brought the ducks to bed and today wasn't any better!

I will go back to answer all your posts from yesterday and today, but first the good news: Nona Duck is doing much better today, she drank, ate and walked around. However there are some issues with her, probably mentally, please read the post in the other thread.

I went to my primary care doctor today, had an appointment anyways, she looked at my scratch and diagnosed a bite mark and sent me to a nearby urgent care clinic for a tetanus shot and notification of Animal Services.
At the urgent care clinic the doctor asked me how i had treated the wound and when i told her hot-water and soap, then rinsed with alcohol and finally applied triple antibiotic ointment she concluded that i don't need antibiotic injections around the wound. [Great relief for me with my "needle phobia"! ] - But i need to swallow a bunch of antibiotic-pills.
In regards of the tetanus-shot, i must have received a vaccination against tetanus in 2014 or ~15 during my greencard processing, together with countless other vaccinations. - I remember feeling like i'd hugged a porcupine at one point… So no additional shot necessary. [And a great victory for my "needle-phobia"!]

And guess what: Back home i received a call from Animal "Services":
A "call"! - Not a "return call"!
What's the difference? - Pretty Easy: I am the bad guy now!
The neighbors allege me to have injured their dog yesterday! They have found a couple of bruises on their dog like he was hit by a shovel.
And my cheeky mouth told the officer that, had i hit the dog with a shovel, it had suffered way more damages than a couple of bruises, in fact there would have been only one bruise, a very, very big one! - That didn't caught well and i was lectured that hitting an dog with a shovel would be animal cruelty and can be punished even with jail time…
At this point i told the officer that i would like to end this conversation, briefly explained her that the dog crossed two property lines, strayed way into my property, jumped a fence and attacked my ducks and that i have the right to defend my livestock!
At which point she interrupted me: "Yes, but not with a shovel!" - Continuing with "And by the way we were told that your ducks live in deplorable conditions and look neglected and emaciated." [A new word that i had to look up!]
And upon that terrible disappointment, i ended the phone call with the sentence "I will be home over the weekend and be working from home next week. You are invited to come here and check on the health of my poor ducks, but all those accusations are rubbish. Have a nice weekend!" and hung up.
Then called my legal insurance and asked if Neighborhood disputes are covered by my policy. - Yes they are! - Saved my day…

Call your local Health Dept and tell them you want to file a formal complaint about a vicious dog that came onto your property, attacked your animals, and bit you in the process. Explain that animal control is not taking it seriously and you are prepared to take legal measures against the county for liability if this is not escalated and resolved. Send a copy of this by email as well.

ETA- I explained your situation to my husband since he deals with dog bites. He said you need to call the Health Dept, explain that the dog came onto your property, bit you AND DREW BLOOD. State that you do NOT KNOW if the dog had rabies. These two points - drawing blood and rabies unknown - are VERY IMPORTANT.

He also advised getting an attorney because he said he would be EXTREMELY surprised if there were no legal protections for protecting your home and property from vicious dogs. Pretty much guarantee the county/city will agree with your attorney and put animal control in their place.

 

[WannaBeHillBilly]

Find the number to your Central Dispatch and call it. You have essentially been attacked by a person’s pet.

I agree with @The Kooky Kiwi 100% that the dog isn’t a mean dog. However, it looks a lot like a Springer Spaniel and they are known for Springer “rage.” Look it up. Had that breed, been there and saw it myself. And that breed is a retriever, so it isn’t gonna let up on your birds...unless you make it.

As i wrote, this will now be reported officially to Animal Services through the urgent care clinic, with the doctor's diagnose added, so i cannot make anything up, like poking myself with a fork and claim the dog scratched me.

As for the dog's breed, my trusted nurse thinks it is a Retriever mix. That would also explain why Nona wasn't killed by the dog, she was 'apported' and brought back to the hunter.