Neighbors dog came into our yard and killed one of our awesome Barred Rock Hens

[FlaRocky]

One loss is one loss too many. Some only think it's a loss of only monetary importance like our friend above who always tries to speak in some type of verbal shorthand. A child lost a pet and witnessed it. Let's try to be human for a moment here and cut to the chase.

Chicken on owner's property where it belongs.
Dog roaming off its owner's property where it does not belong.
Dog kills chicken (in this case, a young, producing hen and a child's pet)
Dog may have to suffer lethal consequences because you can't take the dog to court and the owner is irresponsible and/or unfeeling.

Demand monetary damages as well as that the dog NEVER again set foot on your property. Find the ordinance about dog control in your area. If there is not a county law, there is usually a state law. Do not assume just because you live in the country that there is no leash law.

See my signature line.

And, by the way, "good neighbor relations" were already strained by the one who allowed his dog to run loose all over the place, not by the one who is the victim in this case.

Good post and I agree......umbup: Ride the Glide......Got Gait.......I Do........

 

[FlaRocky]

One loss is one loss too many. Some only think it's a loss of only monetary importance like our friend above who always tries to speak in some type of verbal shorthand. A child lost a pet and witnessed it. Let's try to be human for a moment here and cut to the chase.

Chicken on owner's property where it belongs.
Dog roaming off its owner's property where it does not belong.
Dog kills chicken (in this case, a young, producing hen and a child's pet)
Dog may have to suffer lethal consequences because you can't take the dog to court and the owner is irresponsible and/or unfeeling.

Demand monetary damages as well as that the dog NEVER again set foot on your property. Find the ordinance about dog control in your area. If there is not a county law, there is usually a state law. Do not assume just because you live in the country that there is no leash law.

See my signature line.

And, by the way, "good neighbor relations" were already strained by the one who allowed his dog to run loose all over the place, not by the one who is the victim in this case.

Good post and I agree......umbup: Ride the Glide......Got Gait.......I Do........

Sorry forgot to sign my post..... Maye Ride the Glide......Got Gait.......I Do........

 

[ButchGood]

I would also ask for monetary compensation. A good laying hen is 15 to 20 dollars. I sell eggs for 3 bucks a dozen. For year 2 and 3 your hen is laying 3 eggs a week or more. that's 1 dozen a month for 2 years. 3X24=72. 72+20=82. Your young daughter witnessed this and has been traumatized. A 100 dollar bill would not be too much to ask for. If they don't pay, smile and say ok. Next time use the three s method. Shoot, Shovel, and Shut up.

 

[juststruttin]

I agree with Chesterchook. It is not the dogs fault. Few dogs can contain themselves when seeing chickens running around. Yes, the neighbor should pay $20 or so for the chicken, but you also may need to consider fencing your birds or you will likely have other losses from this dog or others. I am not trying to sound harsh, but the reality is we need to protect our chickens from irresponcible animals owners and wild animals. I have had to resort to 9' fences and wire tops on my bantam pens to keep my birds safe from domestic and wild animals.

 

[speckledhen]

I agree with Chesterchook. It is not the dogs fault. Few dogs can contain themselves when seeing chickens running around. Yes, the neighbor should pay $20 or so for the chicken, but you also may need to consider fencing your birds or you will likely have other losses from this dog or others. I am not trying to sound harsh, but the reality is we need to protect our chickens from irresponcible animals owners and wild animals. I have had to resort to 9' fences and wire tops on my bantam pens to keep my birds safe from domestic and wild animals.

My pens attached to each coop are within my perimeter fence (which encloses 2 of our over 5 acres of mountain land). My bantam pen is covered only so they cannot fly out, but my other pens are not covered and will never be covered.

Few can afford 9' fences (which usually means special order or doubling up on the 4' or 5' height) and you cannot put a top on a 2500 sf pen with trees in the middle of it like mine is. The problem is that dogs often get into fences, as has happened here when a dog literally climbed my perimeter fence, tearing it off a tree it was nailed to. If it had not gotten back out and stayed out when it did, my DH, who was standing there with a pistol aimed at it, would have dropped it and buried it. We had no idea whose dog it was, but it was NOT where it should have been, on its own property.

There is only so much you can do, however, I got chickens in order to free range them. If they don't free range, I might as well buy anemic grocery store eggs because that's the equivalent I'll have if they must be penned 24/7. Free ranging is a time honored way of saving on feed and having better, more nutritious eggs and healthier birds.

Interestingly enough, I just saw a dog with whom we've had some trouble outside our closed driveway gate a little while ago. No sounds were coming from his owner's house down the hill. This is a dog whose owner has been warned that he will be shot if he gets into this area again and goes after a chicken and who has a HUGE chain link fenced area to be in. There is NO reason for that dog to need to leave that fenced area, not ever. No dog needs to roam. It's not a wolf, it's a domestic dog in a county with laws against that sort of thing, laws which side with me should we need to drop it. Good neighbor relations? It's not the dog's fault? Ask me if I care anymore.

 

[chickortreat]

I agree with Chesterchook. It is not the dogs fault. Few dogs can contain themselves when seeing chickens running around. Yes, the neighbor should pay $20 or so for the chicken, but you also may need to consider fencing your birds or you will likely have other losses from this dog or others. I am not trying to sound harsh, but the reality is we need to protect our chickens from irresponcible animals owners and wild animals. I have had to resort to 9' fences and wire tops on my bantam pens to keep my birds safe from domestic and wild animals.

Well, if a dog comes onto MY property and attacks/kills one (or more) of MY chickens, I'd like someone to fluently and thoroughly explain to me how that's MY fault.

I have always maintained that if I wanted to keep a $100 bill under a brick on my front doorstep, it still gives NO ONE the right to take it. I understand the old animal-loving, tree-hugger mentality that says a dog can't think/reason, but I refuse to stand by and watch anything (or anyONE) harm me or mine.

 

[AVintageLife]

We had an issue with a neighbor's chocolate lab coming into our yard all the time (before we got chickens) and terrorizing our kids and cats. He wasn't mean, just big and no social skills/untrained. After the final straw one day, I walked him back to his home and told the owner if he came into our yard again, I'd be calling the police. We never saw him in our yard again. If that hadn't worked, I was thinking of taking him to an animal shelter several towns away. It's not the dog's fault but if the owner's won't be good neighbors and respect your property, you have a right to take whatever reasonable action you feel is necessary to protect you and yours. And for the time, effort and expense you put into raising your chickens and the pain and suffering of the poor child, I don't think $100 is unreasonable amount to expect for compensation. Has to be an amount that gets their attention and will make them think twice about letting this happen again. People who don't have chickens just don't understand how beloved they are to most of us.

 

[Mattemma]

Make the dog disappear.Ask for $15Most neighbors would then give more because they feel so bad.If the dog comes back make it disappear,and say nothing about it.

 

[CluckyCharms]

This is an extremely sad situation and I'm sorry for your loss - more sorry for your daughter, poor dear. I'm sure that was a shock to her little system.

I agree with Jack. If a dog came onto my property and killed one of my chickens in front of my child, you bet your bottom dollar I would drop the dog the next time I saw its paws on my property.

We have three beautiful, amazing dogs...whom I dearly love, so I am not anti-dog. I am anti idiot dog owners. If the owners of that dog that killed your chicken refuse to get off their duffs and either train the dog properly or keep it in their own yard, yes....I would kill the dog without batting an eyelash.

Why?

Because, now that your daughter has experienced this, and knows what happens --- knowing that almost all children will do anything and everything in their little bodies to help those in need --- what are you going to do the next time the dog makes to attack your chickens and your daughter, heaven help her, attempts to save the chickens and gets mauled?? Is it worth it to have "good relations" with your neighbors and lose your child in the process? Sure, you can always teach your children to stay away from violent things such as this and run for help from an adult...that doesn't mean they will when the egg's in the frying pan.

Some would say "well, the dog isn't the type of dog to..yadda yadda." Contact the animal control offices in your state and ask about incident reports - you'd be surprised how often that "sweet little dog" has mortally wounded or seriously injured a human child due to their protection of another animal.

 

[Hennyhandler]

Thinking on the other side of the situation, which I doubt pertains to the OP's situation since the neighbor doesn't seem to care, how would you feel if you had a pet, that was contained appropriately and somehow accidently got out. How upsetting to find out that the person that found your dog kills him instead of returning it or calling you to pick it up when it was an honest accident.