Neighbor's dogs killed 16 of my chickens tonight.

[Charlene]

I think even in the liveral Bay Area your still get to protect your livestock. But hauling the dogs off would probably work better. I will give them the chance to do the right thing before I report this. I have tried to fix the fence many times but it's a 200' run. I thought it was secure but they push on it.

 

[Tropical Chook]

I can imagine how angry you must be, and of course the owner of those dogs is actually more to blame than the dogs. If I were you, I charge them as much as possible for the chickens, and any hassle getting the money, I'd shoot the dogs if entitled to. Here in Thailand, if your dog kills even one chicken belonging to someone else, the dog gets shot and you foot the bill for the chicken as well.

 

[Charlene]

I am shaking furious. I just talked to him on the phone even though I explicity asked him to come over here. A-hole. And all he can say is he's trying and he didn't know. But I know he knew because my other neighbor (who is unfortunately his tenant) told me he'd told him multiple times. And he didn't say anything like a normal responsible person would say like "How can I make this right?" He seemed put off that I wanted $200 and I told him he was getting off easy that that was just the cost and not the retail value. I told him I would keep the remaining 4 in until Monday and then I would be within my rights to protect my property. I was so mad. I know it's better to keep you temper but it was so much more fun to scream at him.

 

[TrystInn]

Charge them retail for them all, file a nuisance dog report with the police department for your loss (they will try to foist you off onto Animal Control). Then go buy a paint gun and the next time those dogs get loose, shoot them with the paint gun. It will hurt and make a mess, hopefully teach them to fear your property and alert their owners, too. Fix your fence, hook it up to electricity and if by this time you haven't been reimbursed for your chickens, file in small claims court.

I have a BB gun, a revolver and a shot gun. The neighbor with the pitbull and no fenced yard has been warned that I will grab whichever satisfies my mood the next time that dog charges me in my own driveway. He goes for the fence and he's a dead dog.

I am so very tired of irresponsible neighbors with violent dogs and little sense.

 

[lauraleigh]

Quote:
Absolutely right. Can't imagine having a flock without electric fence, guard dogs, and a gun.

 

[Charlene]

No fence and an aggressive pitbull? Are they trying to get someone killed? Insane!

The neighbor just came by, all denials and fake apologies. He has now accused two people of lying who have no reason to lie to me. What a piece of work. At least he brought a check. I made him take the dead chickens. They garbage doesn't come until Friday and I don't want them in my trash that long. He also can get a feeling of how big they really were (the CornishX's were huge!). Poor chickens. All I was trying to do was save some chickens from suffering.

 

[Bizzybirdy]

He also needs to pay for damages to your fence and property. Shame there are people that refuse to keep their dogs up. I had to take my neighbors to court before they would do anything, and this after their dogs killed my baby geese and a mamma hen and her 14 babies! Talk about MAD!

When neighbors have to shell out money it seems they are more likely to not let that happen again. Always try to take photos... a picture is worth a thousand words. All I did was hand them to the judge....

 

[aduplantis]

Sorry this happened. I had a similar thing happen to me with my rabbits and quails. The people who's dogs came in my yard and murdered my animals had to pay me for my loss and to get my cages fixed. I called Animal Control right away. It was resolved without any problems.

 

[Cetawin]

Check with local law enforcement...if you can discharge a firearm where you are, you most likely have the right to protect your birds. They can tell you with a phone call.

There is nothing easy about a shooting a dog but I have done it...three times. I will do so again if they are a threat to my birds and on my property. The responsibility for the dog's whereabouts is the dog owner not yours. Put a hot wire up thought for sure.

Make sure you force them to pay for the birds, the expenses thusfar and any damage to your pens and so forth. Take it to small claims court if you have too. I am sick these irresposnible dog owners. Ack.

I am sorry for your losses.

 

[Charlene]

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate you concern and your stories. I'll do all I can to make sure the fence is good, but I am also willing to make the neighbors hurt to make them be responsible too. Most likely it will be by taking the dogs to the shelter if I ever see them on my property again. The fines they'll have to pay to free them and the hassle will speak louder than anything I could say or do other than shooting the dogs. I hope it doesn't come to that but I think I could do it too, if I had to.

We have had a game camera up in the chicken area since the coyotes came a few months back. Too bad the batteries had run out for today. That would have given him a shock.

As of the last conversation with my neighbor, everyone else is liar and he's trying and sorry and didn't know. Uh-huh.

I did make him take all the bodies and give me money. I feel like him having to take the bags (very heavy!) will bring it home a little more, and anyway I don't want them rotting in my garbage.