Neighbor's Dogs Killed Entire Flock & Donkey

[centrarchid]

IMO With dog problems what u want ( free range ) isn't going to be an option. I would section off a part of land however big with electric fencing. Then inside of that a coop and run. I have personally watched my dog investigate the new wire and by his reaction I don't see any dogs getting through it. Mine is 7 wires high about 5' tall

That is like my cockyard perimeters which also entertains fox and raccoons a bit although it does not contain birds very well. Therefore I have a pasture perimeter as well that has effectively stopped all dog visits. What is optimal for stopping dogs is not best for livestock containment either because of placement or number of strands needed if wire is used alone. Best option for me has been hybrid fence with physical barrier coupled with risk of zap. Also, some dogs go nuts when they are close to something of interest which can make fencing less effective. My current male dog will not be stopped by hot electrified poultry netting if a raccoon is on the other side. Keeping a free-ranging flock away from perimeter is advised in part because birds near perimeter are more likely to go beyond it and thus beyond protection. That is what OP needs to consider as well, directing free-range foraging to central areas away from perimeter.

 

[bobbi-j]

I haven't gotten past the first page, but don't have time to read the whole thread at this time. So, I'm sorry if this has been addressed already. I think you're shorting yourself by asking for $2000, but I understand your reasoning. Your neighbor did come to you (so different from the "my neighbor's dogs killed my flock but denies everything" threads), and that's a start. You are worried that she won't be friendly toward you after you present your bill of $2000 to her. You could start with showing her your expenses for the past 6 months of raising and feeding your chickens, your loss of income, the cost to replace them with POL pullets, and the value of your donkey. That it well over $2000. Then you tell her that you'll settle for $2000. I would also shoot those packs of dogs whether they have collars or not. Dogs running in a pack are dangerous not only to livestock, but potentially to humans as well. We used to have packs running here, too. Some had collars. Some of those collars were actually growing into the dogs' necks, slowly strangling them. If you shoot the neighbor's dogs, I would SSS and only say anything if she asks.

 

[Tiff in NV]

Unless the OP ha a home insurance endorsement that covers economic loss for a business venture, her own home policy will be a dead end... most policies exclude businesses of any kind, no matter how small. And by bringing it to the attention of her insurance company, she may cause her company to cancel her coverage. I would recommend everyone a their agent how THEY are covered for a similar situation, you may be unpleasantly surprised by what they say. Also, ask for it in writing, or at least to be directed where to find the answer in the policy jacket.

 

[D Kluck]

>I think the big problem here is no county animal control <<

We have no county animal control here either. ...but we take care of the problems for the ignorant dog owner....... and it's not always pleasant for the dogs or the owners..

 

[Mtn Laurel]

I haven't read all the posts, but I hope the first thing the OP did was to call the sheriff. It is the rare community that does not have dog control laws. The next step should have been to call your insurance company. Emotional connection aside, this is a case of property loss and destruction. I probably wouldn't even try to talk to the neighbor with the out-of-control dogs at this point. I'd take the case straight to much higher authority.

There's no need for the OP's insurance company to be involved. They should call the neighbor's insurance company and file a claim for loss under the liability coverage provided on the dog-owners homeowners policy.

Unfortunately, getting the policy information would probably be difficult as people aren't inclined to offer that info willingly. The OP has nothing to lose in asking for the insurance info. That might give the neighbor some idea of how serious this situation is and encourage them to get control of their dogs.

 

[country chick1]

if a farmers dog, eats one of his sheep or cattle, the dog is put down, once they get the taste for it, there is no turning back, they will keep coming back,, more determined each time...you can't tell me the neighbour didn't suspect something with their dogs, they would have not been eating their food at home or would be coming home with blood, feathers, wool, on them, sounds like they are just ignorant to what was going on around them...bad dog owners raise bad dogs......so sad for you to lose everything

A big part of what is said there is not accurate.

Please explain exactly what is not accurate???

 

[bobbi-j]

Please explain exactly what is not accurate???

I'm not sure what parts Centrarchid are referring to, but here are the statements I see. "if a farmers dog, eats one of his sheep or cattle, the dog is put down," Not always. I can't, of course, speak for ALL farmers, just myself and my husband. We've had dogs that have killed chickens. The dogs were not put down. The chickens were kept safe, the dogs were trained, and everyone lived happily ever after. "once they get the taste for it, there is no turning back," Again - not always. Some dogs can be trained not to mess with chickens even after having killed one (or more). It's not necessarily blood lust that keeps them coming back. Sometimes it's just playing with the fun running, squawking, flapping chew toy. Dog gets excited, it chases, chicken runs, dog chases until it catches the chicken. "they would have not been eating their food at home or would be coming home with blood, feathers, wool, on them," As a rule, dogs don't eat what they kill when they go on a killing spree. They just kill. The one dog I had would "retrieve" the bird, carry it around until it was dead (and therefore no longer any fun) and start over. He never had a drop of blood on him, because he never broke the skin of the chicken. That seems to be the usual MO for a dog. Kill it, let it lay, go get another one. When there are more dogs than just one involved, they get into pack mode and almost go crazy with killing. It's like they egg each other on. I will agree with your statement that bad dog owners raise bad dogs.

 

[Cheepskate]

So sorry about your losses. I hope you are coping okay. There has been some good advice given. I can only hope your neighbor follows through and does the right thing; both financially and in controlling her animals. As hard as it may be, give her an opportunity to make things right. A good neighbor should try to make things right. The courts can handle bad neighbors. I also would not hesitate to defend my property from animals whose owner was unwilling or unable to control them. A collar would not make a difference in my sight picture.

 

[bobbi-j]

So sorry about your losses. I hope you are coping okay. There has been some good advice given. I can only hope your neighbor follows through and does the right thing; both financially and in controlling her animals. As hard as it may be, give her an opportunity to make things right. A good neighbor should try to make things right. The courts can handle bad neighbors. I also would not hesitate to defend my property from animals whose owner was unwilling or unable to control them. A collar would not make a difference in my sight picture.

This. There is a lot to be said for being "neighbors". Out here where I live, you have neighbors and you have people who live by you. We have "neighbors" 10 miles down the road, yet there are people who live by us a mile away. I think the neighbor did a good thing by approaching the OP in the first place. Hopefully they can settle things between themselves and not have to let it get ugly. (Although I stand by my earlier statement about SSS should the dogs return) Another thing about where I live. If one's dog is killing the neighbor's stock and flock, one would understand if the neighbor were to put that dog down. That's just the way it is.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Here the law states if it's confirmed a dog has killed livestock, the dog's OWNER is required to kill it, and if he doesn't, anyone else can at any time