Neighbors Dogs killing chickens

[CoyoteMagic]

Shoot shovel and shut up. Dog will be gone and he can never prove that you did it unless you leave the dead dog lying around. I just put a bullet in a neighbors cat that had killed 2 of my chickens. (this one I couldn't catch in a trap and have put down) I didn't have to tell him but I did. I had warned him in advance if it was back over here it was going down.

Do what you have to do to protect you and yours.

 

[SillyChicken]

I'm sorry for the loss of your birds.... and I know I'm new to the board... but it really upset me that the only cause of action seems to be to kill the dog.

As a dog passonate and breeder, and rescuer, I'd like to ask why the dog has to be the one to lose here. He's just doing what comes natural to him. It's his owners fault that its a problem. Try to catch the dog, crate him and take him to the pound yourself, let them know he's a livestock killer. Then hit the guy in his pocketbook as hard as you can. Hopefully, he'll be too lazy to get another dog. And you'll be able to replace your chickens or have the extra cash for fencing.

 

[Guinea Goonie]

I just got enough money to put a rail and decent scope on my saiga 308. Two dogs are on the perimeter of the property and I am just awaiting their presence in the fence line where the chickens and minis roam.

The 6mm was getting a bit expensive to shoot varmits with. Now it is a bit of over KILL (pun intended).

The coyotes are staying away so far this year. I guess they remember the massacre last year.

 

[bigclucker]

I got nothing against dogs, but the neighbors dogs are no more important than your chickens. I got my wife a BB gun (decent power) and have peppered the neighbors' dogs' rear ends a time or 2. They've been told their dogs get in our trash, poop and have even torn up my son's bicycle seat. Next step is the Marlin .22. My neighbor is entitled to his pets and freedom, but also responsible for them.

 

[kennedyscochins]

I had the same problem with my neighbors dogs, but they were very nice about it. Now, first let me say my dog was in on it too. For some reason, he gets in trouble when there are other dogs around. So, the neighbors dog was coming over and climbing ON TOP of the chicken wire that I had over the top of the run and chewing through it until he got enough room to get in. He then proceeded to kill all of my chickens. I went to tell the neighbor that I was getting more chickens and putting an electric fence all the way around my chicken coop (just letting him know his dog might get shocked a few times (I wanted to put it this way instead of saying, "You're dogs causing trouble)). He said "If your husband has a gun, shoot that dog. He said he couldn't because his daughter would kill him. Now, having said all of this, that same dog would also come in our garage and chew up and carry off anything he could find. My neighbor literally would bring me bags back of stuff the dog had carried off. Now back to the point. The neighbor offered to pay for all of my chickens and he got rid of the dog (to a friend, not shooting it).

Oh, by the way, my dog does not bother my chickens now! He lays in the yard with them and actually protects them while they free range!

 

[chickenjones]

Wow! I had no idea this would be such a hot topic (other than to me).

I have an update. We talked to the owner's wife because he wouldn't talk to us over the phone. She was nice but kept saying it was their son's dog (he's 18) so they couldn't do anything. I would say if my son lived under my roof then he would listen. But anyway I called the Johnson County sheriff today and he told me I had every right to shoot the dog if he was on my property and threatening or destroying/damaging anything. My other option is to call them out and they will give them a warning to keep the dog put up and every time it steps out of the yard they will get a ticket. I also found out their previous pit bull attacked our neighbor's two labs and almost killed both of them. There was a $700 vet bill. Our neighbor told the owner to pay the bill or shoot the dog. He shot the dog.

I agree with the person who is a dog lover. It is the owner's fault this dog is running loose and now that he's tasted blood he is going to keep coming back. I understand that we free range our chickens so that is a risk but I won't keep them literally cooped up their whole lives either. The fact is that the dog is coming on our property to get them. I know they aren't going on their property just by the layout of the land and watching them. They like the cover of the woods and our property extends to the edge of the woods. Our adult chickens had started hanging out on the other side of our property to avoid the dog, I assume. They only came back when I brought my daughter home from school. They are older and wiser. The young ones didn't have a chance. I feel awful about it, believe me. I do assume responsibility for them being out but they need to keep their dogs put up. I mentioned they have a great dane too right, that also chases them? I would hate to hurt him, he's just a big puppy but he has killed at least one for sure.

For now they are in the coop and we let them have the choice of coming out when my husband is home and he is out there with them. Its been raining so they didn't really go out today.

We are putting up an electric fence so that will help I hope. We should have it done by the end of this month with my hubby working on it after work and weekends. I think he is going to recruit a friend to help him too. I can't believe the deputy just came out and told me I could shoot the dog. I was a little shocked. He said Burleson has no leash law but there is a newer law that required you to keep your animals penned up if they are known to be aggressive or destructive. I didn't know that. He said they would get a formal letter of warning and would talk to them but after that its ticket city.

My husband is way more concerned for our kids safety, I have to say. It is creepy to know that dog's in the woods and then no sooner do I go inside or leave he's killing and taking my chickens! Goodnight all.

Melody

 

[kennedyscochins]

I wish you the best of luck with it all. I know when it was happening to me (this was before I got all of my cochins- I had RIR and some roosters) I felt so bad because my neighbors are good people and I didn't want any tension, but something had to be done. Luckily, they were so nice about it all.

 

[LizFM]

Quote:

That's BS!!!! He should never have been able to get out of the vet bill by shooting the dog!!!

All this Moron has learned is that dogs are expendable, and if you keep killing them off (or telling your neighbors to do it) and getting another one, YOU pay no penalty whatsoever.

A series of dogs are going to be paying with their lives for this idiot's stupidity, laziness and lack of any sense of responsibility what. so. ever.

You can shoot this dog. And then within a month or two he's going to have the next dog that you are going to have to shoot. And then another. All the while you will be spending more and more money to upgrade your fencing.

HE needs to be made to pay the price or he will never change.

(Sorry I'm not shouting at you at all...this just frustrates me beyond belief. I am actually glad you started this thread. It brings home to other people why just shooting problem dogs is not solving the problem.)

Edited to add: I have lived near entirely too many idiots just like this so my patience with this type of behavior is way shorter than it might otherwise be.

 

[Ibicella]

Quote:
Honestly, I don't disagree with you at all. My first choice would be to get restitution and find a way to help the neighbor keep their dog nearby them.

But the reality is, there are a lot of practical reasons why the dog will have to be put down. Sometimes the law and Animal Control and the Police are just plain useless to help you. Sometimes tangling with your thick-headed idiot neighbors is just a bad idea so it's more intelligent not to bother them. Sometimes the dog just won't be caught or is too dangerous to try to catch.

With predators, time is of the essence to find a solution as quickly as possible. Especially with dogs, which will cheerfully decimate hundreds of birds in a single instance if they have a chance just 'cause it's fun. It doesn't matter if that's what natural to him or who, what, where is to blame. Our chickens die HORRIBLE deaths at the jaws of wayward dogs, and our jobs as responsible chicken owners is to protect them...so if that means shooting the dog, so be it. It's a tragic shame, and I think that it's safe to say that that aspect of owning livestock bothers a great deal of us because we're not unfeeling to suffering or death. It's sure not something that lets ME sleep at night, being a dog lover and rescuer myself.

Chicken owning comes with a lot of hard choices that require heavy thinking sometimes.

 

[fancbrd4me02]

Quote:

That's BS!!!! He should never have been able to get out of the vet bill by shooting the dog!!!

All this Moron has learned is that dogs are expendable, and if you keep killing them off (or telling your neighbors to do it) and getting another one, YOU pay no penalty whatsoever.

A series of dogs are going to be paying with their lives for this idiot's stupidity, laziness and lack of any sense of responsibility what. so. ever.

You can shoot this dog. And then within a month or two he's going to have the next dog that you are going to have to shoot. And then another. All the while you will be spending more and more money to upgrade your fencing.

HE needs to be made to pay the price or he will never change.

(Sorry I'm not shouting at you at all...this just frustrates me beyond belief. I am actually glad you started this thread. It brings home to other people why just shooting problem dogs is not solving the problem.)

Edited to add: I have lived near entirely too many idiots just like this so my patience with this type of behavior is way shorter than it might otherwise be.

I totally agree. For some reason, it is easier for people to shoot a dog than go after the source. Your neighbors son who owns the dog owes you for the damages and is responsible. He is the source of the trouble. (and his parents, they don't keep the dog penned up)