Please help! Seeking every legal avenue for vengeance after a slaughter (TX).

[Matilda Belle]

As someone who works in the legal industry, I can say that you may actually have a case. If someone's dogs are on your property and kill your chickens, they should be held responsible. If you have surveillance of the incident, even better (preserve and document whatever you can). I would recommend contacting a civil or small claims attorney nearby to see what your options are. I'm sorry for your loss.

I am not an attorney and this does not constitute legal advice.

 

[EllieandOlive]

We have a no leash law rural neighborhood, in TX. Dogs run around practically feral kill people's poultry and cats. The local animal control cop fully supports us protecting our animals, and has just said be careful where you aim. We've made multiple reports after losing birds to a handful the same dogs, with photo evidence of the dogs climbing our 6ft fences and fully fenced property. One set of 3 dogs have been,such a nuisance with SO many reports being filed on them that anytime someone sees on or all three of the dogs off their property the owners get a 300$ fine per dog, per time it was reported, each time it happens. Since that happened their dogs have been not an issue. I believe they rehomed them.

Anyways, we have a neighbor directly across our street who has two poorly cared for dogs who have killed and are vicious to our animals and don't obey or respond at all when trying to stop them in their kill drive rampages. One is extremely skinny and squeezes through our driveway gate. It's a pitbull mix. It will be shot the next time we see it on our land, will the full support of the sheriff after multiple reports and acknowledgement of the negligent owner. It has even gone after our young small breed dog when my kids took him out to go potty. Zero tolerance for kill drive dogs on my land.

 

[NatJ]

I agree. I know some people feel strongly about their chicken pets, and I love my chickens as pets too. But they are technically livestock.

It's a funny thing, but the laws often protect livestock more strongly than they protect pets.

For example, in my area, a dog that kills livestock is supposed to be killed. A dog that kills a pet may be classed as a "dangerous dog" and given another chance.

So having chickens be "livestock" may mean MORE legal protection than if they were pets.

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Hmm not sure how I can help you... Maybe have a chat with the owner of the dogs and tell them how devestated you are. Maybe when you aren't home you can put your animals in a safe place???

 

[Imbri]

Oh, and as for talking to the neighbors in question, my mother-in-law says they don't speak English... and even if they did, I hate confrontation and the odds of me ending up either sobbing or screaming obscenities seems awfully high. It's in everyone's best interest that I not be face-to-face with people who would do this to their own neighbors.

 

[buffy-the-eggpile-layer]

It looks like some pretty sound advice has been offered (I've learned something from this, too, so thanks for your post). I wish I could add something wise and helpful. I can relate to this on many levels--the loving of pets like children (we have none; we may one day but right now my life seems so full with my furred and feathered pals), and the wrath that would be unleashed were someone's negligence to affect my flock in such a devastating manner. Oh, and the avoidance of confrontation. I really hope you are able to find a solution that works longterm and can help you get some rest, peace of mind, and catharsis. RIP to your beautiful boys. I'm glad your mother-in-law was able to intervene in time to save the others.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I would take them to civil court personally and sue for loss of income you would have potentially made from the birds in their lifetime. If anyone in your family is currently seeing a therapist you could also sue for emotional distress from the situation. Sometimes just getting a sub peona is enough for people to act. My brother lived in a rental and after he moved his previous landlord filed a lawsuit against him for leaving dog poop in the yard. My brother showed up the next day after recieving the sub peona and picked up all the poop and the landlord dropped his lawsuit.

 

[MamaBelle5]

Here we have court fees that would outweigh any take home from a law suit, you would be lucky to get any more than the cost of the chickens you're replacing, a judge may see any previous vet invoices just that, previous, so put some thought into your plan moving forward. If the court fees are anything like they are here, that hotwire fence would be a cheaper investment.

Yes, I absolutely agree with this. You've got filing fees plus the cut the attorney takes if/when you win, and that's assuming an attorney will take on a case that will only have a small judgment (if one at all). And, I'm not familiar with TX law, but judgments can be notoriously hard to collect.

I think the best thing to do is file a report with the police and animal control. They do owe you money for your losses. That is the best path, in my opinion, to recoup it.

 

[Imbri]

Wow! Lots of discussion while I was busy with life. I appreciate all the input and opinions. I realize I am partially to blame for not doing more to protect my flock...but that does not excuse my neighbors' inaction.

I also realize that I used emotional words like "murder" and "slaughter" here... I did so because I was venting to fellow poultry lovers. I *do* understand that, when dealing with animal control cops and courts, emotional language should be avoided and want to stick to the facts and to objective descriptions.

In retrospect, I did a very poor job of conveying what I actually want/expect from a civil suit. To clarify, I want to be a pain in the butt. My MIL told me that you don't need an attorney for small claims court... So I'm looking to be a nuisance by making these people a) have to show up in court and b) have to attempt to justify their behavior in hopes that having to do so will encourage them to think about how their actions (or inactions) affect others.

The mother dog has been back every morning with her puppies, presumably looking for my hens. These dogs have a history of digging under people's fences to get into their yards. I have no idea how to defend against that on a budget of pretty much nothing. I'm scared to put my girls in their coop, given how easy it is to dig in our sinkhole of a yard... But I can only have them in my living room/kitchen for so long.

My biggest concern is that if animal control takes these dogs and administers a slap-on-the-wrist type fine, the owners will turn around and get new dogs.

Where I live, it is legal for me or anyone acting on my behalf to kill the two dogs that have been seen attacking my livestock anytime that they return to this property.

In theory, I consider this a fair and effective solution. After all, a bullet to the brain would be a far more humane end then the one those dogs infected on my babies. Unfortunately, I will NEVER allow a gun in my home for any reason because my husband is schizophrenic and I know a bad idea when I see one.

I also don't think I have it in me to pull the trigger on a dog, even if logic tells me to. I have humanely dispatched an animal before, but that was a baby dove whose mother partially broke its neck after her mate died of natural causes. The baby was hopelessly injured but very much alive. I was faced with the choice of humanely and quickly ending the baby's life or letting it die a slow, prolonged death, most likely of dehydration... so I did what needs to be done and then went inside and told my husband. It happened six years ago and still haunts me. That's very different from taking a predator out, though.

I guess I wish I had a gun-lovin' friend, lol. Animal control is on my last nerve. They came out today without bothering to tell us that they would be here or even that they had arrived, then claimed that they couldn't find the house that the murderous dogs belonged to even though I sent them an exceptional photograph of the house, showing the mother and pups and their "igloo" in the yard, complete with house number. Apparently they talked to some of our other neighbors who told them that a) "those dogs" belong to us (yeah, 'cause I'm going to call animal control on myself) and b) that they thought a single man lived here (when it's two females and a male who virtually never leaves our home unless I'm beside him).

Basically, it's a clusterf*ck. Animal control said they would come back tomorrow and we're guessing it'll be around 10:00 a.m. again, so I'm going to try to drag my butt out of bed at that hour despite getting off work at 11: 30 pm and not having gone to sleep yet.

 

[parvani]

Well, anthing short of confiscation or death seems moot, given that the dogs are diggers and I don't trust them not to dig their way to the hens. I've gotta figure something out, though. Chickens do NOT belong inside, lol!

Another murder occurred today... of the last kolache, which had been in a box on the stove:

View attachment 2593790

We haven't seen the dogs in 5-6 days and we've been looking, but animal control says they haven't taken them. Working on fencing improvements now... And "wanted" posters...

Mother in law thinks someone else may have killed them but I'm worried they're just inside until the heat dies down.

So wait -- the CHICKENS got into the kolache???

Oh I totally misunderstood that post. I thought somehow the dogs got into the kolache... which was why you thought that they were still alive and just being kept indoors.

But if the dogs have become chicken killers in a neighborhood full of chicken owners, then they won't live long regardless.