Shot a pest, not a predator, but the neighbour is irate.

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

Long story short........I live on 50 rural acres. Everyone knows I give 1 WARNING ONLY about nuisance pets on my property. Well the lady who has a horse on 1 acre up the road feels she can ride on everyone else's land because she lives in the country. I have told her on many occasions to stay off my fenced property. She believes she is entitled to ride anywhere as long as she sticks to the fence line.

Well today I found her horse, not saddled in my vegetable patch enjoying a salad. So I dispatched it with my shotgun humanely. About an hour later the cops show up. They know me very well, due to another neighbours dogs continuely harassing my chickens.


1st COP..."Was the horse going after your chickens?"

LCRT...."NO, It was eating my vegetables"

2nd COP..."Then why did you shoot it?"

LCRT..."Cause it was on my property, & I've advised the owner to stay off it, & posted the NO TRESPASSING signs like I was told by the POLICE"

The cop's took my statement & left. Shortly after that, the lady's hubby shows up & tells me I'm going to be charged with animal cruelty & they are going to sue me.

My question is, don't you think the cop's would have done that if they thought I had commited a crime?

I'm wondering if any others out there have dispatched a horse on there property, & had any legal problems.

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

Well, If I had warned you to keep your horse off MY PROPERTY a dozen times in the last year, I would have shot it as well. Don't get me wrong, but this lady has way TOO MUCH attitude. I was just reacting to the situation at hand.

 

[Critter Crazy]

un ummm....I cannot for the life of me understand how anyone could just shoot a horse??? WTH??? what a crappy way to teach this lady a lesson!! The horse wasnt hurting you or anyone, so It ate a few veggies! Big freaking deal!!! I am totally disgusted!!!!

I am sorry, but you definitely need to be charged with Animal cruelty!! un un un

SHAME ON YOU!!!!!


RIP poor Horse

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

I've shot lots of animal's on my property. Skunks, raccoons, fox, coyotes, dogs,cats, & now a horse. The owner is guilty as far as I am concerned. She was told to keep off MY PROPERTY.

Anyway's, what I'm looking for is anyone who has had a similar problem. Thanx for the scolding tho. I'll sleep on it.

 

[cristina33]

This post makes me SICK. I can not even begin to think how anyone could do such a thing. I hope you are charged because that was so very wrong. You could have held the horse and called animal control. I can not even find words to say how I feel just from reading this!!
Cristina

 

[alex]

well i think its really meen but, the owner was a little rude so its her problem. . .

 

[MayberrySaint]

I'll play Devil's Advocate...most of us would shoot a dog or coyote or raccoon that was threatening our chickens. The chickens are our property and we are protecting our property from a threat. In this case, the vegetable garden was the OPs property...same as a flock of chickens. The horse was on his property and he shot it, protecting his property. Now if it was a rabbit or groundhog, would everyone be so up in arms...the answer is No. What makes a horse a more valuable lifeform than a rabbit or groundhog.
With that said, I would not have shot the horse, but I cannot find fault with the OPs actions.

 

[mamading]

WOW!!!!! Huge can of worms you opened up on here and with your neighbor. I'm amazed you even posted what you did on here with all the horse owners/lovers that are members here. I hate to say but I'm pretty sure you've made some enemies here. I agree with Critter Crazy, you could've handled your issues with the "prima donna" neighbor differently. Geez, it's not like it's the wild west and you can go around shooting your gun at anything that crosses your property lines. Actually if it was like the wild west you'd be hanged.
All I can say is I'm pretty sure you're in a lot of legal trouble now.

 

[mamaboyd]

Sorry, but I think there could have been a better way to deal with this type of situation. We live in the country too, and have had lots of animals passing along on our property too, horses as well, and even though we might not like it, I would NEVER EVER shoot it, it's not the horse's fault that it's owner didn't obey your requests. Just my opinion, but I've seen the neighbors horse shot for a no good reason, and it was terrible. We live in an area that is used for trail riding alot, I would never shoot a person's horse just because they were too close for comfort.

Also, does this lady ride the fence line near the road, and how far away is it?? Because there are so many feet from the middle of the road up to and on your property that belongs to the COUNTY or Township, and as far as I know, you don't have much of a say about what steps on that area unless you complain to the township about it.
This post really upsets me as I am a horse lover and a rescued horse owner.

 

[LittleChickenRacingTeam]

I guess my attitude towards horse's is a little different than all of you. Having spent time in Asia (Thailand)....I've dined on both meals of HORSE & DOG. I think North American's in general have a problem eating what they consider companion animals.

It's meat to me, but unfortunately SNOODLES(the horse) was left in the sun too long to have any value for consumption. If they don't pick her up tomorrow I will be suing them for the removal of the carcass.