should I follow thru with animal control complaint

[shoregirl68]

I am still reeling from our neighbors dog coming into our yard and killing 2 of our chickens last Friday. I realize now it is in part my fault for not protecting them properly (I have ordered Premier-1 permanet plus)

The day the attack occurred the chickens wouldn't leave the coop due to the high winds, freezing temps, and 4 inches of snow on the ground and based on where the evidence was in the yard it looks like the dog drove the chickens out of the coop and tossed the 2 around in several spots like chew toys and took off when my husband realized what happened and when out side. We were only able to find one carcass, but lots of evidence that in addition to the BO a barred rock was a victim, plus it's been missing ever since so if it looks like a duck....

I called our local sheriff only to find out there is no local ordinance for dogs killing livestock.

I have put a call into animal control. Not sure how it works elsewhere but you can file an anonymous complaint or fill out an affidavit so the offending owner is issued a citation and fined for not keeping his animal on his property.

The problem of the dog coming in our yard has been going on since we moved here, 5 years. It pees on the neighbors tires so one neighbor has nicknamed it pee-head, it somehow got onto my screen-in porch at 7am one Sunday morning and was barking through the window at my cats, it has chased my cats so far up trees I've had to get them down via ladder, one morning 2 years ago I came home from a party and was unloading my car (1am), when I went out for a second unload the dog was climbing in the open door of my car presumably to get at the food still in the car.

I have pictures of it running through the neighborhood and when it killed one of my ducks and one chicken last spring because they were on the property line I couldn't do anything about it. I spoke with him at that point and he assured me he would do everything he could to keep the dog on his property. Now every time I see the dog in the neighborhood running loose I go over to him to let him know but for some reason he just doesn't get it. Chickens or no chickens, I DO NOT WANT HIS DOG IN MY YARD.

He keeps saying he is working on it with excuses that range from "oh I forgot to put the collar on today" to "if he sees something he wants to chase he'll run right past the electric fence," he even has a dog door so that it can come and go as it pleases!!!

The issue now is that my husband doesn't think it's in our best interest to file a complaint with animal control. He feels this will only cause more friction between us as neighbors and that it may cause the neighbor to retaliate in some way against us.

I know filing a claim will not bring my sweet, sweet Hazel back (yes I miss the barred rock but Hazel was my best girl) but it just seems wrong for our neighbor to let his dog run loose and for us to let it continue. Others on the forum have said they would have done something about it way before now and I regret not at the very least protecting my girls more efficiently but seriously this dog owner needs someone to get it through his head that letting his dog run loose is not only illegal but not OK.

For more details on attack see post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/846477/sweetest-favorite-chicken-killed-today-by-dog

Would love to hear the communities thoughts on this.

 

[AmericanMom]

If you don't follow through with the report its just going to keep happening, the owner obviously isn't going to take responsibility on his own..
I am all for keeping the peace with neighbors, Although we have an acre of property we have neighbors on both sides of us and behind our property line. We lost two of our pullets over the late summer/fall because they got into the neighbors yard and his dog killed them, no issue, it was our fault, we have secured the fence line at our own cost but have had to let them know that we did so to protect our birds, if there dog is caught here as has happened in the past and attacks our hens it will be shot. We have already pelted their cat with bb's as it wouldn't leave our baby chicks alone and they were in a covered brooder. If I wanted a dog I would get one, don't need the neighborhood dogs pretending like this is their property..

 

[earlybird10842]

Don't feel bad about this. Unlike last time, they were not on the property line. The dog's owner is the one at fault here.

 

[D Kluck]

Have you contacted the owner and told him to keep his dog on his own property?

If you have and he hasn't then what I would have is one dead dog...and a neighbor who is going to pay for all my damages..

 

[The Lazy L]

Shoot the dog.

Shove a hole and buried it.

Shut up by don't tell anyone you shot it.

This is called the SSS method.


You refuse to shoot the dog? Then press charges or continue to raise chickens to provide chew toys for the dog.

 

[Coop Deville]

My state (and I believe, most states) permit the killing of a dog that is attacking, about to attack, or has just attacked livestock, or domestic animals or fowl.

Each time the owner of a dog that is known to attack, run or worry livestock, domestic animals or fowl permits the dog to run at large, that is a separate offense and is punishable by fine.

If your state's law is the same, I would let the dog owner know that:
1) he or she is on notice that the dog cannot be permitted to run at large,
2) that each time he or she does so, it is an offense (and you will call the police), and
3) that it is your right to dispatch the dog if it starts to attack or has recently attacked your chickens (and you WILL dispatch it!).

 

[Coop Deville]

P.S. In my experience the passive-aggressive approach to a situation like this ("I don't want any friction with the neighbors") only prolongs the problem. Your neighbor did something wrong, and you suffered a loss for it. Set a boundary. You will feel better. Trust me.

 

[Sjisty]

Yup, shoot the dog. Period. You have warned the neighbor enough. Where we live, people also don't seem to care that there is a leash law. We had a problem with the neighbor's dogs until Animal Control came out and told us to shoot the dogs the next time they come onto our property. I told this neighbor and have not lost another chicken to them since. She knows I am prepared to shoot her dogs and in fact we keep a loaded shotgun at the door now.

Shoot, shovel, and shut up!

 

[tofumama]

If your chickens were in your NEIGHBOR's yard then and the dog attacked then...I am sorry. This is not the case. Pretty sure if an animal is a threat to your livestock you can shoot it with no repercussions. I hate tying dogs, but CLEARLY this dog needs to be penned or tied....or one of the other aforementioned options...

 

[Ridgerunner]

Your local sheriff’s office sounds pretty …..uh I’m trying to be nice. Let’s use “useless”. I don’t know what state you are I but there are laws on the books about this kind of thing. There has to be. It’s too common. Each state will have their own laws and the local county, city, HMA, or some other jurisdiction, might have additional restrictions.

Normally you have the right to protect your property, but there might be limits to that. A while back a guy over in Oklahoma was jailed and had to post a $15,000 bail for animal cruelty. Two coon dogs chased a coon and treed it on his farm so he shot them. The dogs were not threatening him, his family, or his property. If they had been threatening him, his family, or his animals, he could have legally shot them, but they were not.

If you are in the situation where you need to take drastic action, don’t forget to document what happened. Grab a camera or witness. When I’ve been in that situation the first thing I grabbed was a gun, not a camera. I’m not trying to be silly here. But remember to legally protect yourself as best you can.

I’m not opposed to SSS when you can apply it, but remember the shut up doesn’t just apply to you. If any of your neighbors sees you, it’s no longer a secret. Those coon dogs I mentioned above were wearing tracking devices. It sounds like you may live in an area where any gunfire is illegal.

I understand your husband’s concerns about possible retaliation, but I think lodging a complaint is a pretty good idea since it’s continuing after there have been incidents and discussions. That’s part of the documentation process. I’m all for trying to be neighborly and getting along with people, but there are times you have to stand up for yourself. For some people, there’s just something about receiving a citation or a deputy showing up at the doorstep to explain the legal ramifications of your dog killing other people’s animals that gets some people’s attention.

Morally and probably legally he owes you the value of that chicken if you can prove his dog killed it. There’s that documentation thing again. Realistically I don’t know how you are going to collect without taking him to court and you almost certainly won’t get enough to pay for the time and trouble. Maybe you could chat with animal control about that.