Should I warn neighbor that dog might get shot?

[Ozarkoak]

In the area I live in ( rural Arkansas) if a dog is killing any livestock or fowl not only will the owner shoot it, if he misses the neighbors will probably help him out as the dog crosses their land. Check local ordinances and the police. If they have come twice and been successful, they will be back. I don’t let mine free range because of dogs, fox, coyote, and other wildlife. We have a large tractor that moves weekly.

Hello fellow Arkansawyer.

 

[bothfeetnumb]

If you’re in a neighborhood, it’s illegal to fire a gun. (Check your local laws)
If you know whose dogs they are (the people in the car?) talk to them.
Secure your birds. Hawks and coyotes attack birds too.
The dog with bubbles… froth? Maybe it has rabies.
I’d be madder than heck if this was happening to me. I don’t blame your husband at all for pulling out the gun. Just be careful about consequences.

 

[Poultrybonkers]

Any dog in my yard will get shot if they dont know its missing they wont care its dead...

 

[BelovedBirds]

Maybe on here, but off the internet a majority of people would probably agree. The average American places far more value on the life of a dog than a flock of chickens. The strict animal abuse laws passed under the Trump administration is one of the few things he ever got bi-partisan support on. I don't think a lot of people on here fully realize how much trouble you can get in on a federal level for injuring a dog that isn't posing an active threat, including severe fines and even prison time. Violence towards animals is one of the best behavioral predictors there is of violence towards humans, so they take that kind of thing very seriously now.

Shoot or injure the wrong dog and you could get in a world of trouble with a neighbor that knows the law or has sway with local government/law enforcement. Even if we aren't factoring in ethics, I can't see how shooting a dog would possibly be worth taking that risk.

Personally I think it sucks that people place more value on a pet dog than on a flock of chickens or other livestock. In an ideal world, the dog will be kept under control and the chickens are kept secure and safe. Hypothetically if it were the choice between killing one animal or letting that one animal kill 10 of my birds- I would save the birds. I'd only act this drastically if something was actively going at my animals and I couldnt stop it any other way- and even then I would feel unbelievably guilty. In most situations, if the dog can be stopped and handed over to animal authorities, or the owner can be reprimanded and prevent it from happening again- that would be the best case scenario.
Shooting with a BB gun is something I can never understand, I understand the need to protect your animals, but how anyone can induce so much pain and risk on an animal and think that is better than just putting them down on the spot, I dont know. It is just animal abuse.
Ultimately both shooting and shooting to kill is terrible, but shooting to kill may be the lesser evil in some impossible situations, in my opinion

 

[BelovedBirds]

Any dog in my yard will get shot if they dont know its missing they wont care its dead...

A little harsh, sometimes accidents happen, or people have too much confidence in their animals behaviour around neighbours and their animals. If its a one off, its possible the dog escaped the yard or something. If the dog is not posing an active threat, it deserves better than getting shot on the spot, and the law will often agree.

 

[BelovedBirds]

If you’re in a neighborhood, it’s illegal to fire a gun. (Check your local laws)
If you know whose dogs they are (the people in the car?) talk to them.
Secure your birds. Hawks and coyotes attack birds too.
The dog with bubbles… froth? Maybe it has rabies.
I’d be madder than heck if this was happening to me. I don’t blame your husband at all for pulling out the gun. Just be careful about consequences.

Im doubtful the dog has rabies, sometimes when they get excited and have been running around a ton, their saliva can get somewhat foamy. It happens to my oldest all the time after a stressful journey when she finally gets to exercise, and this is a dog who is vaccinated. Best not to make assumptions about their health based on small things like that

 

[pugmom94]

Two dogs came into my yard today and chased my chickens and killed one of my roosters. I kept them away with my next door neighbor with a stick and shovel. I wasn’t upset at first, but they came back and tried to get more. I think they belonged to two different neighbors because they kept driving by and one time I heard one car saying I don’t know whose brown dog that is. Then the other car kept circling the block. When the dogs came back one had bubbles all over its chin so my husband got the gun. The dogs ran away but when the neighbors drove by again I yelled, “if your dogs keep killing chickens they’re going to get shot”. I don’t want to shoot any dogs but my husband said I probably shouldn’t have told them that. I’m from a middle of nowhere small town where no one gave a warning. If there was a dog getting the chickens, it would just be a sad day for the dog. What advice or opinion do you have? I am a fairly new chicken owner.

I am so sorry for your loss he was protecting his flock until his demise. That is also why my neighbors know I will also protect my animals too and have many times. You must and have full right to do so. Best wishes and you are doing it right

 

[BelovedBirds]

Owners who care about their "pets" do not let them run the neighborhood.

Quotations indicate they are not true pets.

accidents happen, dogs can escape yards or get let out by mistake. It isn't always bad ownership. Regardless of the owner's negligence or absence of care, its still an animal that deserves some compassion, especially if it isnt a direct threat and just passing by.

 

[DuneDucks]

I would shoot a dog if it was necessary, but I find most pet dogs are easy enough to catch and restrain. Something to keep in mind, it's very difficult to get a good kill shot on something that is running around. Miss and injure the dog and you might find yourself liable for all the vet bills as well, which these days could easily be thousands of dollars.

Yep, I live at the end of a country road. A lot of neighborhood dogs that get loose just walk down the road and end up at my place. Obviously, everyone is going to have a different experience, but I probably get a dozen loose dogs here every year and I can't think of a single instance where I would have considered it necessary to shoot them. The ones that aren't sociable enough to let me check their collars usually just run off scared.

That's not to say I wouldn't be upset with the dogs for killing my livestock, but I agree with the general sentiment that the responsibility lies on the owners. My family had a horse that was chased into a barbed wire fence by a group of dogs when we first moved out here. Even after it happened these people continued to let their dogs chase our animals, but my father refused to shoot the dogs just because the people were irresponsible druggies. Shooting the dogs wouldn't have stopped any of the stress my family went through with them as neighbors.

Years later my father actually put down one of our dogs after it got loose and killed a bunch of cats, and that was one of the few times I ever saw him cry/visibly shaken. He was a big, tough guy that worked the county jail too, so rare moments like that always stuck with me.

A dog would have to be pretty aggressive for me to consider shooting it.

 

[BelovedBirds]

Yep, I live at the end of a country road. A lot of neighborhood dogs that get loose just walk down the road and end up at my place. Obviously, everyone is going to have a different experience, but I probably get a dozen loose dogs here every year and I can't think of a single instance where I would have considered it necessary to shoot them. The ones that aren't sociable enough to let me check their collars usually just run off scared.

That's not to say I wouldn't be upset with the dogs for killing my livestock, but I agree with the general sentiment that the responsibility lies on the owners. My family had a horse that was chased into a barbed wire fence by a group of dogs when we first moved out here. Even after it happened these people continued to let their dogs chase our animals, but my father refused to shoot the dogs just because the people were irresponsible druggies. Shooting the dogs wouldn't have stopped any of the stress my family went through with them as neighbors.

Years later my father actually put down one of our dogs after it got loose and killed a bunch of cats, and that was one of the few times I ever saw him cry/visibly shaken. He was a big, tough guy that worked the county jail too, so rare moments like that always stuck with me.

A dog would have to be pretty aggressive for me to consider shooting it.

that sounds pretty traumatizing! I cant imagine having put my dogs down, honestly. That sounds heartbreaking.