So upset!! Lost my first chicken to neighbor's dog!! :(

[mommyofthree]

I was taking a nap with my kids and heard the chickens and ducks run around the front of the house, not out of the ordinary since they free range and are frequently in the front so I didn't think anything of it. Then I heard my neighbor by my bedroom window, he was very quietly calling his dog (which is NOT normal, he's a yeller). When I heard that I got up and ran outside, and the neighbor had already gone back home. I saw a huge pile of feathers in the backyard so I waved to hubby who was way out back and I started looking for the chicken(s) and dog. I found the dog eating one of my chickens in the coop. I knew by the looks of the chicken that it was already dead and I was ticked!! I started hitting the dog and it wouldn't stop eating the chicken, it was a disgusting/disturbing thing to see. The neighbor heard me screaming at his dog and walked over to the fence asking what happened. I not so nicely told him, then hubby came around the corner and grabbed the dog to bring it home.

I'm sooo upset that I lost a chicken, but I'm almost more upset because I think the neighbor knew beforehand and was trying to get away with it. At the side of the house where I heard him (quietly) calling for the dog I KNOW he would have seen that huge pile of feathers in the backyard. Then he went home right away. So I'm assuming he didn't want us to know his dog had attacked our flock and went home to wait for his dog to come back...?? Then once we found the chicken carcass his dog would hopefully be in the house and we would have no idea who the culprit was. I hate to make assumptions about people but this guy is bipolar and unpredictable, and he's a total creep. I once caught him peeking through my window when I was nursing my baby.

I don't know what he's going to do with the dog, I heard him say "you're done dog" once it was back in his yard. Hopefully he gets rid of her or keeps her securely in his yard. I almost feel bad for the dog, he is a horrible pet owner and I always wonder if he even feeds the poor thing. My kids and I give it treats when it's outside, it's a lab puppy that's not quite a year old. I wonder if it was just hungry, the way it was mauling that chicken made it seem like it was starving. Now I'm worried that the dog will have a strong drive to get another one of my chickens. I don't want to stop free ranging them, they love being in the yard, but I don't want this to happen again. I am just so thankful that the dog only had time to get one and not wipe out my entire flock!!

 

[mommyofthree]

Also.....what do you do when a dog attacks your chicken?? Should we report it to animal control or the police? Would they do anything about a dog that killed chickens on m property?? Or do we just deal with it ourselves? I hate to involve any type of authorities if we don't need to because this guy is a psycho with a criminal past and would probably go off the deep end.

 

[GrandmaAnn]

I am so sorry to hear that you lost your pet this way. I have also lost chickens to neighbors dogs, and so now we have to keep them in an enclosed run. We used to free range them, then put them into a 50' x 200' fenced in area. The dogs still got into that, so we made the smaller enclosed run.

I don't know what your local laws are on animal control. Maybe you could call and find out. Then, you'd be able to make a more informed decision.

Is it feasible for you to fence in your yard?

 

[dawnchick]

How do you know this happened on your property? How do you know the dog who was eating the chicken also killed it?

You free range your birds. You should not have been surprised, you should have expected some losses.

Animal control is useless unless you can prove to them that this dog was on your property, as with witnesses or, preferably, a video. They MIGHT talk to the guy, which might or might not have the result you hope for.

And you could be prosecuted for hitting the dog, if that could be proven.

I am sorry this happened, but I am not surprised. I don't quite know why you were, of you already knew that this dog runs loose.

You might consider researching the local and state laws where you are.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Quote:
Yes, it is possible that some other dog killed the chicken, and the neighbor's dog just happened to enter the coop where the bird had been taken and left, and decided to eat it. Possible, but not at all plausible. The pile of feathers was on her property--did the hen just suddenly decide to drop them? Please be serious; it is obviously where the bird was attacked.

I sincerely doubt that hitting a dog to get it to release her chicken, when the dog is in the chicken coop eating the bird would or could be proscecuted. In most places it is legal to shoot a dog that is or has attached livestock or fowl or pets. This is assuming that it is outside city limits, removing gun safety issues from consideration.

There is mention of a fence. Not sure if the OP's yard is fenced and the dog got through, or whether its own yard is fenced and it got out. There was no mention of it previously being in their yard, just "out." If the OP wishes to free range her birds in her yard, it is her right. Many people free range their birds with few of no losses. Others have problems. It is not the OP's responsibility to keep neighbor's dogs out of her yard--that is their owners' responsibilities. It is her responsibility to keep her animals on her own yard, which appparently she does.

 

[mommyofthree]

I know this happened on my property because my chickens never leave the yard, we have 3 acres fenced on 3 sides....just not the front along the road and we can't really fence that. And I was home at the time, heard the chickens run then heard the neighbor call for his dog in the same spot and just a minute later found the dog in the coop with my chicken. The dog that was eating the chicken is obviously the one that killed it, we live in the country and none of the neighbors let their dogs roam, and most around here are small dogs. This dog's coop area butts right up by my chicken coop so it sees them everyday. And this is the first time the dog has been loose, so of course I am surprised. I would not let my birds free range if there were dogs around here that are allowed to roam. We know almost all of the people on our street and they are all very responsible with their pets, this neighbor is just an idiot.

And it can be proven (if my word is considered proof?) that the dog was on my property b/c I found it in my coop, hubby took it out of the coop and then handed it to the neighbor who saw it in there too.

I doubt I would get in trouble for hitting the dog, it was killing my pet right in front of me. Was I supposed to leave it alone?? And this dog has bald spots and scars from the owner beating it, so him caring that I hit his dog while it was killing my animal is the least of my worries. If anyone were to look over that dog the neighbor would probably get in trouble for animal neglect/abuse.

I know that we have a leash law in our state, dogs are not allowed off of your property without a leash. So maybe he can get into some sort of trouble for the dog being loose. I don't think I will do anything about it now, but if the dog gets loose again he's not getting away with it.

 

[redhen]

The dog sounds to be living a sad life...
Why not just catch the dog and bring it to the shelter as a stray?
The poor dog probably got beat by the owner and it didnt even do anything wrong... it was just being a dog.

 

[mommyofthree]

Quote:
Hubby and I have talked about this before, I feel bad for the dog. Hubby was thinking about talking to the neighbor tonight, maybe he can see if the neighbor is willing to give the dog up?? It would be hard to catch the dog, this is the first time it has been loose and I doubt he will let it happen again now. And I definitely can not go in his yard and steal the dog when it is out, lol. Hopefully he will be willing to find it a home. He's been working long hours lately anyway and the dog is always stuck in the house so maybe he would be open to finding it another home.

 

[WillieBoy]

My chickens range around my yard, i spent allot of money and time fencing my 1 1/2 acre lot.
Eggs are my main source of daily protein, i treat my girls very well, and they are locked up tight at dusk to dawn.
If your dog, Dawnchick.... came on my land killing my girls, i'd kill it dead.I expect losses from wild predators while my girls range. I'll not tolerant some jerky attitude by a lame dog owner...
Keep your darn dog on your own property, if it gets loose and kills,wounds my girls,messes with my food supply, it will only happen once....

 

[desertdarlene]

Quote:
In many rural and rural residential areas of the country if a dog is caught with a fowl in his mouth it could be shot. Many laws in many state and local areas would not prosecute if that were to happen, especially if it happened on their own property. And, many people would just shoot a dog and cover it up, too.

I'm not for hurting or killing a dog if it can be avoided, but I think it would be silly to punish a livestock or pet owner for defending their animals, especially on her own property.

The OP had a witness and she said this was the first time the dog got loose, so what was she supposed to do?