So my 4-year-old tells me the neighbor's husky is back in our yard. I immediately rush outside to see if he's going after the chickens. He is. 10 out of the 14 run back into the coop, but the dog is chasing the remainder of my hens still outside. I start shouting and screaming, and yank a metal rod that's holding up one of our outdoor lights and start swinging it towards him. Didn't hit him, because I know he is a friendly dog that is just too playful. He starts chasing one of the hens around my car. So there's the hen, flapping light crazy, half flying and squawking in terror, a jumpy Siberian husky running behind her, nipping at her tail feathers, and a crazy lady running behind the dog, swinging a metal rod in the air. We circled the car about four times before the dog actually got his teeth into her feathers. Only her feathers though, and he didn't manage to pull any out. At that point I scream at the top of my lungs at him, and he blanches for a moment, giving the hen enough time to run back to the other three. He starts to chase after all four of them and I dart in front of him, blocking his way. He tries to get around me and I wave the rod at him. Finally I tried a different approach. I grabbed him by the collar and started walking him down the driveway. My husband at this point had gotten dressed and come outside, and was trying to herd the girls back into the coop. I've got a raging headache and a sore throat from all of the screaming and yelling, and my chest is pounding like I'm on the verge of having a heart attack from all of the fast running. I let the dog go at the end of our 180' driveway and yell at him to go home. He runs across the street to the other neighbor's yard. At this point the chickens are safely locked up in the coop, and I'm ready to go lay down for a nap with a tall glass of water and a bottle of Tylenol. The dog eventually wanders back into our yard and starts circling our coop. And, being that huskies are diggers, he starts to dig at the end of my run, trying to get into it.
I grab my camera and take photographs of the dog hanging out around my coop.
Here he is.
I still don't think it was him that nabbed my one lost hen, BUT, I know for certain he is a danger to my chickens.
I tried to find out what the local ordinances were in regards to dogs. After finding nothing online, I started making some phone calls. First I called my township, who said they follow the ordinances of the county. Then I called the county, that said I needed to speak with the Sheriff's department. It wasn't my intention to call in the sheriff, but that's just the way things work in our area apparently. I told him about what happened this morning, and the fact that his dog has been on our property repeatedly, and that he frightens my 7-year-old daughter via jumping at/on her. When I was giving him directions to come to our place, it suddenly dawned on him that he had been called out to that house before, for the exact same dog. He was explaining that there wasn't anything we could do about the incident this morning, when I interrupted him to let him know I have pictures of the dog hanging around my coop. That made him pleased and said with that evidence he could issue the owner a citation for his dog being at large. He asked if I'd like to do that, or just have him drive over to their house and speak with the owner. I said this time just drive over there and warn them to keep their dog contained in their yard. The next time I see him on my property, I won't be so lenient. Luckily, they have a nice way of dealing with dogs like this when the dogs themselves are actually friendly animals. He asked me to contain the dog (I will put him on a leash and leash him to my picnic table), call him (the Sheriff) and let him know the dog came back and that I've got him. They will come and pick the dog up and take it down to the Humane Society to be adopted out elsewhere. If the owner wants the dog back, he will have to pay a bunch of fees, on top of already having to deal with a citation.
So, we'll see what happens in the next few weeks. I'm pleased to say that the Sheriff was extremely nice and understanding on the phone, and I really think they will take care of the problem. I just hope the neighbor doesn't try and start anything. And realistically, the neighbor knows better. We've had the street coordinator send letters to EVERYONE (whether they owned a dog or not) to remind them to keep their animals in their yards so as not to create hard feelings between neighbors. And I know for a fact that the people on the other side of them have told them before they need to keep their dog tied up. They did keep him tied up... for a few months. And then they didn't bother anymore.
Oh well. At least the tylenol is starting to kick in and my chickens are safe. For the moment.
I grab my camera and take photographs of the dog hanging out around my coop.
Here he is.
I still don't think it was him that nabbed my one lost hen, BUT, I know for certain he is a danger to my chickens.
I tried to find out what the local ordinances were in regards to dogs. After finding nothing online, I started making some phone calls. First I called my township, who said they follow the ordinances of the county. Then I called the county, that said I needed to speak with the Sheriff's department. It wasn't my intention to call in the sheriff, but that's just the way things work in our area apparently. I told him about what happened this morning, and the fact that his dog has been on our property repeatedly, and that he frightens my 7-year-old daughter via jumping at/on her. When I was giving him directions to come to our place, it suddenly dawned on him that he had been called out to that house before, for the exact same dog. He was explaining that there wasn't anything we could do about the incident this morning, when I interrupted him to let him know I have pictures of the dog hanging around my coop. That made him pleased and said with that evidence he could issue the owner a citation for his dog being at large. He asked if I'd like to do that, or just have him drive over to their house and speak with the owner. I said this time just drive over there and warn them to keep their dog contained in their yard. The next time I see him on my property, I won't be so lenient. Luckily, they have a nice way of dealing with dogs like this when the dogs themselves are actually friendly animals. He asked me to contain the dog (I will put him on a leash and leash him to my picnic table), call him (the Sheriff) and let him know the dog came back and that I've got him. They will come and pick the dog up and take it down to the Humane Society to be adopted out elsewhere. If the owner wants the dog back, he will have to pay a bunch of fees, on top of already having to deal with a citation.
So, we'll see what happens in the next few weeks. I'm pleased to say that the Sheriff was extremely nice and understanding on the phone, and I really think they will take care of the problem. I just hope the neighbor doesn't try and start anything. And realistically, the neighbor knows better. We've had the street coordinator send letters to EVERYONE (whether they owned a dog or not) to remind them to keep their animals in their yards so as not to create hard feelings between neighbors. And I know for a fact that the people on the other side of them have told them before they need to keep their dog tied up. They did keep him tied up... for a few months. And then they didn't bother anymore.
Oh well. At least the tylenol is starting to kick in and my chickens are safe. For the moment.
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