Trapped a Neighbor's Dog on My Deck....Got an Earful

[speckledhen]

Well, not the neighbor himself, but the neighbor's always-in-trouble 20 yr old son, gave us an education in expletives. Was at my desk, thought I saw something go past the window. Sure enough, the dog had traveled from the neighbor's, down my 200 ft driveway, and was on my deck. Thank GOD my broodies with their babies weren't out roaming! This dog is an Aussie/Blue Heeler mix, very skittish, can't get near him. He supposedly has an invisible fence. Well, it wasn't working and my driveway gate was open because I was expecting another neighbor to come get eggs.

Kid apparently was at his dad's house, recovering from yet another truck accident, drove up on the Gator. We get oh, I'm sorry. DH says, I don't want to cause any trouble but we have hens with chicks and if they'd been out, he would have killed them. Kid says, I'm sore, I just want to go home. Tries to leave to avoid the lecture he knows is coming. DH says in a very soft voice, Mark, if he comes up here again, I'll have to shoot him. Then the fun starts and the threats.

"Ive had him since he was a puppy, if you shoot him, there's going to be trouble. I'll come up here with a shotgun and shoot every one of those *bleeping* chickens (of course, harsher word used)" Then he speeds on out of here. I tell DH to call the sheriff now, after that threat, but he wants to talk to the kid's father when he gets home tomorrow from his trucking gig.

We do have a law here that says no dog can be off the property without being under the control of the owner and that we are within our rights if he is killing/harassing livestock or poultry (yes, it says that, specifically mentioning poultry) so there is no question who is in the wrong here.

 

[wyliefarms]

Well- I would have the shotgun ready

The kid is an adult, you said 20years old. I would call the cops so it is on paper. Especially since when you do have to shoot his dog when it comes back, he will definately be a little more upset.

 

[dawg53]

We have the same law down here in Camden county and they must be on a leash if off their property. I think your DH going to the boys father is a good idea and he can judge from the father's actions if anything will be done or not. Remind your DH to watch his language (no inference intended), because it could be used against him. If his dad has an attitude, so be it...you gotta do what you gotta do. If the dog returns and after shooting the dog,be sure to call the cops.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Neighbors... UGHHH...

My nearest neighbor is 1/2 mile away and that is too close... don't get me wrong, I have great neighbors, wonderful in fact... it's just as I get older the more of a hermit I become... next house will be off the grid!

One day is reasonable to wait to talk face to face to his dad... but depending how that goes I would sure get a report/paper trail started with the law.
So glad that you didn't lose any babies or moms for that matter!

Good luck with your situation.

 

[RedRoosterFarm]

get the gun! We had a neighbor who let their dog over and in 4 months killed our ducks,turkeys,geese and chickens. Well over 80. We would find them dead and in there yard at times. We saw the dog several times. I called the neighbor and they said shoot the dog. They would not pay. We tried to shoot her but at 3am its hard... I called the cops,animal controll and nothing ever got done. I was so mad that I called every local news paper in the area and on thanksgiving morning I was the front page of the paper and the pix was me and my dead birds pointing at the neighbors house. The next afternoon I was so exicited to see cops and animal controll (figures-it took this to get them out)over and took all the neighbors dog except the dog that was visiting us because she now had pups. Well now we have had pups visiting bt I think we caught most and brought them to the pound but mom is still running but is to old to come over. It sucks having people who are not responsible for their critters. Good luck!

 

[savingdogs]

We had a neighbor whose two dogs came over and attacked my dogs, damaging one so that it needed to be stitched up at the vet, it was so bad, and took a couple weeks to recover. He said it was my dog's fault because they "lured" his dogs over here by "taunting" them. People can be unbelievable!

We complained to his landlady and lo and behold, the next day our back window was bashed out of my car. Of course we could never pin it on him. We called the police. When they heard what had happened the day before and this person's name, turns out they wanted him for a warrant and went over and arrested him.
We were REALLY nervous then.....but luckily the landlord and landlady were disgusted with him and made him move out. They knew he had been the one to wreck my window.
So the price of replacing the window and fixing my dog is just what it cost us to have him leave. Even though we are broke, it was well worth the money.
I would hate to think what would have happened in my story had I just shot his dogs.

 

[speckledhen]

My husband is a soft spoken, kind person. He never uses that type language, never has. He was talking very quietly and almost apologetically. Some BYC folks have met him and can tell you he would never do that. The dog was caught up here before. Around the house, about 2 acres, is fenced with livestock fencing and we have a driveway gate, but we are going to have the bottom 3 acres logged and we have to take down the back portion of the fence. I am just so happy I didn't let Nora out with her babies like I was going to do!

This boy runs with a bad crowd, though he doesn't usually live here with his dad. His dad has been very reasonable in times past. The first time, he said he'd take care of it, and got the invisible fence and collar for the dog. Well, it only works if it's turned on or the battery in the collar isn't dead. This isn't the first time that dog was out of his boundaries recently.

Of course the attitude that " if you shoot my dog over some bleeping chickens, I'll (fill in the blank)" is pretty familiar to me, reading this section of the forum more than I'd like to.

 

[chicmom]

Kids today!

 

[speckledhen]

I just read my own signature line and cracked up. LOL.

 

[mississippifarmboy]

That's the way thing work here too. I've got one neighbor close and he is also my uncle. Last week I heard the guineas cut loose and looked out and seen a huge dog with one of our barred rock hens. I ran out and chased it until I cornered it against my back pasture fence. It hadn't killed the hen, but the hen was scared and had a few deep scratches. My uncle came running out saying I'm sorry, I just got that dog and didn't know he would chase chickens. I told him it wasn't a problem as it didn't kill the chicken this time, but I looked him in the eye and told him to make sure the dog didn't come back. I said "That's once" and I don't give second chances. If I see him in my yard again you can come get him and bury him because I will not chase him next time, I'll get him with buckshot. He knows I mean what I say too.
A chicken killing dog is one of the worst things around. Don't get me wrong, I love dogs, but I love my chickens too, and we depend on the chickens for meat & eggs.