Waiting for an attack to happen :( dogs

[lakeontariochicks]

Last Thursday the 2 Rottweilers that live down the hill from us got loose, went into my garage and killed my daughters pet rabbit.

The same day they attacked a dog in their own neighborhood. They spent the morning wandering the woods behind my house, and in my garden. No one could find them that day, they just seemed to disappear whenever someone got close, but my husband did find out where they live.
Thankfully, I hadn't yet let my hens out for the day on Thursday, if I had I shudder to think what would have happened. The dog control officer has been claiming all weekend that there's nothing that we can do, unless we catch them on our property or they hurt or injure my chickens, 2 golden retrievers, 13 2 week old puppies, me, husband or daughter.

He said that the owners of the dogs were putting up an electric fence to make sure it doesn't happen again. I had had a run in with them in April (non violent) and another run in in June, when they growled at us.
When I read the laws in our state I read something different, so husband called our attorney. Our attorney happens to specialize in cases like this, and he says he is going to be able to have the dogs removed and a judge will decide what to do about them. Any dog that attacks/kills a domestic or farm animal is considered dangerous.
For now, I live in fear that while they are still around they will get loose without my knowing it, and be right back up here. I'm so nervous about letting the chicks out, but it's so hot this week, I can't leave them in the coop all day. When husband is home, he has his pistol on, but given my emotional state on Thursday when they were here, I don't feel comfortable with a gun.
And I thought my biggest worry was hawks.

 

[Lbrad7]

My neighbor used to have a Rottie that was the sweetest 140lbs dog ever. She was incredibly intelligent, great with kids and even let my Jack Russell attack her without even growling at her. (I just knew my dog was dead meat!) BUT...she loooooooooooooved killing chickens. I came home from work to find 40+ chickens, two ducks and 6 geese either dead or maimed to the point that they had to be put down. She had dug a huge hole under my fence and ran through my flock nearly killing everything that I have.

I was lucky in that my neighbors got rid of her after that but the damage had already been done. Whatever you do, don't underestimate the damage a dog of that size can do. I had to deal with one....you have TWO!!!!

Good luck. I hope your neighbors are sensible and responsible enough to make sure that they keep their dogs up!

 

[PineappleMama]

Definitely keep them in, let your lawyer do the job. If they can get into your garage and attack a rabbit they can get into your garage and attack you or your kids, puppies, anything breathing. And, I'd make sure you got the AC guys name, flat out lying and saying you can do nothing is NOT cool. If him blowing off his job results in those dogs being loose longer than needs be and someone gets hurt it'll be his and his super's bum on the line, not to mention the city paying their salary. Give his super a head's up on what might be coming his way.

 

[shepherd]

WARNING: If you cant take killing anything DONT READ THIS POST. Contains a solution that involves violence only read if wont complain about the graphic nature of this post.

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED




No lawyers, no chewin people out.
Check out the laws on shooting dogs in your state. Mine say if the dog/dogs is harming your animals you can kill it legaly. A .22 lr would do the job quick and quietly. As long as you dont shoot it in the guts and it runs off to the owner. Shot placement is key if you want the job done quickly and effectivly. Go for the head or the chest cavity. If you take out the lungs or the heart they wount go much farther than 25 yards. If you have trouble making a shot like that you might want to get some practice. If the second dog keeps killing your critters dispatch it also. Afterwards you need to notify the owner about the incident.

If this sounds like a good idea to you warn the owner that this will be the actions you will take if any of your animals is harmed again.

No, I havent killed dogs before I just know what to do when I need to.
If this ever happened to my flock, It would be the last time.

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

If there is a next time - shoot them if you legally can if they are on your property. Here where I live outside the city limits - they don't have to have killed or harmed anything - if a dog is "off leash and at large - a land owner has the right to dispatch of the offending animal" - this is the simple language of course

I was bitten by a wolfdog last december and the nieghbor up the road I warned him after the dog was quarantined (I had to have rabie shots - ugh - dog was out of date on his shots and acted suspiscious when he bit me without provocation) - that if the dog stepped foot on my property again - I'd be calling him to tell him to pick up its body. - he got rid of the dog a few weeks after it got out of quarantine.

tell the neighbors politely - that the dogs killed your rabbit - you have chickens and if they step foot on your property again - they won't have to worry about feeding them anymore.

do you not have a run for the chickens? only a coop and free ranging? IF you have a run attached to coop - your fine. if you dont have one - you make want to spend the money and put up a run 2X2 welded wire and a string of electric around it and hardware cloth skirt - this way you know they are secure and won't be stuffed inside a coop to sufficate in the heat until something is done about the dogs.

 

[StormyMoon]

I had my chickens in a pen at 6 :50 AM neighbors dog got in ripped up the wire pulled it out of the wood and got in that way. We had an issue a week before with another dog of theirs they got rid of that one and here we was again with another of their dogs. The man told me to keep my chickens off the ground....I told him keep his dogs off my property. He went inside grabbed a riffle in front of all of my children he shot the dog in the stomach then again in the head. Then asked me if this is what I wanted, I said yes it is. When i went to turn around he started waving the gun around like he was going to shoot me I wasn't sure if he was going to aim it at me or my kids the way he was waving it.

It scared the life out of me and my kids....so sheriffs came they told me all they could do if the dog was still alive would be to give a citation for a dog at large but I also had to prove he was the owner, but since he put the dog down there is nothing he can do. Then he told the man in front of us if anyone comes on his property to knock on his door he has the right to shoot then ask questions later. So I made sure everyone in my family know to stay away from his land, in a few weeks I will be learning how to shoot a riffle my self and it will be kept by the back door.

 

[Oven Ready]

The size of the dog is irrelevant. Every single dog breed in the world is perfectly equipped to tear chickens to pieces. Every breed has the capability of maiming or killing people, especially children.

Somewhere along the line us humans seem to think we have mastered these animals, we haven't. Should they decide to go on a killing/biting spree, they will do so.

We lost over twenty birds in one day just a couple of weeks ago to a mutt that stood no higher than my knee. I chased it away, but knowing it would came back set up an ambush at the coop. A lead injection from the shotgun quickly corrected it's behavioural problems. The fish enjoyed their dinner that day.

We had two come and take a couple of chicks a few days ago, but they haven't come back - it's quite possible someone else shot or poisoned them already. We are endlessly killing dogs and sometimes cats, feral dogs are a real problem here (cats to a lesser extent because the dogs eat them). The good thing is everyone shoots them, if there is a dog on their property (and not their dog) there's a good chance it'll get shot. Anywhere near a temple though and it's the most sickening sight you've ever seen (whether you like dogs or not) as people buy puppies because they are sooo cute and then dump them at the temple for the monks to look after when they need to get another cute puppy (because they didn't want a dog - just a puppy). Makes me mad !

 

[Over Easy in Adna]

I don't agree with Oven Ready who said that "The size of the dog is irrelevent."

You have to be a better shot to hit the small dogs.

 

[whillo]

Quote:
ACK!!! Seriously? That's the law in Texas? If someone comes on your property you have the RIGHT to shoot them? People???? Seriously????
What if they're just selling cookies? Taking the census? Preaching?

 

[Oven Ready]

You have to be a better shot to hit the small dogs.

Too true, although the shotgun kinda makes anything an easy target from a few metres.


eta:

If someone comes on your property you have the RIGHT to shoot them? People???? Seriously????
What if they're just selling cookies? Taking the census? Preaching?

Same here (except the preaching ones).
People that you don't know don't come to your house - period - they will phone first, or will get someone who knows you to introduce them.
People you do know don't come to your house in darkness unless they are at the end of the drive talking to you on the mobile.
In the daytime they will walk up the drive shouting Hello (in Thai) extremely loudly to make sure that you are not caught unawares.
Of course thieves don't do the shouting Hello thing which sort of gives them away.