would you kill a chicken killing dog? - Page 3

[Alyantavid]

I wouldn't shoot the dog but it would be making a trip to the pound.

And add it to the already over crowded animal shelter when the outcome is the same?

having said that though, we had a bear that was killing our chickens. it destroyed our coop twice, killed nearly all of our chickens and even had my dh and son cornered one night when they ran down to chase it away. after that, dh did borrow a gun from his uncle and some tranquilizing bullets.

If I had a bear on my property, I wouldn't go near it without a gun.

[MovingMomma]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

And add it to the already over crowded animal shelter when the outcome is the same?

:

I've had the same thought regarding the comments about calling in animal control.

Here's how our situation is going to play out: The dog was a first time offender (on our property at least...I suspect she's gotten another neighbor's chickens, too) and is normally kept confined. She escaped when she got our chicken. Our chicken was outside of the pen at the time (also not a typical occurance...just a temporary issue). DH talked to the dog's owners and told them he would shoot the dog if he saw it again. The dog's owner said he understood. However, in order to be within local law, we will actually have to call animal control if there is a next time. If animal control does release the dog back to her owners after that, and there's a third time...well, that would be it. In speaking with animal control, the individual officer on the scene has a lot of discretion as to whether to impound the animal or not, and whether that impounding would be "permanent" or not, which is why we chose not to call this time. We felt the family deserved a second chance, though that might mean we're forced into giving them a third chance.

Thanks for all the feedback! It's been good to hear different perspectives.

[AliciaP8]

We're in an extremely rural area and roaming dogs are not welcome. When we were building our current home and going back and forth everyday from the old house our dogs started to travel (going to the new house whenever we weren't home to look for us). It was a huge problem that we had to stop. I'm so glad no one shot our dogs but I can see why someone would if they were causing trouble. As it was we starting tying one of them at a time. The other would never leave alone. Before we starting tying them up one of them was caught in a snare. We were lucky to find him and that he wasn't too badly hurt.

Now that we're in the new house they stay on our property and I expect other animals to stay off. Our chickens free range all day and the dogs keep and eye on things. We've only had one dog visitor and our dogs chased him off. If we got into a situation with a neighbor' dog killing our animals on our property and being unwilling to fix the situation we would shoot it.

[Red]

My hens and goat never roam out of my yard, and if they did, they wouldn't hurt anyone.

I've had dogs come two at a time an drip down my fencing (two Rotty's) to get at my birds. They killed all my hens, my geese and my ducks, which were helpless, because they were penned.

We have coyotes, which kill birds as a natural act and weasels, owls, hawks, etc. If a dog kills my animals, first I complain to the owner, twice. Then I get a gun. SSS.

It's simple economics. My hens cost me a good amount by the time they lay. I can't buy organic laying hens and have to start over with chicks, losing months worth of eggs.

If you're moving to the country, this thread is good to keep in mind before you buy a dog and 'let it run'.

[Marsupialmom]

Originally Posted by Alyantavid

And add it to the already over crowded animal shelter when the outcome is the same?



If I had a bear on my property, I wouldn't go near it without a gun.

I would perfer a dog put down at a shelter than by bleeding to death. Plus at a shelter there is a posiblity he gets a better chance home.

[MovingMomma]

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom

I would perfer a dog put down at a shelter than by bleeding to death. Plus at a shelter there is a posiblity he gets a better chance home.

Indeed, I hope anyone shooting an animal would shoot to kill and wouldn't allow a wounded animal to bleed to death.

And depending on local laws (or in my area, the responding officer's discretion), animal control may put a livestock killing dog down with no chance of being returned to its owners or becoming someone else's pet.

[Alyantavid]

Originally Posted by Marsupialmom

I would perfer a dog put down at a shelter than by bleeding to death. Plus at a shelter there is a posiblity he gets a better chance home.

That's like rehoming a dog that bites. And most people (at least people that I know) can shoot a dog and kill it instantly. Many people put their own dogs down because of illnesses and its just as humane as an injection.

And depending on local laws (or in my area, the responding officer's discretion), animal control may put a livestock killing dog down with no chance of being returned to its owners or becoming someone else's pet.

Yep.

[Abarat]

The way we see it, if someone lets their dog wander off their property they should expect anything to happen to it.

If you've talked to them and tried animal control we would definitely shoot a trespassing predator.

I know others say secure your birds, but predators can be quite determined and if you can't afford an extensive electric system it makes things difficult.

I don't want trespassing predators because we have a small child and other dogs. If a wanderer comes up with our 4 dogs out and my child there's no telling what kind of fight would ensue. Our dogs would protect my child and if my child were to be in the middle of a dog fight I would probably end up murdering more than just the invading dog. I think it's very inconsiderate and dangerous to let your animals wander.

[AJP]

In our county in CA, dogs "harming or worrying livestock may be shot" and there are signs to that effect in numerous places along roadways, including on my road. It's not conditional. If a livestock owner sees a dog chasing their animals (no killing need have taken place), the dog can be shot.

[Fuamami]

No, don't kill them!

Shoot them with birdshot. That's what my dad always used to do. Or my dh has shot them with three pumps with the pellet gun. It'll hurt like hell, and probably leave a welt and/or sore, but it won't really wound them. But I bet they won't come back!

I think it's a little more neighborly, personally. I grew up in a ranching community, and we had one notorious dog, but no one ever shot him, at least not to kill. They knew that my sister and I loved him to death, and I guess they were willing to overlook it.

[Sasha_girl]

Absolutely. We're in a rural area and the humane society here is less than worthless. I would attempt to get rid of the dog by non-lethal means (buckshot, shooting into the air, etc) but I would have no compunctions about shooting something that was threatening my livestock.

Most of our chickens are fenced (pullets in a moveable tractor, hens and ducks in a coop) but we do have a handfull of free-range birds. Free range or no, if your animal is on my property threatening my animals I will have to do something about it (it's not a question of my birds going onto another property--the way the property is set up they can't really leave the property).

With all of that said, we have a LGD (she's a mixture of Great Pyrenees, Andulusian, and Komondor) and no dog in its right mind would invade her turf. She's the size of our goats.

I did want to comment on prey instinct--we have three dogs; the LGD, a Sheltie, and a Border Collie. While my Sheltie tries to herd the chickens he has never shown any kind of aggressiveness to them (nor have the other two). Dogs having a prey instinct does not = being unable to control themselves from killing chickens.

[FillingMyQuiver]

If I'd given fair warning, I most certainly would, SSS.

I wanted to comment to the pp that mentioned the dog being someone's PET. When I was a teen and we had layers, THEY were our PETS. We had raised them from chicks, named each and every one of them, played with them in the yard, held them and stroked them, talked to them.

How is it that the dog's life is any different than my chickens? Also, as far as animal control, at least where I am, unless you catch the dog, animal control can't do anything. Same as a wild animal, unless you catch the raccoon or fox or whatever, what can they do?

[zonapellucida]

At this point I could shoot any animal and not feel badly about it. The animal shetlers Uthanize them. a quick shot to the head result in the same thing and you don;'t haVE TO PAY THE DAMN $40 FOR THEM TO TAKE THE ANIMAL. Wow, hopefully my second tri is a bit better :.

[1stimestar]

A stray or wild dog, no problem at all. A neighbors pet, eh. I think I would try a pellet gun first. But I'm not relying on my stock like Mtn. Momma either. Edited to add, if it were a pit bull, I wouldn't really need to think twice about it. Call me prejudiced against them. I am.

[Fuamami]

Originally Posted by 1stimestar

A stray or wild dog, no problem at all. A neighbors pet, eh. I think I would try a pellet gun first. But I'm not relying on my stock like Mtn. Momma either. Edited to add, if it were a pit bull, I wouldn't really need to think twice about it. Call me prejudiced against them. I am.

Yeah, I have to admit to being a breedist, too.

[Rico'sAlice]

Originally Posted by sunnykbird

If a dog will kill ANYTHING I would be worried about it in general. what if it bit your child? Or an elderly person? Or YOU...? eff that!

Really? My understanding is that a dog having a high prey drive and/or not being trained not to exercise it does not have a direct connection to aggression against humans.

My personal experience is that squirrels, woodchucks, etc. don't stand a chance once they get inside our yard, but all three of my dogs have always been very sweet to DS, have never snapped at/bitten any human, etc.

[gr8tfulmom]

I grew up under SSS. My husband grew up in the city. We moved 'back home' a mile from the home farm and set up our menagerie. The first 4 rabbits we had that were killed by a neighbors wandering pit bull I deferred to him and called animal control. They came out and told us much the same story as a PP - we aren't going to tell you to do it, but you are well within your rights-. In our area if livestock is being threatened by another's animal you may shoot it, no questions. So the next round of rabbits that were mauled to death (with children wailing in the background at loosing their bunnies) was shot (another pb mix) and then following that one by about a month 2 pit/rot mixes killed our pygmy goats, they also became fertilizer.

By no means would I set out to kill someone's pet, but with animals like these we just don't mess around. If you move to the country you need to be prepared for the way things are done in the country - though there is sunshine and roses here there is also hard reality.

[vbactivist]

Originally Posted by 1stimestar

A stray or wild dog, no problem at all. A neighbors pet, eh. I think I would try a pellet gun first. But I'm not relying on my stock like Mtn. Momma either. Edited to add, if it were a pit bull, I wouldn't really need to think twice about it. Call me prejudiced against them. I am.

I agree, except it would depend on the neighbor, too. If it's someone i'm friend;y with, I might give another chance. If it's some jerk who I can't talk to , then down goes the dog. Also, all the pitbulls I have come into contact with have been aggressive. I knew someone who just shot and killed one because it wondered onto his property (the dog was just loose, not attackinganyone and this guy did not keep other animals). He just hated pit bulls. If you haev pit bulls, I would be extra careful with them, because people have less tolerance for them, i think.

[APBTlover]

We will shoot, but we hate to.

Back in January, we had a neighbor's dog coming to our property (through a large field... we are not even within eyeshot of one another, so it's not like the dog was just sitting on his own porch and couldn't resist the sweet chickies). He killed or caused the death of 5 of our 3-month-old chicks -- caused their death by running them into the woods just before nightfall, which is pretty much a death sentence -- by tearing into their temporary outdoor run. Granted, the run was not a robust item, but we were very upset because we planned to let the chickens free-range during the day as adults.

Until we could secure a better plan, we put all the chickens into their old brooder -- a very sturdy cage on legs with hardware cloth for most of the bottom -- inside the shed. A week or two later, after being gone for 2 hours, we came home to a bloody, awful mess. The dog had gotten into the shed and proceeded to torment the chickens until they had beaten themselves halfway to death inside the brooder. Most of them were missing nails and several of them had toes hanging on by tiny strips of skin or bone. They were all in shock and covered in blood. I don't know many people who wouldn't be ready to shoot said dog after they spent the hours we did, washing off the blood, encouraging them to drink, cleaning the wounds, and amputating the unsaveable toes.

If I had ever seen that dog on my property again, he would have died. Period. Despite the fact that I had pity on him due to his owners, who keep their dogs *just* heavy enough that you can't get them for animal abuse (ribs showing, sometimes extreme starvation). We don't have "animal cops" around here... in the country, a nuisance dog is either shot or taken to the shelter, where it will almost certainly be put down. In this case, the dog being a Pittie, I would not have taken him to the shelter PERIOD, knowing that it's a favorite place for dog fighters to get free animals. It's revolting. I have Pitties and love them and would absolutely put a bullet through their heads before I allowed them to fall into the hands of hateful people.

This has turned into a novel, and I apologize. The dog was "put up" for a while after this, and I found out it was because he and some others killed someone's calf. This man told the owners he would keep his gun with him and shoot the dogs if they were seen off of their home property. But now I notice they have even more malnourished dogs and none of them restrained or supervised, so we'll see. I just wanted to add to the chorus of, "Your opinion might be different if you lived through it under these circumstances."

[birthgreeter]

we had trouble with a neighbors dog, always into our animals, into our yard, causing trouble. (did not have live stock then, just 5 little children who were threatened by the dog) dog 'police' would do nothing about it.
We moved about 13 miles away, and within the year, guess who moved in right across the road. Had a new dog, but same problem. We did everything we could with (now we are farming) our livestock, chickens, cows, goats, sheep, -horse all of our animals, to have sturdy fence and such, but the dog continued to chase EVERYTHING, scarring the horse, everything.
Once the horse was about to escape due to being chased, and my (then a teenager) daughter ran out, tried to chase the dog off, our dog (only protecting his own property,) got involved-now a dog fight with my daughter in the middle, she was bitten by the neighbors dog. She was yelling for help to that neighbor, he was out in his yard right across the road, and the stupid neighbor just looked over her way and did NOTHING! (we were not at home at the time). After we got home, my husband, and my (very tall- and very large built) son and a son in law walked to his front door-along with my daughter, showing her wounds, and he said -how long have you had the horse? (3 years!-shows how much he paid attention to any thing)
then he had the nerve to ask us to NOT report it because he had not done shots for the dog for over a year!
well after we 'put our foot down' with the 'dog police' that we had been calling and calling about the same problem thru the years-(the county was looking at a possible law suit for not taking action with all the calls thru the years to them over his dogs), something was finally done.
If it ever happens again, I would shoot. When you work to keep your animals and your children safe, I will now shoot if the neighbor does not d keep his dogs under control....-warnings are fine, but there comes a time when action is needed.