[QUOTE=Larksmom;8546900]
I was going to offer some advice, as I have an escape artist, and have dealt with the city. Not pretty, or cheap. But since even though you have asked for advice, you seem to discount all of it, and call us out as mean and stupid, I decided against it.[/QUOTE]
I don’t need advice on keeping my dogs in. If you’ve read this you will see that my dogs aren’t the ones that are out.
I don’t find otherwise friendly dogs that bark at people walking the fenceline when they’re in their fence and territory to be antisocial. GSDs are a protection breed.
I don’t think it’s the end of the world if a dog gets out two times in five years. Stuff happens.
I think the OP is pretty cool for taking random roaming dogs in to find their owners. It sucks that her neighbor seems to be (from the stories she’s told in this thread) kind of a jerk.
I think the onus is on the court to prove it was her dogs that supposedly got out a year ago. It does seem like the neighbor who already seems to hate her assumes that everyone roaming dog is hers. I feel like he’d assume that even if her dogs hadn’t gotten out before, due to her seeming habit of collecting roaming dogs to get them off the street, since he already has a prejudice against her.
And no, to those of you who said she needs to jettison the attitude because she doesn’t want to share every single detail of her life on a public BB that can easily be searched on Google - she is not obligated to share every detail of her life, especially if it’s irrelevant to the story. You don’t know everything about her past and neither do I. Maybe she just wants to keep people out of her yard, maybe she’s in hiding from a violent ex. It’s irrelevant.
I have an issue with someone having 6 large dogs outside in her yard when she isnt home. That is a huge accident just waiting to happen. If they did get out, you would have no idea what happened, since you arent there. And they can get out, anything can happen, of which you would have NO IDEA since you are not home.
Im glad you are not my neighbor. I would be extremely uncomfortable having 6 large dogs outside all day long barking and carrying on with no one home where they are. I dont care if they only got out one time, it only takes one time to do extreme damage.
Around my neighborhood, dogs like that would get out once. And only once. The owner wouldnt have to worry about it again.
I love GSDs and I don’t think that a dog escaping twice in 5 years signifies a major problem, and I think dogs barking behind a fence at someone in their yard is natural and not a bad thing.
I do worry about escapes though. It only takes once for your dog to be hit by a car. I had a dog get away from me, and he was almost immediately hit by a car. I would also worry about a person poisoning the dogs or letting them out if there are any neighbor issues whatsoever. Personally, I would leave them inside when you can’t be outside with them. I’m very cautious with my animals. If you can’t do that, make sure your fence is in perfect shape.
I’d be interested to know how the appearance goes. I’ve never had to do that, but I did have a neighbor accuse me of not picking up after my dog - which was 100 percent untrue. I always carry bags and always pick up. However, he’d seen me walking my dogs and assumed it must be me. I also had a neighbor call me to say my dog was out. Never say never, but my dogs are never out. I thanked her of course because she was doing it out of concern, but the dog that was out was completely different than mine - just the same color. Many people are going to assume any big dog outside is yours. I’d try to make friends with as many neighbors as possible, give them your cell number, and ask them to call if they have any problems or to call AC about any dogs running loose. You just have to be very careful because a lot of people do not like large dogs.
[QUOTE=Ready To Riot;8499636] My fence already sits about 15 ft back from my property line.
.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Ready To Riot;8498751]Currently I live on a half acre piece with my house right in the center. The entire property is completely fenced in with 4ft chain link fence.
[/QUOTE]
Is your fence 50’ or 15’ from the road? If it’s only 15’ and the county owns 5’-10’ from the road then that would mean your 4’ fence is only 5 feet away from the road. I can see where that could be concerning to people walking down the street.
[QUOTE=Garythesquirrel;8546941]
Is your fence 50’ or 15’ from the road? If it’s only 15’ and the county owns 5’-10’ from the road then that would mean your 4’ fence is only 5 feet away from the road. I can see where that could be concerning to people walking down the street.[/QUOTE]
Umm 5’ is plenty of room. Don’t like it? Afraid of the “big scary dogs”? That’s ok. Walk on the OTHER side of the street.
[QUOTE=Dramapony_misty;8546978]
Umm 5’ is plenty of room. Don’t like it? Afraid of the “big scary dogs”? That’s ok. Walk on the OTHER side of the street.[/QUOTE]
I don’t think anyone is saying that she can’t have her fence close to the road, just that on one hand she’s saying she has these dogs for the express purpose of being big and scary but on the other hand they shouldn’t be scaring anyone.
If the dogs are purposely there to be big and scary and they are close to the road, the neighbors are going to have far less tolerance for 1-2 incidences of one escaping and zero tolerance for the potential of it happening again in the future. Fact.
Op is it possible to put up perimeter fencing? That way your dog’s are double fenced and then your property will be blocked from neighbors.
My last neighbors had 3 large German Shepards. They are guard dogs and always outside. They have gotten out 3 times in 6 years. All I did was herd them back into their yard.
I think your neighbors are trying to get rid of your dog’s. Is it legal to gave 6 where you live? Here it’s 3 max.
Okay so…yes I have been to court over loose dogs. Except I was on the other side of the courtroom.
I’m not saying this is incredibly relevant to you OP and I’m not going to criticize or judge you as a pet owner because I don’t know you or your situation. All I’m doing is sharing an example as an answer to this thread’s title.
It only takes once though.
A neighborhood dog pack escaped their home “just once” (according to the owner, I doubt it’s actually true) and came to my farm and brutalized my goat herd.
I lost a very expensive brand new young buck, a buck I was leasing, a promising young doe, and several other goats were savaged.
I shot one dog on the spot and tracked the others home after documenting the evidence by camera.
It ended up in court and the owner had to pay the market value of each of the animals, who were not just common barnyard goats and were worth more than many horses in our area.
Owner also had to pay for the veterinary care of the surviving goats, and I also won an amount for lost income - future kids and milk from the doe that would have increased her value twenty fold.
It was an expensive lesson for the owner and horrible for me - no amount of money will bring back Alistar, Ol Fainter, or Panda. No amount of money will erase the memories of seeing my pets and friends torn apart, dead or dying. I had to shoot Ol Fainter myself because his throat was literally eaten out.
I love dogs - I love them more than I love goats. I still feel sick every time I think about a dog I had to shoot because the owners couldn’t keep them contained. And I assure you - no dog was killed unless I had absolutely no other choice. People can say what they want, but a strange dog’s life absolutely does not take precedence over the lives of my goat friends.
“Just once in a while” won’t stop something like this happening.
However, a pack of Livestock Guardian Dogs ensured I wouldn’t have the do the dirty work ever again.
Good luck OP - I hope you don’t have to end up in court and I hope you find a workable solution.
ETA: I just want to address breeds on a superficial note…I keep extensive research files on goats, both from personal experience and the experience of those I work with or know.
Huskies, Malamutes, and other Northern breeds are the number one killers of livestock out of the information I have at my disposal. Not particularly a surprise to me or anyone else who knows canines. German Shepherd Dogs also top the list, followed by bully breeds.
The dogs in my above referenced account were comprised of Northern mixed breeds and a bully breed. The bully was the one who didn’t run when I came out with the gun and instead turned towards me. At least the sled-yankers run from you most of the time.
I am so sorry your going thru this. First thing I would do is install a camera…right where you can see your lawn and dog fence. And make sure you hang a BIG sign so everyone knows your taping your property. Any further incursions onto your lawn to the edge of your fence should be kept for posterity.
you might be surprised at what goes on when your not home.
(A friend has a camera setup so she can watch from work. Surprise-her neighbbor who always complained about her dogs was baiting them when she was gone.)
Then take photos of your dogs and fence, and also dogs/yards of those near you. Take these to court with you…you hve provided adequate enclosure. Others…not so much. Is the fence along the front solid wood? See ma…no dogs.
If there is no proof=pics would be nice= that the dogs were yours its your word against theirs. Do they have proof this particular time they were yours?
And…phooey to those giving you a hard time here. I had Huskies. I loved my dogs and took good care of them. Impossible to keep in…you should see the boulders I eventually surrounded their fence with, to keep them from digging out. Looks like Stonehenge…they died of old age before I learned how to keep them fenced in.
ps.your neighbor sucks. I invoke the explosive Hershey Squirts on him.
I moved my fence so I could raise the height without having to get permission from the city.
So it now sits 50 ft back and is 6ft tall. Well it will be when it’s finished. We are finishing the last side this weekend.
I’m at work right now so I’ll have to respond to everyone else tonight
[QUOTE=Ready To Riot;8547276]
I moved my fence so I could raise the height without having to get permission from the city.
So it now sits 50 ft back and is 6ft tall. Well it will be when it’s finished. We are finishing the last side this weekend.[/QUOTE]
Great news! That is the responsible thing to do. :yes:
[QUOTE=cnigh;8547022]
Op is it possible to put up perimeter fencing? That way your dog’s are double fenced and then your property will be blocked from neighbors.
My last neighbors had 3 large German Shepards. They are guard dogs and always outside. They have gotten out 3 times in 6 years. All I did was herd them back into their yard.
I think your neighbors are trying to get rid of your dog’s. Is it legal to gave 6 where you live? Here it’s 3 max.[/QUOTE]
This is what I would suggest. I’ve never heard of anyone going to court for dogs running at large. And I’m thankful that my neighbors are more friendly than the people on this thread; one of my dogs is quite an escape artist and has found his way out of the yard more than once…but he’s friendly looking, so the neighbors have helped me find him instead.
It wouldn’t hurt to get an attorney; I know it’s an expense but in general, when a lawyer is present the chances of getting it dismissed are much greater.
But after this; I’d probably think about perimeter fencing or privacy fencing in the dog area, to eliminate the concern of dogs getting out, and neighbors looking in.
Sorry you are going through this. I had two dogs escape my yard, one was pushing out the corner of the gate and slipping out, the other was a foster who no one knew about severe separation anxiety, he ate my wood fence to get out, so I know it’s frustrating. Plus I have alwYs had at risk breeds, Rotts, Dobes and now a Pit mix. The foster was an English Mastiff, big scary dog. Everyone in my neighborhood helped me with the escapers, they would watch to see if the Rott was out and come get me. The reason I had help, I cultivated a relationship with the neighbors.
Another thing, my attorney told me to never put up a Beware of the Dog sign. That says you know your dog is a risk, use a Dog in Yard sign or something like that. You are giving the complainant something to use against you and your dogs.
Do you know what neighbor called AC? They might have pictures of the loose dog, you don’t know. It could also be brought up in court that since you were not home at the time of the loose dog call you do not know if your dog was out. Just tossing that out in case it comes up. And yeah, most people can’t identify one dog from another. But since people think your dogs are not nice, something you cultivated, it could very well work against you. Try to have someone who can testify in you and your dogs behalf. And do not go into the court with an attitude or chip on your shoulder.
Good luck
Epona142 I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’ve had a horse attacked by a dog. Broke her leg. It was horrible.
I’m glad they paid for it, but I know what a horrific situation it is for you to have to deal with daily! I do my best to contain my animals.
There is no law where I live that limits the number of dogs you can have. I honestly never meant to have 6, but I volunteer a lot and and some of these dogs I ended up with couldn’t be placed. So here they are.
And even though it’s no ones business, I do have an abusive ex. That’s why I got my large dogs. One of them is a full on personal protection dog. My ex has no idea which one it is. That one, never leaves my side and if he can’t be with me, he is in the house. That dog has never gotten out of the fence as I know the liability I run with him. That dog is why I have the signs. Because I have to by law. If my ex comes after me, I can send my dog after him. My dog can kill him, and I can be charged with nothing. The other ones know how to bark on command and will bite a dummy arm, but unless they see their tug, they don’t bite. But if you come near my fence I welcomed, they will bark. Because they should.
I do know which neighbor called. Because he told me. He always tells me. He regularly stops me while I’m checking mail or something to yell at me for… Anything. After the instance with my rescue being taken from my fence, I now keep it pad locked.
This guy may very well have pictures of my dogs out. I’d be curious to who put them up since it happened two days in a row and animal control was unable to catch them (but if we are being honest, AC in my area couldn’t care less about catching dogs. They work with the city workers and I hear a lot of stories. That’s irrelevant though).
So as it appears, only 3 of my 5 fenced dogs (one was in the house for sure. He always is) got out two days in a row. Animal control couldn’t catch them, but they managed to be put up before I was able to get home. I’m not sure if they wrote a time down, but I’m going to check when I find the paper, but animal control gets off work at 4. At that time I was working 10 mins from home and also got off work at 4. so at the latest, I was home at 430 and that’s only if I stopped to grab food.
All my dogs have their CGC and 2 volunteer at a hospital for children. Sometimes nursing homes, but big dogs aren’t typically welcome. I suppose I should take proof of this to speak for my dogs character?
Thank you for explaining why the sign. That is something that my attorney advised about when he met my dogs. None were aggressive by the way. But now I understand why you have it.
I don’t know if it would be allowed, but the idea of a photo line up is interesting. Pictures of your dogs and a few similar dogs added. See if the person can pick yours. As I said, most people don’t recognize dogs or specific breeds/ mixes. But you would have to be prepared for them to point out your dog. The biggest problem I see is since you are not home when they are saying it happened you cannot prove it didn’t happen. Not saying it did, it’s just your word against the person who was there and claiming it was your dog.
I don’t know if having a CGC or any of that would have a baring on this or not. This isn’t a case about the dogs temperament, it’s about being at large. It wouldn’t hurt to have their certificates with though.
I’m very sensitive about loose dogs and finger pointing. I’m “one of those people” who has big bad dogs. I thought it was bad with the Rotts and Dobes, but now with a Pit it’s worse at times. So I understand about being singled out and having neighbors against you and your pets.
[QUOTE=scierra;8547480]
Thank you for explaining why the sign. That is something that my attorney advised about when he met my dogs. None were aggressive by the way. But now I understand why you have it.
I don’t know if it would be allowed, but the idea of a photo line up is interesting. Pictures of your dogs and a few similar dogs added. See if the person can pick yours. As I said, most people don’t recognize dogs or specific breeds/ mixes. But you would have to be prepared for them to point out your dog. The biggest problem I see is since you are not home when they are saying it happened you cannot prove it didn’t happen. Not saying it did, it’s just your word against the person who was there and claiming it was your dog.[/QUOTE]
Signage varies by state. If you look up the trespassing law, you may be surprised to find that in many states, tresspassing is totally legal without a sign! I assumed that if someone came on my private property, I could prosecute. Nope. Not without a sign. I’m sure a “dog on site” sign would be fine, but they didn’t have that’s one at ace hardware. Lol
I’m totally prepared to take responsibility for my dogs actions if it was in fact them, but without photos, I feel it’s hearsay. If someone put them back in the fence for me, I would like to say thanks and bake them cookies! I live within 500 feet of a main high way. I see many squished dogs and cats… Someone may have saved my dogs from being one, but without a picture, I don’t believe it.
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