Sad story - neighbor shoots dog

[alabama]

Stupid dog owners for letting their (hunting breed) dog roam. And since when is someone “trigger happy” to target practice in their back yard? If there isn’t an ordinance against it, he’s within his rights. I target practice in my own back yard. I’m not “trigger happy”. I just want to have a half a$$ chance of hitting what I’m aiming at and not some accidental object/person/animal.

Like someone else said, the dog ignored the shouts and the warning shot. It seemed pretty determined. Sorry, but the owners of the dog is at fault here.

[pezk]

[QUOTE=LauraKY;6776391]
I’m very curious…those of you who can’t understand why the neighbor shot the dog…do you own livestock and keep them on your property? I’m betting the answer is no.[/QUOTE]

Well you’re wrong. I spent lots of time when I was growing up on my grandparents dairy farm in NYS. They owned dairy cows,lots of chickens, a couple of horses, feral cats etc. They also had neighbors. They didn’t believe in killing the neighbor’s dogs when the dogs thought the chickens were a lot more interesting then their own backyards. My grandmother would keep chunks of fat from slaughtering one of the cows in her freezer. When a new dog showed up, barking at the chickens, she would go grab some chunks of fat, get the dog’s attention and throw a couple of chunks. Most dogs are opportunists and rapidly found my grandmother a lot more interesting than the chickens. It got to the point where the dogs would come and sit outside her door and wait for her. If she had a very stubborn dog, she’ll douse that thing with a bucket of cold water and then take a broom to it.

Only took a couple of times and that dog wanted to be her friend.

And before you think they were antigun, they weren’t. They were hunters and good marksmen. If a hunter couldn’t kill a deer with 1 shot, then they shouldn’t be allowed to use a gun. (I actually had a cop apologize to me for taking 2 shots to kill a deer that had been hit by a car and found it’s way into my backyard with a badly broken leg and internal injuries. He also didn’t believe in more than 1 shot. It wouldn’t be humane. Nice guy. Decent.)

But they also believed it was their responsibility to make sure their animals were in an environment where the dogs couldn’t get at them. Sometimes they did lose some chickens but it was due to weasels and foxes, not the neighbor’s dogs. That’s life and other living things had a right to live too.

They didn’t believe in solving problems with a gun. Yes, if an animal was badly injured or rabid, they would shoot it.

In case you can’t tell, I miss that woman and that place. They worked long hours, but they never sacrificed their humanity and kindness toward other living things on the altar of money.

Way too many people solve their problems, be it the neighbor’s dog, or other people with a gun.

[Bluey]

We had one of those neighbors that could not bother to keep their dogs in.
He leased the land next to us from a trust, so had little accountability.
They had two bigger dogs in town, that kept giving trouble, so he brought them to the farm and left them fend for themselves there.
We kept getting them here, harassing our cattle and our own dogs, would catch them and call the owner to come get them.
He kept saying “they are not hurting anything”.

After twice that, we were weaning 300+ calves, shut in four of our working pens and the dogs came by and had fun running them all over fences.
Lucky for the dog owner, the cattle went thru three more fences, but not quite out on the expressway, where they would have caused many accidents.
Lucky no cattle broke bones or died in the miles they ran, with the dogs chasing them.

We called him yet again and told him we didn’t want to shoot their dogs, to do something so they could not come by any more.
He said “fine, shoot them, they are no good”.:eek:
That neighbor definitely got an earful about why should he think we be the ones killing his dogs.
We were sure glad when he lost that lease later, he was bad news.

There are many people like that around, that just can’t see why they can’t let their dogs run free.
I think that is the mindset of the owner of that dog there also.

If the dog was in his yard and bothering the neighbor’s rabbits by barking and running the fence, the rabbit owner needed to move the rabbits.
If the dog is getting out and bothering the rabbits or whatever in their yard, I think anyone with any common sense should realize the dog owner is at fault here.

Those kinds of dog owners are the ones that give the rest of us, that care for our animals responsibly, a bad name, as it reflects when it comes to anti dog laws.

[LauraKY]

[QUOTE=pezk;6776509]
Well you’re wrong. I spent lots of time when I was growing up on my grandparents dairy farm in NYS. They owned dairy cows,lots of chickens, a couple of horses, feral cats etc. They also had neighbors. They didn’t believe in killing the neighbor’s dogs when the dogs thought the chickens were a lot more interesting then their own backyards. My grandmother would keep chunks of fat from slaughtering one of the cows in her freezer. When a new dog showed up, barking at the chickens, she would go grab some chunks of fat, get the dog’s attention and throw a couple of chunks. Most dogs are opportunists and rapidly found my grandmother a lot more interesting than the chickens. It got to the point where the dogs would come and sit outside her door and wait for her. If she had a very stubborn dog, she’ll douse that thing with a bucket of cold water and then take a broom to it.

Only took a couple of times and that dog wanted to be her friend.

And before you think they were antigun, they weren’t. They were hunters and good marksmen. If a hunter couldn’t kill a deer with 1 shot, then they shouldn’t be allowed to use a gun. (I actually had a cop apologize to me for taking 2 shots to kill a deer that had been hit by a car and found it’s way into my backyard with a badly broken leg and internal injuries. He also didn’t believe in more than 1 shot. It wouldn’t be humane. Nice guy. Decent.)

But they also believed it was their responsibility to make sure their animals were in an environment where the dogs couldn’t get at them. Sometimes they did lose some chickens but it was due to weasels and foxes, not the neighbor’s dogs. That’s life and other living things had a right to live too.

They didn’t believe in solving problems with a gun. Yes, if an animal was badly injured or rabid, they would shoot it.

In case you can’t tell, I miss that woman and that place. They worked long hours, but they never sacrificed their humanity and kindness toward other living things on the altar of money.

Way too many people solve their problems, be it the neighbor’s dog, or other people with a gun.[/QUOTE]

But you don’t fit the criteria. You didn’t own the livestock, you’re weren’t responsible for them. Would you feel the same way if you owned cattle and loose dogs killed a calf and tore the nose off the mama trying to protect her? Happened next door.

By the way, I’m not gun nut. I’d like to see them firmly regulated and a permit required for all guns.

[Rallycairn]

I think it’s important to remember/consider both sides of the issue. If I shot every hunting dog that came on my property, without permission, upsetting my animals, pretty much daily during the long hunting season in Dinwiddie County, VA, I could have easily shot a lot of dogs. A lot. What do my husband and I actually do? Since usually if one or two are around, they don’t move on, we catch them/hold them or put them in a pen, and call the hunt club to come get them. Have done this countless times.

The packs that are running usually crisscross the farm but move on within 20-30 mins, although they can circle the general area all day. Unfortunately though there is rarely a human hunter nearby, so it can take a while. But the loners or the ones who break away from the pack and come right up to the barn/house/outbuildings are a real nuisance. I could shoot them, but I’m not going to. Hate the nuisance like hell, but gosh, if one of my dogs were to get loose (and it wouldn’t be deliberate), I would hope to get a little tolerance in return – more than just a warning shot, which one of mine probably wouldn’t understand anyway, and then a kill.

Was the owner here at fault? Absolutely. Could we all exercise a little tolerance unless a rabbit was actively being attacked? I would hope so.

Also, lots of places don’t have leash laws, and it’s easy to claim a hunting dog is in fact hunting or in training – so there are going to be loose dogs which are loose in a manner that is considered legal and socially acceptable.

Draw a hard line if you choose, but I think this is a grey area. I’m sorry for the dog. A spaniel clawing at the cage? It doesn’t sound to me like the rabbits were in immediate danger. If they were, do what you have to do. But like the article said – legal, yes, neighborly, no.

[alabama]

So, it’s not neighborly to shoot a dog that is menacing your livestock, that ignores yelling at it to quit, ignores a warning shot (and a dog that has been on the property multiple times previously, but it’s neighborly to file complaints against someone shooting their rifle on their own property legally?

Interesting logic.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Rallycairn;6776525]
I think it’s important to remember/consider both sides of the issue. If I shot every hunting dog that came on my property, without permission, upsetting my animals, pretty much daily during the long hunting season in Dinwiddie County, VA, I could have easily shot a lot of dogs. A lot. What do my husband and I actually do? Since usually if one or two are around, they don’t move on, we catch them/hold them or put them in a pen, and call the hunt club to come get them. Have done this countless times.

The packs that are running usually crisscross the farm but move on within 20-30 mins, although they can circle the general area all day. Unfortunately though there is rarely a human hunter nearby, so it can take a while. But the loners or the ones who break away from the pack and come right up to the barn/house/outbuildings are a real nuisance. I could shoot them, but I’m not going to. Hate the nuisance like hell, but gosh, if one of my dogs were to get loose (and it wouldn’t be deliberate), I would hope to get a little tolerance in return – more than just a warning shot, which one of mine probably wouldn’t understand anyway, and then a kill.

Was the owner here at fault? Absolutely. Could we all exercise a little tolerance unless a rabbit was actively being attacked? I would hope so.

Also, lots of places don’t have leash laws, and it’s easy to claim a hunting dog is in fact hunting or in training – so there are going to be loose dogs which are loose in a manner that is considered legal and socially acceptable.

Draw a hard line if you choose, but I think this is a grey area. I’m sorry for the dog. A spaniel clawing at the cage? It doesn’t sound to me like the rabbits were in immediate danger. If they were, do what you have to do. But like the article said – legal, yes, neighborly, no.[/QUOTE]

Not applicable here at all.
We had a neighbor that hunted coyotes with a greyhound pack.
We got the occasional greyhound coming by, lost, that we returned to his farm.

THAT is very different than someone that their dog/s time and again get out and come around to fight or chase your animals.:rolleyes:

[pezk]

[QUOTE=alabama;6776552]
So, it’s not neighborly to shoot a dog that is menacing your livestock, that ignores yelling at it to quit, ignores a warning shot (and a dog that has been on the property multiple times previously, but it’s neighborly to file complaints against someone shooting their rifle on their own property legally?

Interesting logic.[/QUOTE]

When the neighbor is doing target shooting in the middleofthe night. There’s another article in the union leader about this incident

[Alagirl]

[QUOTE=pezk;6776596]
When the neighbor is doing target shooting in the middleofthe night. There’s another article in the union leader about this incident[/QUOTE]

Unless there is a noise ordinance, not illegal from where I am looking at…
Can’t practice night vision during daylight hours…

[Rallycairn]

[QUOTE=Bluey;6776590]
Not applicable here at all.
We had a neighbor that hunted coyotes with a greyhound pack.
We got the occasional greyhound coming by, lost, that we returned to his farm.

THAT is very different than someone that their dog/s time and again get out and come around to fight or chase your animals.:rolleyes:[/QUOTE]

Of course it is applicable. Loose dog on your property harrassing your animals is a loose dog harrassing your animals, and it is often the same person’s or club’s dogs, repeatedly. But again, I think the level of danger here was small, as it is in my own case. If it is clear danger, fire away. Doubt it was here - was the cage about to be breached?

[alto]

[QUOTE=Rallycairn;6776525]

Draw a hard line if you choose, but I think this is a grey area. I’m sorry for the dog. A spaniel clawing at the cage? It doesn’t sound to me like the rabbits were in immediate danger. If they were, do what you have to do. But like the article said – legal, yes, neighborly, no.[/QUOTE]

Doubt it was here - was the cage about to be breached?

As another poster noted, rabbits die of shock- they do not actually need to be torn to pieces by the attacking dog.
(I’m guessing you’ve never a beloved rabbit scream in terror)

If dog would not be chased off, what exactly was the rabbit owner supposed to do?
I rather doubt the dog was going to wait meekly to be collared & leashed & led away by the rabbit owner …
& judging from the article, it’s unlikely that the dog owners were going to contain the dog & prevent further incidents.

Poor dog indeed - but because he had crappy owners - not because the evil neighbor finally shot him

[Ruth0552]

Hmmm… I posted about this on equinesite after I saw a story about it on the news. Not because I agree or disagree- it just sounded like there must be more to the story.

The story on the news made it sound like the dog was just in his backyard NEAR the rabbits- so the guy shot the dog with his semi-automatic assault rifle. And the guy even says, on the news, so I emptied a round into the dog.

Then someone posted on equinesite that the guy was actually leaning out his second story window.

If that dog was really harassing those bunnies or if the dog was a repeat offender I am all in favor of shooting it.

However, it sounds a little bit like ex-cop neighbor was pissed that they complained about his night target practice, saw the dog in his backyard, leaned out his window and shot it (with a semi-automatic, really?).

[Barnfairy]

Yes, the moral of the story is don’t let your dogs roam loose, and yes, the shooter was in the legal right but seriously? Resorting so quickly to a semiautomatic?

I have had a slew of dogs come try to taunt my horses, and I’ve also nearly lost a rabbit to loose dog trauma…yet funny how not once have I had to shoot a dog to make it stop. I usually just walk out and catch them. And I’m not even a tough ol’ ex-cop!

Oh, and I live in New Hampshire, where it’s also perfectly legal for my neighbors to scare the crap out of my elderly mare with their backyard fireworks display. (By the time I knew they were sending them up so close it was too late for tranqs to work. But hey, at least now I have warning for the next 4th of July, right?)

Just because it’s legal doesn’t mean you should.

This guy is a jerk. End of story.

[JSwan]

You all would be screaming bloody murder if your precious horsies had been chased into a fence by someone’s cute little puppy dog.

In Virginia, dogs harassing livestock can and will be shot. The owner of the dog is fully responsible, and is also 100% responsible for the value of the livestock injured or killed - including all vet bills.

It is illegal to shoot a dog (pet or working dog) merely for trespassing on someone else’s land. A dog, lawfully hunting, cannot be shot legally. A loose dog cannot be shot legally. ONLY if a dog is harassing, chasing, or maiming livestock does the law come into play.

I would be devastated if someone shot my dog. If he was shot illegally I’d do my best to see the person responsible charged with a crime.

But if my dog was shot because he harassed livestock - I’d grieve in private, make my apologies to the livestock owner, and offer to pay for damages.

Wake up people. The world does not revolve around you. And a livestock owner is not a jerk for protecting the lives of his animals.

The terribly irony here is that my dog disappeared a month ago - he and my beagle snuck out the back door - and out of my back yard. He is likely dead -though I keep hoping he was just stolen by some interfering do-gooder who passed by. I have truly lost hope. If he was not killed by coyotes, he was shot by some creep - as no dog of mine would look twice at livestock or poultry. Who is responsible for his death? Ultimately - I am. If I’d locked the back door he’d be alive today.

[Bluey]

Sorry, JSwan, hope he is out there warming someone else’s couch.

[Alagirl]

[QUOTE=Ruth0552;6776791]
Hmmm… I posted about this on equinesite after I saw a story about it on the news. Not because I agree or disagree- it just sounded like there must be more to the story.

The story on the news made it sound like the dog was just in his backyard NEAR the rabbits- so the guy shot the dog with his semi-automatic assault rifle. And the guy even says, on the news, so I emptied a round into the dog.

Then someone posted on equinesite that the guy was actually leaning out his second story window.

If that dog was really harassing those bunnies or if the dog was a repeat offender I am all in favor of shooting it.

However, it sounds a little bit like ex-cop neighbor was pissed that they complained about his night target practice, saw the dog in his backyard, leaned out his window and shot it (with a semi-automatic, really?).[/QUOTE]

A round is one bullet.
So right there, that is not something a cop would say, all the gun toting people get very particular about the lingo.

He leaned out of the second floor window? Big effing whoop. he might have been in the shower when he heard the commotion or whatever the heck. It takes time to get down stairs and deal with things.

Semi automatic assault rifle…
:lol:

yeah, I knew THAT was going to be a sticking point.

it does not mean a heck of a lot - and I don’t believe that I am saying this - it only means it is a high powered rifle. Not a bad thing to have to shoot long range. Semi automatic means you pull once you squeeze off one round. Nothing more.

The top hunting rifles are as powerful, if not more and can shoot pretty darn fast, from what I have been told.

[Barnfairy]

[QUOTE=JSwan;6776855]
You all would be screaming bloody murder if your precious horsies had been chased into a fence by someone’s cute little puppy dog.[/QUOTE]Absolutely, I was spitting mad when I found my rabbit in shock, and loose dogs irritate me to no end. Yet still I resolve the conflict without shooting anything or anyone.

@JSwan

And a livestock owner is not a jerk for protecting the lives of his animals.

Not sure this guy’s pet bun-buns qualify as livestock any more than my “precious horsies”, and he’s not a jerk for protecting them. He’s a jerk for resorting to deadly force. I wasn’t there, and neither were any of you, but I strongly suspect that there could have been a resolution to this conflict which left both rabbits and dog alive.

[Bluey]

[QUOTE=Alagirl;6776946]
A round is one bullet.
So right there, that is not something a cop would say, all the gun toting people get very particular about the lingo.

He leaned out of the second floor window? Big effing whoop. he might have been in the shower when he heard the commotion or whatever the heck. It takes time to get down stairs and deal with things.

Semi automatic assault rifle…
:lol:

yeah, I knew THAT was going to be a sticking point.

it does not mean a heck of a lot - and I don’t believe that I am saying this - it only means it is a high powered rifle. Not a bad thing to have to shoot long range. Semi automatic means you pull once you squeeze off one round. Nothing more.

The top hunting rifles are as powerful, if not more and can shoot pretty darn fast, from what I have been told.[/QUOTE]

Not necessarily powerful.
Assault weapons is just the name anti gun people love to use, sounds so dangerous, but the real name is semi automatic.
Those come, like all guns, in different calibers, some wimpy ones too.:yes:

[LauraKY]

[QUOTE=Barnfairy;6776967]
Absolutely, I was spitting mad when I found my rabbit in shock, and loose dogs irritate me to no end. Yet still I resolve the conflict without shooting anything or anyone.

Not sure this guy’s pet bun-buns qualify as livestock any more than my “precious horsies”, and he’s not a jerk for protecting them. He’s a jerk for resorting to deadly force. I wasn’t there, and neither were any of you, but I strongly suspect that there could have been a resolution to this conflict which left both rabbits and dog alive.[/QUOTE]

According to my A/C, one chicken, one rabbit counts as livestock.

We have no idea what the true details are. One or both could be asshats. However, due to his owner’s lack of control, the dog is dead. He’s the innocent one.

[morganmare]

[QUOTE=Ruth0552;6776791]
Hmmm… I posted about this on equinesite after I saw a story about it on the news. Not because I agree or disagree- it just sounded like there must be more to the story.

The story on the news made it sound like the dog was just in his backyard NEAR the rabbits- so the guy shot the dog with his semi-automatic assault rifle. And the guy even says, on the news, so I emptied a round into the dog.

Then someone posted on equinesite that the guy was actually leaning out his second story window.

If that dog was really harassing those bunnies or if the dog was a repeat offender I am all in favor of shooting it.

However, it sounds a little bit like ex-cop neighbor was pissed that they complained about his night target practice, saw the dog in his backyard, leaned out his window and shot it (with a semi-automatic, really?).[/QUOTE]

I don’t know which channel you saw that interview on, but sometimes the news will make some people look like loonies depending on their conservatism/liberalism (sp?). Anyways, one interview I saw said that he heard the commotion, he was upstairs. Yelled first at the dog out the 2nd floor window while the dog was trying to break into his rabbit hutch. Gave a warning shot when it didn’t listen, then finally shot the dog.
This wasn’t the 1st time the dog has harrassed the rabbits. The dog owners were at fault for not containing their dog. They could easily have set up a run for the dog in thier back yard, or tied it out, or walked it on leash for exercise. The dog owner had no right to let their dog loose to repeatidly harass the rabbits. (I love dogs, and really don’t care for rabbits as pets, but I cannot find fault with the rabbit owner in this case.)