[QUOTE=Mosey_2003;7784374]
Don’t keep a baseball bat by the door, the first thing someone bigger/stronger than you is going to do is take it away from you and club you with it.[/QUOTE]
Unless you are my Grandma! Haha
[QUOTE=jacksmom;7784527]
I am a gun owner and I live in a very rural area. I’m completely with Wendy on this. I would have grabbed my phone and my big flashlight and walked down the drive. I would inform him, in a loud voice from a distance, that he was trespassing and asked him if there was something I could help him with.[/QUOTE]
THIS. At my place I hit the floodlights, and, with all lower doors and windows secured, yell out an upper story window in my best drill-field voice for the person to BACK AWAY FROM THE HOUSE and tell me what he wants while standing where I can see him clearly, out under the lights. If it’s someone broken down or whatever I tell them I’ll call the cops.
I have deadly force, but it’s not my first go-to. Most people screwing around are lost, jerks, or drunks, not murderers. They get IN the house, that’s another story–we have “castle law” here.
It was said before and bears repeating: make sure your neighbor is safe!
Calling the neighbor who comes out with his gun then calling the police can be a bad decision if the neighbor is not safely identified.
Those with livestock who keep loaded forearms nearby when sleeping aren’t doing so because of the chance of predators getting into their bedrooms.
It’s for expediency if/when there is a predator problem in the middle of the night. It’s much faster than running to the firearm location, loading it and then running out of the door. That seems like a small amount of time, but can be the difference between injured and uninjured livestock. (or worse)
And while there’s the financial issue with injured or dead livestock, for most the personal issue is the actual reason. Because it’s God-awful seeing/dealing with a torn up animal whether you’re emotionally attached to that single one or not. Tough acting on the outside or not…it stays with you. For a long time.
Not to mention how tough it is on the actual animal. 
So while having an armed neighbor is a definite benefit and maintaining a good relationship with that person is a good thing…for some people it’s preferable for them to be liable for their own animals’ protection. They might not think that the time it takes to go to the neighbors, wake them, convince them to come over with their firearm and get back to your livestock is viable as that animal is writhing in pain or increases it’s chances of not surviving. Or even just letting it suffer that extra amount of time before ending it’s misery.
For many it is being more responsible and merciful to put personal feelings aside and do what’s in the best interest of your animals as opposed to pawning that responsibility off onto a neighbor and hope like heck they’ll be there and willing to perform our own duty towards our animals for us so we don’t have to be the ‘paranoid psycho’ firearm owner and can maintain our superior status.
Owning animals isn’t always only about the hearts and flowers aspects of pets/animals. It also means being able to handle the worst case scenerios and being prepared to do so is and when it’s ever needed.
FWIW, the most common use of the firearms I own (outside of targets) is ending the suffering of various wildlife instantaneously. Mostly from vehicle damage. Often from illness/issues.
I’m unable to allow them extra time suffering any more than I’d be able to let my own animals suffer.
Self protection is exceedingly rare, but it’s not unheard of. And firearms for self protection are usually safest when handled by those with long-term experience in handling firearms and not those also prone to Rambo-ism Bravado or, on the other end of the spectrum, hair-trigger histrionics. (no pun intended)
So please don’t assume an entire country is defined by it’s media or a small cross-section of people on an internet BB. And please don’t assume all firearms or firearm owners are paranoid, violent, etc due to a lack of personal experience being around firearms.
And also don’t assume anyone wandering around at night is a psycho…but also don’t assume everyone is safe and would never pose ay danger either.
Always use caution and common sense as much as possible…time for nerves after problems are dealt with. And call local law enforcement and then neighbors for help…better sheepish afterwards if there wasn’t a threat as opposed to regretting getting help that was actually needed.
Well, I am back. And let me tell you why.
I stopped at the mailbox after running my usual Friday errands and in the mail was a letter from Araceli Rodriguez.
She is a Mexican girl who is the first in her family to ever get to college.
Her letter was a thank you note for the scholarship money she received from the Claude S. Sutton scholarship at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
A very touching letter from a very serious young lady who intends to go into nursing.
This letter reminded me that we have no idea how many students, nor their race or ethnicity that have written us over the 50 years or so this scholarship has existed. But I do remember getting letters from Koreans, Indians…from real India, as well as other Hispanics.
There are no restrictions as to race, ethnicity, studies, career goals, etc.
I have no doubt that some of them have been black because after all the purpose of a scholarship is to help those who are not rolling in cash.
However those who qualify all write so well that it is not possible to make any distinction by other than the names or whether they give some of their life story.
So it occurred to me that I should return here and ask all of the persons who called me a bigot, racist, stupid and whatever: How many young ambitious kids have you sent through a university on your scholarship? At what university is your scholarship?
While mulling over the contents of this post, it also occurred to me that I should ask you how many young black boys have you kept from going to prison for a crime they did not commit?
And since there was nothing about this post which was supposed to have anything to do with race (can’t tell the race of a flashlight wandering my property… though I have neighbors of both European and Mexican descent who have offered to come over should I feel unsafe)… I do appreciate the note about ensuring the police know if I call a neighbor - it’s something I would have told the 9-1-1 operator while on the phone if I had called a neighbor, but will make sure my mom has set in her mind of an action plan to make sure she doesn’t endanger someone if here alone.
I also have welcomed Marmaduke into the family:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/q85/p480x480/1620595_10100353522884106_8554763140682074106_n.jpg?oh=8c3a87285d11644be2361e2fdd8e6343&oe=54BFF528&gda=1422426079_e7e926b8c5ae99166ba6e7e5e2250823
There was a big storm last week, and Marmaduke and a husky ran into the street and jumped in my truck as soon as I opened the door. Neither had any identification, no chips, and weren’t reported any of the many places I posted about having found them. Apparently they were dumped under cover of a storm and unwanted. The husky would have been good protection, but I don’t believe he would have been good around the animals, so he was rehomed with an active family with a very large yard and a dog he loved upon meeting. Marmaduke is the new barn dog, who I’m sure will end up taking up half my mom’s bed at night, but will have free roam of our property, and a “Beware of Dog” sign is now purchased. 
Bless you for keeping both dogs out of PACC. I hope he does his job perfectly!
Marmaduke is quite a good looking guy! So glad he found you at the right time. Hope the husky works out for it’s new owner as well.
Marmaduke is SO cute!!
[QUOTE=netg;7803317]
And since there was nothing about this post which was supposed to have anything to do with race (can’t tell the race of a flashlight wandering my property… though I have neighbors of both European and Mexican descent who have offered to come over should I feel unsafe)… I do appreciate the note about ensuring the police know if I call a neighbor - it’s something I would have told the 9-1-1 operator while on the phone if I had called a neighbor, but will make sure my mom has set in her mind of an action plan to make sure she doesn’t endanger someone if here alone.
I also have welcomed Marmaduke into the family:
https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/q85/p480x480/1620595_10100353522884106_8554763140682074106_n.jpg?oh=8c3a87285d11644be2361e2fdd8e6343&oe=54BFF528&gda=1422426079_e7e926b8c5ae99166ba6e7e5e2250823
There was a big storm last week, and Marmaduke and a husky ran into the street and jumped in my truck as soon as I opened the door. Neither had any identification, no chips, and weren’t reported any of the many places I posted about having found them. Apparently they were dumped under cover of a storm and unwanted. The husky would have been good protection, but I don’t believe he would have been good around the animals, so he was rehomed with an active family with a very large yard and a dog he loved upon meeting. Marmaduke is the new barn dog, who I’m sure will end up taking up half my mom’s bed at night, but will have free roam of our property, and a “Beware of Dog” sign is now purchased. :)[/QUOTE]
You might want to go with a less prejudicial sign. I’ve heard that some judges have interpreted that “Beware of dog” sign as “You already knew that the dog was dangerous” and then it would go against you (and poor Marmaduke) if anything were to happen, and the law got involved. (Heaven forbid!)
Something like “My Dog REALLY LOVES Me!” might be better.
P.S. Isn’t it nice when the right animal finds you? My DD said once that at my funeral, one of the things she’s going to say will be that animals would always seek me out when they needed help. The latest one was a Desert Tortise that my DSIL took in and has named “Leonard”. He just showed up on my porch a few weeks ago. There have been numerous dogs, a Cockatiel who walked in the door at my work and started climbing up my pants leg. Go figure…
I have heard that too. I have seen signs that say Dog on Premises or Guard Dog on Premisis some have pictures of a GSD or Doberman.
http://www.ultrasecuredirect.com/acatalog/A4_Guard_Dogs_External_Sign.html
http://l.victorystore.com/signs/property_management/warning_dog_on_premises.htm
Marmaduke is a cool looking dog.
Good point about the sign - I suspect Marmaduke would protect us if he felt it necessary, but if not he is very much like the cartoon character in personality. I tried to get him on his brand new giant sized bed by sitting on it, and he kind of went along, by pouncing on my lap. Only his head fit!
A friend who is in rescue thinks he’s part Anatolian, and when I looked up pics he has many physical similarities, though not purebred if he’s part - he lacks the athleticism described for them and is sweeter than they sound as a whole from the descriptions I read. I’ve never known one to know if it was just a poor description.
I think I’d like this sign better than the others suggested. There’s not hint of threat, but the fact of a dog present is shown. You’d just have to install one of those radio doorbells.
He looks like my friend’s Anatolian.
[QUOTE=gottagrey;7783964]
Process servers do work crazy hours so they can catch the person at home - I worked for a surgeon who got the begeegees scared out of him one morning at 4:30 in the morning when a process server approached him as he was leaving for the hospital. I’d get a couple of Beware of Dogs and no tresspassing signs. No one has to know your dogs are lacking in the watchdog department[/QUOTE]
Yes, just chiming in to say that the guy probably really WAS a process server (in case that helps you to feel better, OP). I’m an attorney, and I’ve read the process server reports in matters where service was difficult. They really will stop at almost nothing to complete service on someone that is evading.
There are also published cases concerning whether or not service was actually completed when, say, a process server stuffs the papers under a windshield wiper while the subject drives away, and other zany scenarios.
It’s a crazy profession, being a process server!
The Dogs Loose sign is nice; there’s another I’ve thought of:
I Watch Here: http://www.iwatchhere.com/breedsGN.shtml Although I think I’d pass on the Beagle one :lol: and pick a different breed.
I have this one [warning: language]: http://weknowmemes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cat-is-shady-also.jpg
Actually one of the cutest dog signs I’ve read something like:
Watch out for the dogs,
old dog, young dog, and
not too smart dog.
A friend of mine has that one; it comes it all different styles. It must be popular!
http://media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/7d/8a/6f/7d8a6f915f32afec9634a354886776c7.jpg
I have seen a sign along the lines of “My dog can make it ti the fence in 5 seconds. Can you?”
I have also heard that “Beware of Dog” can imply that you know you have a dangerous dog
[QUOTE=FineAlready;7803962]
Yes, just chiming in to say that the guy probably really WAS a process server (in case that helps you to feel better, OP). I’m an attorney, and I’ve read the process server reports in matters where service was difficult. They really will stop at almost nothing to complete service on someone that is evading.
There are also published cases concerning whether or not service was actually completed when, say, a process server stuffs the papers under a windshield wiper while the subject drives away, and other zany scenarios.
It’s a crazy profession, being a process server![/QUOTE]
There are many lawyers/legal professionals in my family, so I’m aware how crazy it can be - but the fact he hadn’t tried yet, and didn’t bother to figure out where he was going is reprehensible and unprofessional as far as I’m concerned. Had he tried delivering in daylight, he would have discovered that the house he was looking for is deserted and no need to return to it at any time; he also would have not needed to tresspass on property on which he had no business.
[QUOTE=Sparrowette;7803829]http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dogs-Loose-Private-Property-No-Public-Access-20cm-x-30cm-Rigid-Signboard-/231357612031?pt=UK_BOI_ProtectiveGear_RL&var=&hash=item7b8b68daaf
I think I’d like this sign better than the others suggested. There’s not hint of threat, but the fact of a dog present is shown. You’d just have to install one of those radio doorbells.[/QUOTE]
Without the doorbell part I would really like that sign - because it’s important even for just delivery guys. I am going to get some kind of bin near the gate for UPS since we get SmartPaks
