Dog Owner's Lack of Care Results in Violent Death for two Dogs

Gun Watch ^ | 27 February, 2015 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Animal owners are responsible for their animals and the actions of their animals. Dogs are not people. It is much harder for them to understand property lines and property rights. They have to be taught, and often, restrained. When dogs run free of their owners control, their instincts tend to take over, especially if there are more than one of them. Their instinct pushes them to bark at other animals, chase them, bite them, kill them, and eat them. If there is more than one dog, pack instinct kicks in and they bounce off of one another's behavior like little boys playing "I dare you"; with all their instincts pushing them toward making the kill.

This is why virtually all states have laws that allow owners of livestock to protect their animals from the attacks of free roaming dogs. It is the responsibility of the dog owner to restrain their dog or dogs, and it is their fault if they allow their animals to run free where they become a danger to other animals. Dogs act differently away from their owners than they do with their owners.

In Texas, someone was not responsible enough to restrain their dogs. It is reported that they were running loose and attacked Mr. Conatser's calf, in his barn. Mr. Conatser showed remarkable restraint. He did not kill the dogs. He went to considerable trouble to contact the dog owner and to warn them of horrible consequences to their dogs, if the owner did not do as his responsibility required.

Mr. Conatser's warnings went unheeded. He was forced to shoot two dogs. Dogs that were likely fine pets, when they were around their owner and under their control. But the owner failed in his responsibility to his animals, and now they are dead.

Mr. Conatser could not wait for a third or fourth time to intercept the dogs. very likely his calf would have been dead by then. He did what he had to do. A hard thing, forced on him by the irresponsible act of another.

I feel for him.

Mr. Conatser made a mistake. He posted a picture of the dead dogs on Facebook, no doubt out of frustration and anger that an uncaring person had forced this deed on him. It is clear that he did not want to kill the dogs, or he would have done so the first time they attacked his calf.

Mr Conatser is not the one at fault. The person responsible is the one who failed to restrain their dogs. From cbslocal.com:

Family friend Kevin Forester said Conatser found the dogs inside his barn a couple of days earlier, while they were attacking his calf, and recognized them as belonging to his neighbor.

“So he went over to his neighbor’s and told him that his dogs was getting in his barn and attacking his animals, to please ya know keep ‘em at home, put ‘em on a leash, build a fence, do something,” recalled Forester.

The friend says Conatser told him the neighbor didn’t care. We left messages with neighbors in the area, but haven’t heard back.

Here is the relevant Texas statute:

Sec. 822.013. DOGS OR COYOTES THAT ATTACK ANIMALS. (a) A dog or coyote that is attacking, is about to attack, or has recently attacked livestock, domestic animals, or fowls may be killed by:

(1) any person witnessing the attack; or

(2) the attacked animal's owner or a person acting on behalf of the owner if the owner or person has knowledge of the attack.

(b) A person who kills a dog or coyote as provided by this section is not liable for damages to the owner, keeper, or person in control of the dog or coyote.

Dog owners, remember that you are responsible for your animals and their welfare.  They depend on you.  I am a dog person.  I love and understand dogs.  It saddens me when irresponsible owners cause unneeded harm to the animals that depend on them.

Most people understand this and feel sympathy for Mr. Conatser.  But some cannot consider anything more than that Mr. Conatser shot dogs.  The volunteer fire department that Mr. Conatser belongs to has received a lot of emails.  Five out of six are supportive.  But one in six is not.  Mr. Conatser has received death threats from as far as Europe.  Conatser has temporarily withdrawn from the rotation, because of the threats.

Here is a comment from the dailymail.com:

I love animals more than people - however - has anyone ever seen a dog attack farm animals??? Ever seen a dog eat a chicken alive, or worse yet, two dogs attack a cow or calf??? I doubt it, because if you had, you would ASK someone to shoot the dogs - imagine the sound that a normal cow or calf make, now picture two dogs eating that animal from the hoof up, it is horrifying, and NO it isn't like you can run up and shoo away two dogs in the middle of an attack. And yes - labs do attack. These dogs are dead because of the owner that doesn't care if other animals die over his lack of fencing.

©2015 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
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[marktwain]

A lot of dog owners are not responsible about their pets. They let the dogs run their lives, and fail to restrain the pets. They they are outraged when bad things happen.

[chris37]

Personally I feel very sorry for these dogs, who were just being dogs, and the man who was forced to end their lives as a result of their negligent owner.

I also believe that the owner of the dogs should face charges related to the death of these dogs.

[defconw]

We live in ranch country. I have a young lab. We have a shock collar on her now. Some people will say it’s cruel. I’d don’t think it is. She must stay with us at all times. I don’t want her shot. She must stay on our property. I feel sorry for the dogs for having an irresponsible owner.

[W.]

This story also has an striking parallel to a pair of high-profile thugs who ran wild and were shot for their misdeeds...

[jospehm20]

I agree. Too bad for the dogs that their owner was an irresponsible jerk.

[marktwain]

I had not considered that. Substitute parents for “owners”...

[SkyDancer]

Did he try to get animal control out?

[CrappieLuck]

SSS

The second and third S’s are just as important as the first.

[rarestia]

Five out of six are supportive. But one in six is not.

My God, who qualifies as a "journalist" anymore? Does this really need to be said?

This is a terrible story, and I applaud the man for his restraint. I have to agree, however, that posting pictures on Facebook is a bit much, regardless of frustration.

[defconw]

I don’t think there is such a thing out in the country. Ranchers are within their rights to shoot anything that may harm their livestock.

[PistolPaknMama]

The man had a right to protect his property, but I swear I would have tried trapping them first or call animal control.

[chris37]

I do not believe that a shock collar is cruel.

That is a viable method for keeping the dog safe in a large open area. The dog will learn the boundaries quickly.

What is cruel is what the owner of these dogs in the story allowed to happen.

When I was much younger, my step uncle in south carolina had this wonderful husky named bear. I used to love to go up there and visit bear. They let him run free of course. Up there there was about a mile in between each house.

One summer I went up there hoping to see bear, but bear had been shot one day and died. I was very sad.

[LambSlave]

Never heard of such a thing as “animal control” until I went to college in the city; farmers/ranchers deal with these problems on their own. I would not want someone from the government on my property in the first place, it is my property and my problem. I would guess most rural property owners would feel the same way.

[defconw]

My dog has caught on very quickly. We tried all last summer and any time she got lose she ran on other peoples property. We are lucky in that most of the neighbors have horses. But, the collar works. Very quickly she has caught on. Yesterday she was out with my husband. We live in the woods. He was in the garage. She was real close to being off our property, she looked toward the house and then stepped further into our property without being told or zapped.

We borrowed the one we have from my BIL, I am going to buy her one, just in case she forgets.

[Hot Tabasco]

I worked with a guy who was transferred to our Shelbyville KY stamping plant many years ago. He and his wife bought a house in the country with no fenced yard. One day he let his two huskies out as he usually did and they wandered to a neighbor's property that had cattle on in. Well, the huskies killed one of the cows.........

He not only had to pay for the cow but put the dogs down too.........very unfortunate and stupid on his part.

[SkyDancer]

Guy shouldn’t have let his dogs run loose then - the shooter warned him several times and he has to protect his livestock.

[Clay Moore]

Calves are selling in my part of the world for $3-4/lb on the hoof. So the rancher was trying to prevent the dogs from killing a thousand dollar (or more) bill.

[defconw]

That’s the law out here. If they find a dead cow, they can shoot the dog and you pay for the cow. Whether your dog did it or not. Actually the law reads that if a dog, chases, bothers or in any way harms a domestic animal it can be legally shot by a land owner. They could just say they thought it was a coyote as well.

[defconw]

Yes, my dog has the collar on. She has learned that she has more freedom when she listens. We have 6 acres. That's enough for her to tear around on, but she has to stay within a certain distance of us, even on our property. No chasing deer or turkeys either. It's good practice.

[AlaskaErik]

My chocolate lab never wants to leave my side. But if she did, all she would try to do is make friends with every human and every animal.