Someone shot one of our dogs this afternoon (vanity)

Self | 28 Sep 04 | SLB

[HairOfTheDog]

A silly solution I heard about recently was to tie one end of long rope to the collar and an empty milk jug to the other end. Even if the dog gets out, he can't go far.

He'll get snagged on something, yes.... can you be sure to find him? I wouldn't do that.

[HairOfTheDog]

In fact, I wouldn't ever leave a collar on a dog they can't slip out of. I found a dog collar snagged on a part of my property I don't go to every day. It would be bad if that dog had not been able to slip out of it.

[FITZ]

I still say there's no reason to shoot a dog (unless it's attacking someone).

What if it threatens your livestock or chickens?

[MaryFromMichigan]

I think the idea was that the milk jug would snag on the hole in the fence.
Unlikely though.
If the hole was big enough to let the dog escape, the jug could be pulled through, too.
(De- fenceless dog alert)

[pepperdog]

I would call the police everytime I see the kid walking around with a bb gun. You have every reason to believe that he will continue to do mischief with it. He has demonstrated that he is irresponsible, and mean.

[alisasny]

That is pretty sad. I could see if it was a pit bull or other aggressive but a beagle.....who could do such a thing : (

[RedBloodedAmerican]

The police say he is a sociopath, has the makings of a mass murderer. They have left their house (vacant, thank God), but they haven't sold yet.

[Tijeras_Slim]

Sorry some idiot hurt your pet, and I won't tell you to try to secure your pup better - you already know and sometime they just get out. I haven't had this problem, but I did have some idiot teen walking up and down the street with a paintball gun taking potshots. I buckeled on my .45 went out and said, "I like my property the color it is, understand?" He nodded and hasn't done it since.

[Darnright]

Thank goodness your dog wasn't hit in the eye. There's a Yahoo list that monitors pet related laws throughout the country, and you might want to check it out to see what, if any, legal remedies you have against the person who shot your dog.

In Virginia, for example, it's now a felony to shoot and kill a dog.

The link for the list is: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/pet-law/

[jimt]

When the local dogs usually Labs too show up in my yard I load them up and take them home if their parents...

Their PARENTS ?! Think again.

[Andy'smom]

Call the police. At the very least it will embarrass your neighbor. My dog has never been shot at but the weird kid next door used to fire his BB gun in the direction of my daughter who was like 3 at the time just to hear her scream and run in the house. His father took it away from him.
Be careful of the dog, next time they might put out poison meat.

[TheMom]

I works when the milk jug is bigger than the dog.

[TheSpottedOwl]

Sorry to hear about your dog. My 9 yr old cat was shot full of bb's in April. If he hadn't run and hid, I could have probably saved him. By the time he crawled back into the house he was "gone".

Bastards....

[Cedar]

"What if it threatens your livestock or chickens?"

Are we talking about free-range chickens?

No, seriously, most livestock are enclosed. Can't see a dog messin' with a pot-bellied pig or cows.

Chickens are usually in a pen unless cage-free, in which case there might be a problem with stray dogs. Don't know enough about the world of cage-free chickens to really say, but seems like the owners would have a plan to cope with intruders besides shooting them.

I agree cats do pose a different problem. Years ago my mom lost her beloved "Timmy" to a dog's attack (we figured, though we didn't actually see it happen). But again, I don't think just shooting dogs that enter your yard is the answer. There has to be some other way, unless the dog is a known rabid.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Thank you for showing that dog more kindness than he'd probably ever experienced in his life. Don't worry that you couldn't do more -- I'm sure what you did seemed like a miracle to the dog.

[GovernmentShrinker]

No state's laws allow anyone to fire a BB gun into your residential property, much less at you or your dog. Call the cops. Call and write the kid's parents explaining that if the kid ever so much as points his BB gun at your property again, you will sue them for damages for making it impossible to live safely at your own home, and for any medical or veterinary or property repair bills resulting from their delinquent son's shooting. And, if this is a smallish kid, look into your state's laws re citizen's arrests.

[RedBloodedAmerican]

Did all that. As for citizens arrest, they said can't because he is a minor. When I complained once about this kid shooting animals on my property with his compound bow, the cop said "wait till he hits someone and then call Judge Judy" (direct quote).

We are talking Daytona police here. I am good friends with some of them, but some of them are sitting on their butts waiting for their pension.

[GovernmentShrinker]

That sucks. Well, maybe if the police are that useless, you should just get your own BB gun and deal with him that way :-) If they can't be bothered to arrest him, why would they bother to arrest you?

[RedBloodedAmerican]

My thinking too. except it ain't a BB gun :o)

[Xenalyte]

Wash out an empty soda can. Insert two pennies. Tape the mouth closed. Voila - instant anti-canine noisemaker. Works on every dog, guaranteed.