Posted on 09/28/2004 6:07:18 PM PDT by SLB
Someone shot one of our dogs this afternoon. She is a tri-color beagle who is the greatest escape artist from our yard we have seen. She will find any crack in the fence and wiggle out. She did so this afternoon and someone took a shot at her with a BB gun. Not too powerful you say? I have the vet bill and x-ray to show you a BB lodged in her back next to her spine. No surgery to remove it, just some anti-biotic to keep the infection down.
Who did it? One neighbor is retired and feeds the birds. He wouldn't do it, as he has a squirrel problem the dogs like to take care of for him. My suspect is the tree hugger across the creek with the Kerry/Edwards sign in his yard. He is probably the biggest grump in the area, always complaining about kids cutting through his yard. Not going to report it to the police, at this time anyway. All they do is ask too many questions and never solve anything.
He'll get snagged on something, yes.... can you be sure to find him? I wouldn't do that.
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.
What if it threatens your livestock or chickens?
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.
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 : (
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.
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.
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/
Their PARENTS ?! Think again.
I works when the milk jug is bigger than the dog.
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....
"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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
My thinking too. except it ain't a BB gun :o)
Wash out an empty soda can. Insert two pennies. Tape the mouth closed. Voila - instant anti-canine noisemaker. Works on every dog, guaranteed.
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