The article states that the couple owns 50 acres and it sounded like the dog was shot on their own property. While I agree that dogs can wreak havoc on other folks livestock etc... shooting a dog on your own property is over the line. If a neighbor had done this on their property... fine. Perhaps there is more to the story like these dogs going after livestock or on other folk’s property but it may just be as likely as someone doing it for kicks.
They probably own 50 acres, but if you look at the lay of the place they’ve got a bunch of neighbors closer to their home than is their most distant property line.
I don’t mean to sound insensitive and it may be true that someone shot the dogs for kicks. That’s entirely possible. But that doesn’t change the fact that anyone in farm country should know better than to let a pack of dogs go loose. Golden Retrievers are VERY nice dogs on their own but I’ve seen them become vicious when in a pack with other dogs.
If the Kaufmann’s were my neighbors I’d be pi**ed at them for letting a pack of dogs loose where they can possibly get to my kids or animals.
I checked Maryland law and it looks like this may actually have been legal.
http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusmdcode11_501_514.htm#s11_505
>>> § 11-505. When dog killing permitted
Any person may kill any dog which he sees in the act of pursuing, attacking, wounding or killing any poultry or livestock, or attacking human beings whether or not such dog bears the proper license tag required by these provisions. There shall be no liability on such persons in damages or otherwise for such killing.
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