Where I live in a rural area and no semblance of animal control in my county I get a lot of stray dogs who are set out literally in the middle of no where. 99.9% of the time I will yell git and that sends them away from the house and my two dogs. But every now and then I’ll run across one that won’t leave even after a round into the ground and will fight my dogs and cause problems.
At that point after exhausting my options I put them down and out of the calibers I’ve used: .22lr, .45 ACP, .357 magnum, and .12 gauge. I can attest the .12 gauge with 00 buck is a quick and effective way to end the interaction with the .357 coming in second. Thankfully this doesn’t happen very often but the .12 gauge is the go to weapon when it does.
I sat on a murder trial nearly 20 years ago and a shotgun was used in the murder. The victim took a .12 gauge 00 buck in the chest at roughly 30-40 feet and died instantly according to the coroner. The surviving witness who took off running took a 00 blast in the shoulder and arm. He survived by running away but his arm and shoulder looked like a piece of hamburger meat in the crime scene photos. The defendant got 20 years for the murder and 10 years for first degree assault. He has to serve 24 years before he gets a parole hearing. Had we given him life for the murder he got a hearing in 17 years which is warped, but it is the law in my state.
I'm at the edge of the county limits and we do have animal countrol, thank goodness. Cats are difficult...they get tossed out too...winter is a b i itch...but we try to catch'em and if we do they live, thanks to the county and the saints at the animal shelter.