Replies

one thing you learn early when you are training to use a gun is never ever ever ever fire a warning shot!!!!! Please you obviously don't know a thing about handling a gun. This man was obviously a good shooter because he put one round right where it needed to go to stop the agressive animal. You don't want to fire any more rounds than necessary for the simple reason that one could ricochet and hit someone else (maybe your child) The blame goes squarely on the pet owner who obviously never trained his stupid dog to ignore people that belong on the street. I have seen too many pet owners who think it's funny and cool that there dogs try to protect there property and person against any human being they encounter. A dog should be trained to know the difference between a burglar crawling thropugh the window and a jogger or postman walking by the house on a busy street. He's lucky that his dog didn't bite a child in the face outside his house ( which from the sound of his behavior might be a possibility ). From my experience around Labs and any mixture with Labs they tend to be stupid animals who require alot of training to get them to behave properly.

1. Some people love their cats or dogs and it hurts them e when they are killed.

If they really loved their animals they would train them properly and maintain control over them. I love my 10 yr old son but if I don't teach him at an early age not to run into the street without looking and then he gets killed by a car after darting out into the road, it would be my fault not the driver of the car.

Yes the little old lady down the block should keep her cat indoors and not let it wander into your yard, and yes you probably have the right to kill it, and yes its not your fault if the little old lady misses her companion and keeps hoping it will return, yes its her fault for letting it wander; that being said you don't have to be a liberal to occasionally have compassion for others.

I dont know how the cat getting loose got into this discussion or the liberal thing I'm quessing you have read previous posts by me and understand my feelings on this subject...well maybe understand isn't the right word maybe realize my feelings would be better.

2. Making a foolish mistake, which allows your dog to escape from a fenced yard does not mean you deserve to have your pet killed. Maybe it teaches kids responsibility to kill their cat or dog they love, but maybe their are kinder ways of teaching that lesson

I don't want to see an animal killed as much as you may believe that. I own an adorable lhaso apso and have owned cats in my life. I really do love animals my son has a guinea pig I adore but I just get sick of pet owners blaming everyone but themselves when they slip up. I agree the man probably didn't have to try to kill him so quickly without trying other methods of stopping the animal. Labs are usually very friendly but they are dumb. ( sorry )

3. Just because you have the 'right' to kill someone’s pet does not mean you should or that it is the right thing to do. You can be pro second amendment and pro use of guns in self defense and still not disagree humans and animals every time you have the "right" to.

It's not that I have a right to kill but that you don't know what a person who doesn't know your dog is thinking when your dog approachs them in a threatening manner. It could have very well been a child who this dog got nasty with and a small child has no defense against a dog this size. I have been bitten by dogs before in my life and it is no fun at all. I had a white german sheohard bite me on my side above my waist and had to get 15 stitches and suffered alot of pain luckily it was the neighbors dog and I knew where he lived so I didn't have to go through the rabies shots.

4. "never ever ever ever fire a warning" is not one of the 10 commandments

I know it's not a commandment from god but I do know that from my life experiences (I have worked in law enforcement) dealing with criminals and use of a gun that the worst thing you can do is fire a warning shot. It just isn't smart for a number of reasons. The only time you point and fire a weapon is when you intend to kill. I'm sorry if that bothers you but that is a fact.

I will guarantee I know more about firearms and have fired more rounds than most on this site, and yes, against an animal a warning shot is as effective deterrent as opposed to killing someones pet who slipped his leash and is lose. This isn't an armed criminal who can respond in kind, its a dog who's fight or flight instincts will take over and unless trained not to will probably run like hell at a firearm discharging into its face.
Which is safer, a round fired into a grass lawn or a round fired int a bony head, do it 100 times and tell me which is more likely to ricochet into a home or towards someone. This guy was in his right to shoot this animal if he genuinely was in fear of being bit, and it is hard to tell from the article if he had other options, the type of neighborhood he was in and how much time he had to react.
I scare roaming dogs off my property all the time, it has never taken more than 1 shot to send them running, I don't want to kill someones pet who got lose because my dogs have roamed before when they slip out without being seen, I would hate like hell to have someone kill him for barking at them unless they truly thought he was vicious.