My dog attacked by 2 neighbor dogs

[Tyler]

Dang, Don... so sorry to hear this is something that you have to deal with. My folks live out in the country as well and there are always critters running around getting into trouble... guess it's just one of the pitfalls of being away from it all. Give MsDC a hug for me... really glad she wasn't hurt!

I'll keep my fingers crossed for a favorable outcome without anyone/thing having to be put down.

 

[1FJR]

As somebody else said check your laws. Also report it asap. It needs to be on record. There may already be reports on the visiting dog. Also people's stories always change when they get the vet bill.

 

[Auburn]

Don't be messin' with MsD and her critters.. jes sayin'..

You all can off me, and MsD will be sad for a day, maybe two..

...but the critters?

Jihad baby..

This is a public place so I'll not discuss the weaponry - but surgical strikes are available if needed.

This is truly a sad story. I'm going to visit the good neighbor again, he/they really are OK peeps - to discuss this and come up with methods to prevent from happening again. In my life I've learned that most folks want to do good, and are responsible. Sometimes, they need be held to task - and I'll do so.

If the lesson's not learned, then game on.

I agree that talking with the good neighbor may help resolve the issue. He may even tell you to shoot if they do attack again. Be prepared to have to put one or both dogs down if they attack, a warning or wounding shot won't stop them, they will keep coming back unless the owner deals with them.. If the owner doesn't deal with them, I am afraid you will have to sout them down sooner or later.

 

[Dudewado]

Man, I'm glad Harley came out all right, he's good people. I'm very glad you and Ms D. were not injured.

I can see how the situation really is hard for you, Don. In the heat of the moment, I might put one down: but I would hate it

until the end of my days. I hope the neighbor and his renters can solve it by terminating the pit bull's visiting rights.

On the subject of pit bulls;

I AM NOT against pit bulls, but they can not be left to roam on their own. My late wife had an 80# red-nosed red that she found abandoned as a puppy.

We instantly bonded when we met. (My wife said she had to marry me or give me the dog.)

He was the best dog I ever had and loved everyone and every animal that came to our house.

But, when out on a walk away from the house, he became very defensive and aggressive toward other dogs if they barked at us or challenged him.

It was like a switch was thrown and he became another dog.

People say it is how they are raised, and it will make a huge difference. This dog was never encouraged to fight or be aggressive.

But these dogs were bred and cross-bred for fighting.

I have pictures of him cuddling with my son when he was a baby, and pictures of him and the stray kitten he brought to the back door and let in the house to

share his food.

I can still cry for him 20 years after he died, but I will never have another pit bull.

 

[TomInPA]

Call animal control and file a complaint. This creates a record of a vicious dog attack. If its dog on human, the dog can be declared "dangerous" on the first occurrence. When dogs attack another animal, it takes a second offense to get the determination. Ultimately this protects you if it should be necessary to protect yourself, or livestock, including your own pets. The county can also help you to recover veterinary costs. I have been through this, and in truth, there is very little you can do against a recalcitrant owner, but following legal procedures gives you better coverage.

If you have costs related to this, you can sue in small claims and collect damages. A good approach is to get the judgment, then turn it over directly to the owner's insurance company. You'll either collect, or have their insurance canceled or both. If you have reasonably good relations with the neighbor, work it out with them. Unfortunately, bad pet owners, tend to be bad neighbors..

 

[Joe2Lmaker]

In the country, the unwritten rule is this -

..one time your dog attacks my sheep, chickens, cows - you get a warning to control you dogs.

.........the next time, it's a justified killing.

but ...

Don, I understand that you find the unwritten rule reprehensible, but think about the people who agreed to the unwritten rule. Do you believe they were cruel or insensitive?

The next time the dogs step on your property, put them down.

It's more complicated than that - although I do appreciate a simple and clean answer. Really.

I understand. It does seem more complicated than that. On the other hand, once all of those complicating factors are considered...

Sometimes we need to do things that we find reprehensible.

 

[beemerdons]

I'm the Will Rogers of the dog world. Never met a dog I didn't like. But those damn Pits. . . They're just scary. And any new dog in the mix can change the whole dynamic with other dogs that have always been fine around each other. If the visiting Pit leaves the picture, chances are your guys and the Border Collie can be fine again. But I'd be for shooting the Pit if he comes in hot again and starts trouble. And I'd use a .22--just to make sure I shot the dog I was aiming at.

And DAMN GOOD on Mrs. DC for jumping in there. Scary, but admirable.

.

Don't be messin' with MsD and her critters.. jes sayin'..

You all can off me, and MsD will be sad for a day, maybe two..

...but the critters?

Jihad baby..

This is a public place so I'll not discuss the weaponry - but surgical strikes are available if needed.

This is truly a sad story. I'm going to visit the good neighbor again, he/they really are OK peeps - to discuss this and come up with methods to prevent from happening again. In my life I've learned that most folks want to do good, and are responsible. Sometimes, they need be held to task - and I'll do so.

If the lesson's not learned, then game on.

Don, As much as I'm a lifetime long dog lover/owner: I'm with SacramentoMike: .22 long rifle magnum, hollow point; Browning or Remington equivalent rifle with scope.

As you know, my former two acre residence was on South Curbaril Avenue in Atascadero, West of Highway 101; unless SLO County has finally built the bridge over Atascadero Creek, my house was the last one on the right before the creek, as you head West from Highway 41 to Morro Bay; check it out.

My Son Skooter G said for you to contact Animal Control and while that is a good idea, when my "incident" occurred 25 years ago, San Luis Obispo County Animal Control was absolutely worthless and NO help at all. Had white trash living across Atascadero Creek from me with a couple of out of control pit bulls running loose.

Two of those pit bulls attacked my black Cocker Spaniel "Malcolm X" with a resulting $300 vet bill. SLO-CO Authorities told me to call them, when they could "catch them in the act". Really???

Two neat and clean head shots, two dead out of control pit bulls; put their carcasses in my pickup truck and threw them in the Atascadero land fill East of town.

I still feel badly about killing dogs, it still pains me; I Love Dogs! But, these dogs with those owners would NEVER change their habits after they developed blood lust.

San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Department finally arrested these white trash bums on narcotics charges and they were still doing time in Soledad, last that I heard.

 

[airboss]

Dogs are pack animals. Sounds like the Pit is the alpha dog in this pack, and the BC is going to follow the Pits lead. Removal of the Pit may solve your problem.

I'd let the county authorities know that you have a problem, and then do what had to be done to protect my own.

"No such thing as a bad dog, only bad owners"

 

[Eric L]

Report it to the police

Report it to the neighbor, work with him to prevent a recurrence.

Shoot them if they come again. Next time it could be a child that's attacked.

I had the same issue in Texas. aggressive dog kept getting out again and again, poo-poo'd by neighbor. Dog attached a girl and her poodle in front of my house. My baseball bat met the dogs ribcage and broke a bunch of ribs. Girl was bit, her dog was bit. I was just sorry I didn't swing a little higher.

 

[ionbeam]

File a complaint with your town's Animal Control Officer or equivalent. Invest in a can of pepper spray. If it works on the dogs good. If it doesn't, give the balance to MsdCarver for her purse or car.

At 10-15 feet just the plastic shot wad from a large caliber shotgun shell is damaging. Bean-bags are effective. If you ever have to bean-bag a dog you will most likely be able to call your neighbor and have him come pick up his dog(s) because they won't be walking right home.

 

[Bounce]

Lived in the country a spell. "Animal Control" was any Sheriff's Deputy that had to put something down when he happened to be in the right place at the right time. Everything else was based on dicussions with the Deputies that said we had to use our best judgment since we weren't in a city limits and didn't have such services.

On these acreages a "neighbor" might actually be 2 or 3 city blocks away. Down the road was a guy who owned 2 Dobermans and who had built a step ladder over his back yard fence so those dogs could come and go as they pleased.

Add to the mix ferel hogs and dog packs along with grade school kids waiting for school buses as well as playing at whatever they chose to play at within the acres of free space of their own and neighborly neighbors' property and I think you can figure out that it didn't end well.

On more than one occasion people had to run off the Dobermans or the ferel animals when the kids were at risk. This is also what lead us to ask the different Deputies what our recourse was. Eventually a neighbor girl, on her way over to play with my daughters, screamed for help from my front yard. I glanced out the kitchen window and saw her backed against our garage door by the 2 Dobermans (who clearly had bad intentions for this eye-level prey). I grabbed my pistol, ran outside and tried to scare them off by yelling and screaming at them but it had no affect. I was forced to kill one of them which caused the other to run away. I hauled off the body and never said anything to anyone (the owner had plenty of conversations with neighbors leading up to this and refused to make changes in his containment policy). Not long after that, the back yard ladder was removed and we never had another problem with his pets.

Keep in mind, I had never directly approached him or threated his animals, had talked with the Deputy about our options, and only did what I had to as a last resort. Even so I was very upset because the problem was with the owner; not with the natural tendancies of the Doberman.

Now, having the freedom to go to prone in my front yard with my scoped 30-06 (the high-side of a hill that overlooked a valley) and take out the largest of the ferel hogs after they had caused much property damage... and pace off about 250-300 yards (downhill) after the 1 shot takedowns... priceless.

Oh yeah: Buck Shot is about .38 caliber each (00 buck). Maybe, if you're hand loading, do some rock salt. It scatters quickly because of the irregular shapes. It burns like hell where the skin is broken. Others have pointed out that even bird shot can be deadly depeding on range and other issues. Don't shoot at the face.

 

[UberKul]

Don if this is a matter of your good neighbor having tenant trouble let me know. Maybe I can offer a little direction without giving any legal advice. PM me if you need to.

 

[Steel]

I really hate that this happened. Glad your Ms. and your dogs are ok. Maybe I look at things a little more harshly, but no one (including animals) gets to attack me and mine without an immediate and violent response. Period. BB's and bird shot may serve some well, and that's all good. My answer for dog attacks is numerous and well-placed hollow points. YMMV.

I keep my dog either inside my house, fenced in my yard or on a leash when we're out... no exceptions, as I am not only responsible for him but for his actions should he be allowed to run free. My intention is to protect all from my dog. While he is a big puss and might not attack a burglar, I can't take the chance that me might not attack the neighbors dog or worse. As I will diligently protect your dog from mine, rest assured that I will protect my dog from yours... in spades.

 

[Ignacio]

As always...this is the kind of stuff that laws vary among states, counties, and municipalities. That said, I know my corner of the world in Washington and perhaps something applies to San Luis Obispo County (see here) or perhaps California.

There may be a "potentially dangerous" statute....maybe Cali has one. If a dog threatens attack of a human or other animal in the city I live it can be labeled as such and then have a variety of specific laws apply including owners requiring to secure a bond (think $1000+ annual insurance policy) and special kenneling and posting requirements.

We also have a "dangerous" dog statute that labels an animal after it does actually attack a person or other animal and that case it can be destroyed. Again in the city.

But, you go 50 feet from my house and it's in the county and the laws don't apply. But, then it's "law of the west" and any menacing animal can be shot. And it happens regularly. One particular man of the cloth (Gawd...please don't let this thread turn into politics or religion) actually cut the throat of a dog attacking his chickens recently....after taking out others a year earlier with a rifle. Local speculation about his method of dispatching the dog is expectedly divisive....as is the issue on urban vs. rural standards for pets and animals.

It's also fair to say that there's fair debate on what to do with animals in urban vs. rural environments....as well as debate on what is urban vs. rural. IMO, a 1000 acre farm is clearly rural. A 10000 square foot lot in a subdivision....clearly suburban. A house on a septic system and 2 acre lot in the county but 1/4 mile from the city limits......hmmmm. :huh:

Regardless of location, I think it's reasonable to expect dog owners to secure their dogs, for them to not get into pack mode, and not attack anything. And if they don't then not to complain if they get weeded out of the gene pool for tasting blood. That's my opinion of course.....

PM if you want some more candid detail including a great hamburger recipe and/or what we did for pit bulls.

 

[Neil San Diego]

If you are planing on a vet bill I would recomend bird shot not buck shot. Buck shot will proably get you a dead dog or two. Even #9 shot (very small) will put a dog down permanantly depending on gauge, choke and distance.

In Wyoming it is legal to kill dogs harassing game or livestock. Just remember that people are a little touchy about there pets. My rule is do not shoot the pet unless you are also willing to shoot the owner.

This.

Also, if you're only looking for a vet bill and don't want to kill the critter, you can try some shotshells made for pistols. But you might want to back up the first two rounds with regular bullets, just in case the shotshells don't do anything other that piss the animal off.

Sorry to hear about the situation. Bad juju.

 

[tmc]

Call animal control first.

If they aren't real helpful:

Paintball guns and airsoft rifles can be effective deterrents. Bonus to paintballs - no mistaking that the dog was in range to be shot by one - meaning there is no doubt they were on your property and next time it might be something more lethal....

Don't use lethal force unless you have no other choice. I know you already know this Don.

 

[Geezer]

As others have said, file a report with the appropriate LEO. Ask what the law allows you to do to protect your animals so you know what to expect if you have to take further action.

If it becomes necessary to shoot, use a rifle rather than a shotgun.

 

[jzzmusician]

In my younger years I delivered newspapers. My route was in a rural part of town and there were more than one dog I figured was out to kill me.

I tried everything from bringing them dog treats to real, actual meat. Nothing worked till I made a really good buy on some M-80 firecrackers. Lobbed in their direction and the terrific bang they made got the dogs to forget about me.

good luck,

 

[frito1]

I’d say you’ve shown more than enough restraint and a liberal application of buckshot would be appropriate. I don’t live on the west coast, I live in the rural south, and in my neighborhood any dog that growls at or attacks anything on another person’s property has signed its own death warrant. If the offending dogs returned, I’d make a quick, clean kill, discard the carcass in a discrete manner and think nothing more of it. Nothing personal, it’s just protecting your own. I’ve done it before and will do it again if needed. As a matter of fact the last dog I had to kill was my own. For reasons unknown a normally non-aggressive dog attacked my neighbor, his goats, and turned on the wife when she went to the neighbors rescue. When I got home he died from lead poisoning, it needed doing and the neighbor was too kind hearted. I like my dog, but if it growls at or attacks someone on their property I expect it to be dealt with in a swift and sure manner. I’d hate to lose another dog, but sometimes it’s necessary and in those circumstances there’d be no hard feelings.

Good luck, but keep a loaded shotgun handy.

 

[RaYzerman19]

I like dogs too and would hate to shoot one, BUT.......... Don, you sound like a thoughtful and reasonable person who already knows what to do. You should document the incident with the local authorities to establish the precedent, then talk calmly with the owner of the pitbull to express your concern and to let him/her know that you will do what is necessary to protect your family. Once you have this little talk, you'll know better where all stand on the issue and will know what your next course of action should be. At least that way, everyone has had a chance to fix the problem and who knows, maybe the guy will. However should the incident repeat, and a pitbull happens to die as a result of a .38 caliber heart attack, there will be less fuss over it.