# My poor wether was mauled by a dog.  Warning** GRAPHIC. New pics pg 3!



## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 25, 2013)

So I guess I'll start at the beginning. So we're moving and I just managed to finish my new goat pens at the new(but old) house. We lived here for 3 years but moved out a year ago to get closer to town and dbf's work. My mom owns the house & 3 acres so we just moved back there. So the pens are 4ft tall field fence with t-posts every 6-7 feet.  We haven't got our shelter in there yet but we had the "goat tote" with a new tarp on the top. 

So we just moved the goats up here last saturday and they were mainly staying in the upper pen but we got them finished so we moved them down and got the rest of the chickens here. We put 1 coop and one of my flocks down in the lower pen. So wednesday night I had the bottle kids up top and the 2 does and my wether in the lower pen. The lower pen is probably 100 yards away from the house but its in a tree clearing and you have to go down the driveway first and then go right, you cant walk straight to the pen cause the forest is so overgrown. 

So I woke up thursday morning to cats all in my bed.. like 4 in bed and one scurrying in the boxspring. A minute or so later dbf turns on the hall light and says "Knuckle Heads gonna need some attention." WHAT??? Well I hadn't heard the gunshot to start.. So dbf says there was a dog in the pen and he shot it and Knuckle Head was bleeding. Aww Crap. So I threw my clothes on and RAN down there. got there and had Dbf run the girls up to the upper pen cause everyone was so paniced. I saw that Knuckle Head was bleeding from his armpit pretty bad and had punctured and lacerations all on his rump and he was chesty and had blood coming from his nose. He needed to go to the vet and asap. He also needed to get up to the house where it was safe and the cars were so I grabbed him and started trucking up the driveway. He's a BIG boy too. Only a year and he's about 100 lbs and 32 inches at the withers. Didn't matter, we needed to get to the house NOW!  I made it almost all the way before dbf came to help because he couldn't round up the girls. So I got the girls in while he loaded knuckle head in the car. 

I didnt know who see's goats around here on an emergency base so I called the cat/dog emergency and they gave me a number for a vet in Chico, an hour away. I called and got their emergency line and they said just head in because they opened in an hour and it was an hour drive. So I finally get there and "oh that was our emergency line, its just someone sitting at a desk somewhere." The Vet was headed out to euthanize a downed horse and they couldn't even look at him to make sure he was stable.   They told me about a couple other vets that might be able to see him and were now open because it was after 8am.. Got ahold of one about 25 mins back the other direction and they said come in now. Phew! I finally got him there and the tech said the dr wasn't in yet but they planned on pitting an IV catheter in, giving him pain meds and antibiotics, stabilizing him, and then gasing him down to suture up some of the big wounds. 

So I left them with a deposit. They ended up getting him stable thursday and kept him overnight and did the procedure friday. They left a lot of the punctures open to drain, put one penrose drain in, and sutured up the big stuff. 



So I found out later when I got home from dropping him off at the vet Dbf had to shoot the dog off of him. With my 12 guage! dropped the dog in one shot though.  I looked around the pen and they had ripped the tarp of the goat tote trying to get at the goats. Eventually the 1 dug in and the other one ran off when dbf shot his buddy. 

Animal control came up and took some pics and picked up the dogs body. We dont know who the owners are but I'm going to try and find them. I'm thinking about putting a flyer with a pic of the dog down at the post office and store. Put something like "Is this your dog or do you know its owners? Call animal control case number:#####.  The vet bill came out to $439 and that was with me telling them I didn't want him to stay through the weekend. Plus they owe me a new tarp and gas money for the extra trips to town and the vet. 



Also when I got home from leaving Knuckle Head at the vet Dbf left to go to the other house because this is our last week. I was outside hot wiring the upper pen and there were dogs running around back there. WTH?? So I had the shotgun with me. Went in the house and a little while later I hear chickens screaming. Dangitt!! Look out the back window and see they're chasing a chicken and are headed towards the front of the house. Opened he front door and BAM theres a chicken with a dog about to eat it on my porch. Needless to say that dog got peppered in the butt.  It was like 'Dang, I missed.' Dog comes to a screaching halt and starts circling chasing his butt that he's to meaty to reach. Looks at me and barks with a snarl. I kept the gun aimed on him in case he decided to get revenge. He was thinking about it.. I could have shot him again and killed him but I wanted his owners to see what happens when they let their dogs run loose. I called Animal conrol immidiately to report it too. They called the next day and offered to give me a dog trap! 



More pics to come. They're uploading now. His butt and inside of his back legs are pretty bad. Pics are lagging though, I just found my verizon air card cause the internet people said another week to determine if we can even get dsl up here. 



I'm pretty sad this happened though because he is just the sweetest goat ever! He's my biggest goat and I dont think any of the other ones could have survived through such an attack.  

He has a couple sutures on his belly that you cant see and his neck under the wrap (just a pressure wrap from the catheter.) there's a bunch of scrapes and lacerations. Plus a few on the top on his back.. and the small little niks on his nose, ear, beard that are very minor.  If I have to work so hard to contain my goats these idiots need to contain their dogs. 
































The tarp that was puuled through.





The hole where she dug in.











This is the dog. She looked part chow and I'm so glad Dbf got her.
Can you see his fur in her mouth?


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## goodolboy (Feb 25, 2013)

Sorry to hear about the goat, but next time shoot again. A dead dog can't come back.

Man, I sure wanted to say "Chow on holla points" that would have been so funny. Then I read "shotgun" ruined everything.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Feb 25, 2013)

*So sorry about your poor goatie! That looks pretty bad, I hope he is ok and you find the owners! *


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## babsbag (Feb 25, 2013)

WOW, poor guy. I hope is a ok. Give him lots of love.

 I am so glad I have my LGDs. ( and I know you want on too.) The neighbor's dog like to visit now and then. So far they haven't done any damage, but there are also some Pit Bulls that sometimes come by. I don't trust any of them.


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## Catahoula (Feb 25, 2013)

So sorry to see this happened to your goat or any goats. I am very afraid of my neighbor's dogs (two pits) too. I have seen one of them circling around my fenced area where the goats are kept. The dog had pinned my dog down at the throat once. Yesterday they let their dog run around and they were on our property. The meaner one try to get my dog but my husband was able to distract her while I get our dog inside. I called the neighbor right away but she acted like nothing of it...said, oh yeah, they are inside now. Just let them do their run. Arggggg.... I told my husband i want to fence in the rest of the property. By doing that, those dogs would have to go out to the street before they could circle around again. I don't care if they could get hit by cars!!! 
Again, I am really really sorry but I am glad your goat survive and the dog is dead.


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## PendergrassRanch (Feb 25, 2013)

First of all.  GOOD FOR YOU for being ready to protect your animals.  I deal with this fear every single day.  I share a seasonal creek with my neighbor and they do not have their own fence.  So the only fence between my animals and their 4 loose dogs is my fence.  I've called AC on them multiple times and I always have the gun or a sharp object ready to deal with them.  I have no mercy for stupid owners like that and it is unfortunate that their dogs have to be set up to fail.

Second, I really hope Knucklehead gets well soon.  Poor guy  No animal deserves that.


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## bonbean01 (Feb 25, 2013)

That is so awful...hope he pulls through!!!


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## terrilhb (Feb 25, 2013)

I am so sorry this happened to your poor wether. It made me cry. I am glad he got the dog. I hope you find the owners and make them pay. I hope he heals fast.


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## PotterWatch (Feb 25, 2013)

So sorry about your wether.  I hope he heals well and quickly.  I know how it is.  I had to pick up pieces of four of our lambs early last year after three of the neighbors' dogs went through our electric fence.  We got livestock guardian dogs a few months later.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 25, 2013)

He's doing okay since. Seems like he's in a lot of pain though and I just called the vet to get some strong pain meds. He's only on banamine and long acting penicillin. He hasn't laid down all weekend. Not once since he's been home.  He keeps leaning on stuff to sleep but the poor guy looks TIRED! We have him in the laundry room (cement floor with straw in one 'corner') at night and I put him out with the goats during the day cause its nice and sunny here and perks him up. He keeps trying to lay down but his butt seems too sore.   I even put the stanchion in the laundry room with a big thick blanket. He's walking around and everything, eating well, wounds are healing even, he just wont lay down. I'm also supposed to pull the 1 drain out today.   

Oh and I forgot to mention all the Sub-Q Emphysema! Poor guy sounded like a balloon walking around the first day now he's just crackly all over.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 25, 2013)

Crazy Cat- I was just sick when I saw the post heading.. I knew it was knuckle-head! I know it sounds weird, You in CA me in NC.. I've never even met him and yet I love this boy since the first pic I saw of him.   I am devastated with you. It's like this is personal... you are taking such good care of him.    Could barely scroll down to look at the pics. 

If you are in a heavy dog area you might consider an LGD but poor knucklehead may be permanently petrified of dogs now.


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## babsbag (Feb 25, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Crazy Cat- I was just sick when I saw the post heading.. I knew it was knuckle-head! I know it sounds weird, You in CA me in NC.. I've never even met him and yet I love this boy since the first pic I saw of him.   I am devastated with you. It's like this is personal... you are taking such good care of him.    Could barely scroll down to look at the pics.
> 
> If you are in a heavy dog area you might consider an LGD but poor knucklehead may be permanently petrified of dogs now.


Poor goatie, makes me so angry that "pets" are allowed to run free and do this kind of damage. My neighbor wanted to put his GSDs in my pasture so they could "get to know" my goats...ummm  NO NO NO, not gonna happen. His dogs have never been around livestock and they did kill one of my chickens. 

Good point about him being afraid of dogs. I wonder if he could learn to like her LGD? They are pretty smart animals, but I certainly wouldn't put a pup in with him.  Poor poor guy.

She is considering one of my LGD puppies


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 25, 2013)

Southern by choice said:
			
		

> Crazy Cat- I was just sick when I saw the post heading.. I knew it was knuckle-head! I know it sounds weird, You in CA me in NC.. I've never even met him and yet I love this boy since the first pic I saw of him.   I am devastated with you. It's like this is personal... you are taking such good care of him.    Could barely scroll down to look at the pics.
> 
> If you are in a heavy dog area you might consider an LGD but poor knucklehead may be permanently petrified of dogs now.


I knew you'd be upset about this! I didn't even think of him being afraid of dogs though.  Squirt was awfully traumatized. Her poor boy got attacked and then dissapeard. We all walked down there yesterday (including knuckle head and dbf with the shotgun) and she kept sniffing and had her hair all raised and was really hesitant to go near the goat tote. I led her over to where the body had been and she was sniffing the blood spot and the area. Knuckle head still seems pretty spacey though so wasn't really scared per se but he didn't come in the pen at all.  



He FINALLY laid down!!!    Outside with Squirt. 



If and when I do get a pup I want to make a pen next to theirs sharing the fence so they can get used to each other.. My goats didn't even like dogs to start because of my old neighbors untrained, year old, LOVES to chase, Labrador. Even though they've never been chased by her they were on alert. The little black sheep (lol landlady's shaggy mini poodle) was fine though.    


Wanna know what also sucks?! He HATES the 2 injections a day. The banamine says mixed with sterile water so it will sting less but he hates it. And dbf cant find a good place to hang on to him so I end up hugging him and poking that way. Whatever works, right?! So he's got a love/hate thing with me right now.  

I think sleeping will do him a lot of good. Did I mention how happy I was he finally laid down!!!!!!


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 25, 2013)

And now he's back up and playing headbutting games with Squirt??!


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## CocoNUT (Feb 25, 2013)

Wow Crazy Cat! I'm so sorry that happened...so glad DBF was there to prevent Knucklehead from being hurt further! What an amazing Wether, that he has been able to pull through! Glad to hear he's finally comfortable enough to lay down and play as well! Those injections suck...don't know of any critter that likes being given shots...even 2-legged kinds! Our goats were very skittish around Gus when we first brought her home...and they'd never been near any kind of dog before...but they're so close now. It sounds like an LGD could really help and HEAL in this situation. Hopefully you have that shotgun close...always...so if these dogs come around again, you're able to "stop" them! Owners who let their animals roam take the chance they won't come home (it rhymed Southern!). I wouldn't risk a roaming animal to NOT come back...especially since you have so many cool "toys" at your place! 
Good luck tracking down the owners...
 to you and to Knucklehead!


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## meme (Feb 25, 2013)

How terrible.  So sorry for your poor boy, and I hope he recovers quickly.


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## ksalvagno (Feb 25, 2013)

I'm so sorry about your goat. I hope the owners are found and prosecuted. That is horrible. Definitely shoot to kill next time. I bet you see that dog back.


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## alsea1 (Feb 25, 2013)

Have you had any luck finding the owners of the dog?  
It's amazing how people allow dogs to roam and then act shocked when something finally happens.

I think I would have shot a second time and finished that dog on the porch.  Thats just me though.


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## Meat Goats (Feb 25, 2013)

Man that totally sucks. Poor guy.


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## PattySh (Feb 25, 2013)

Wow very sorry to read about your goat. Sounds like he is determined to live. I hope you can find out who owns that dog(s).


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## poorboys (Feb 26, 2013)

that's sad, the damage to that goat, I would consider getting a guarding of some type out there, for at least an alarm.to let you know. that was horrible.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 26, 2013)

Yeah, I feel really bad for him. He really looks like he's feeling better as of lastnight though! We let him in the house for a few minutes cause I had to do his antibiotic injection. That sucked but the grahm crackers made up for it! Then we ran out. Hmm.. banana? nope... raisen bread? nope... Saltine crackers? _Maybe!_ He's always been pretty picky with food though. Looks like I'm making some cookies for him today! lol  Dbf said he was gonna be hooked on grahm crackers if we keep it up! 

Anywho, Let him in the house and he tried to get in the garbage. His head is perfect hight for the counter and is taller then the kitchen table! Then he found the wood stove.   Then followed pa back to the bathroom and met the two of us in the mirror. He was very interested in himself but got scared when he saw my twin and pooped everywhere. Good thing goaty pebbles are hard and easy to vacuum. You know how small goats have little poops? Well, big goats have BIG poops! lol they were like marble sized goaty pebbles and they were *everywhere!*  Easy clean though and back to the laundry room before you feel the need to have a saanen sized pee!

Aaaaaannnddd he laid down most of the night!!!   So he's definately on the mend!

What about some guineas as alarms? At this point with the goats and the chickens we're already calling the preditors in.  And I want to get ducks again. Dbf said thats what drew the bear in last time though.. We had to shoot a bear here last spring. He just wouldn't stop after all the attempts we made to deter him. It was legal, got a depridation permit for it. 


I have some pics from yesterday and lastnight!  I'm glad he's feeling a little better. He still hates me and my nasty pokes. Twice a day injections on a goat sucks!  At least I only have 1 more dose of banamine left. He's laying down now though so I'm not gonna bug him. 













Chewing on pa and some neck wounds. They pretty much go all the way around his neck too but not all the wounds were shaved. 





And this is where he stays at night. There's a window from our kitchen to the laundry room that opens so we can open it to heat that room without letting the knuckle head in the house! There's also a pane glass door (that thankfully he hasn't barged right through yet!)






ETA: The date is wrong for lastnights pictures.. I think the hours are off so in made it seem like it was already midnight. Plus I cant get the first one turned right side up. Having technical difficulties here! lol


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## Meat Goats (Feb 26, 2013)

You've gone mad. Proof in that last picture. ahah


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 26, 2013)

Dbf said* I'M* cleaning the laundry room this time! Good thing its only a washer, dryer and an outdoor sink with a smooth cement floor so I wasn't worried about putting the straw down! baha!


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## madcow (Feb 26, 2013)

Boy, he must have worked hard to stave off that dog attach like he did!  He really did receive a lot of damage!  Poor Knucklehead!  It's good he's sleeping now, because that's when the body does it mending.  He looks from the second set of pictures to be fairing pretty well.  

I don't know how you kept from killing that second dog with a final blast, because for sure I would have done it without hesitation, mostly out of anger in hurting my animals!  You had every right to.  

Was the bottom of your fence line buried?  We are getting ready to do a big pen for our goats and I had forgotten about burying some of the bottom of the fence to curtail digging by predators.  

Also, after seeing what happened to our goat I'm rethinking the LGD thing.  I've seen dogs roaming the pastures around us and now I'm worried about them.  One is a beagle and the other is a black lab.  Our new pen will be about 75-100 feet away from us, but our bedroom windows and my workroom windows are the closest to that location and I think we would hear the goats putting up a fuss.  But that may not be enough.  

I'm sorry this happened to him and you.  Thankfully he's a "tough old goat."  Pun intended! I'm glad he's doing better.


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## Catahoula (Feb 26, 2013)

Glad he is doing well. He is cute!


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## julieq (Feb 26, 2013)

Poor guy, so very sorry that happened!  But it was wonderful to read through all the posts and know that he is pulling through OK!  And I'm VERY glad you guys got that dog and hope you find the owners soon!  They need to see those photos of that poor guy.


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## Pearce Pastures (Feb 26, 2013)

Oh, wow.    I am so glad he is okay (and love how you have him inside!   ).  I hope you find the owner and can recover your expenses but good for you for taking action.


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## marilyn1 (Feb 27, 2013)

Tough guy,  so glad to hear that he is doing better.  He's lucky you got there when you did.


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## terrilhb (Feb 27, 2013)

He looks fantastic. You have done such a fantastic with him. You are a great goat mommy.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 27, 2013)

He's doing sooo good!! Left him in to sleep all day yesterday but put him out with the girls today. He is finally eating the normal amount too. A little stiff and his front right foot has some swelling but not too bad. I realized why he hated the injections so much. Dull needles. I put a new needle on and it wasn't nearly as bad. Need to give him his CDT too. They asked if I gave it to him within the last 30-45 days and I haven't so they told me to give it for extra tetnus protection.  They also burned his scurs when he was under anesthesia. I totally forgot to mention that. Lol! 

Only part of the fence was buried too. I didn't even think of digging dogs when I was building them. I was more worried if it would keep goats IN!  The top pen is now hotwired with 5 strands. 2 at the top close together and 3 at the bottom spaced out. I'm not really using the lower pen where it happened though cause were all pretty traumatized! There's chickens in a coop down there and the kids went down there for a few hours today while we were outside but it kinda feels like a waste of my time and efforts building it. Unless I wanna spend a bunch more on another hotwire charger and more t-post insulators.    $570 on the materials for the pens, $76 to hotwire the 1 (with my charger I already had.), and a $439 vet bill. My tax return was only $559 and have I mentioned I'm on unemployment??!! (until I run out in a few weeks!)  Lol I have a working interview monday so fingers crossed. I dropped my resume off over a year ago and they called thursday, the day of the attack, to see if I was still looking. Um, Yes! So I interviewed last friday and they want me back monday the 4th for half a day working interview.    

Still no luck finding the owners. I doubt I ever will. Whatever, I'll be paying off the vet bill for a while! Good thing I dont have goats to make money, cause I'd be beyond broke! haha He's totally worth it and I love my boys (way more then my bratty does! The wethers are so awesome!!)  Haha and to think he was a $10 dairy kid a year ago.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 27, 2013)

crying cause I'm happy!... He's gonna make it! that made my day!
Maybe you just need to send that baby boy over to the east coast... he will be well protected with 4 LGD's and I'll be his momma so no more stupid mean dogs.... and he might be too traumatized to return to the scene...so it's just best this way.... AGREE????  
oh.. and  for you and the BF for doing everything for him!  I love that dang goat!!!!!!!!


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## SkyWarrior (Feb 28, 2013)

Awww, I'm so glad he's doing better!

I'm really mad about dog owners who let their dogs run.  It's not the dog's fault--it's the owner's fault for letting them do this.  I'm so sorry you had to experience that. 

I have Malamutes and they'd eat a goat.  Sorry to be blunt, but that's true.  It's in a dog's nature.  There's no way I would let them run.  If they got out, it would be a total accident.  

Poor Knucklehead.  I'm glad he's feeling better.


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## goatboy1973 (Feb 28, 2013)

Coyotes killed 18 of 19 kids last kidding season. I put one strand of electrified barbed wire on the outside of my fence about 6'' from the ground and have had no other losses due to coyotes. I did trade a few goats for a guardian llama last summer also but he has not had to kill any coyotes thus far.


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## goatboy1973 (Feb 28, 2013)

Z


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## promiseacres (Feb 28, 2013)

glad he's doing better!


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## Shelly May (Feb 28, 2013)

X2


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 28, 2013)

SkyWarrior said:
			
		

> Awww, I'm so glad he's doing better!
> 
> I'm really mad about dog owners who let their dogs run.  It's not the dog's fault--it's the owner's fault for letting them do this.  I'm so sorry you had to experience that.
> 
> ...


Totally. Dbf was pretty mad. "I get NO satisfaction out of killing a dog. I want to kill the dogs *owner*!"    We saw these dogs on new years when we came up here. We had the shotgun but it was still in the truck unloaded and they just did a run through of the property. No aminals to attack that day. We walked up the street yesterday looking for the dogs. Didn't see any of them but everyone on my street had their dogs in lockdown. They know whats up. Its amazing what good fences can do! This property is fenced on 3 sides with 5 strand barbed wire that doesn't stop anything except people. The other side butts up agenst 3 acres thats a recreational piece of property for the city folk! I had problems with their dog when they came to visit. Their was no boundry and he thought he was protecting his property by running over and lunging at me while barking. The last time it happened they couldn't grab him and I told them that if they couldn't get him under control right NOW I had a 12 guage in the house that would definately do the trick.  They put up a fence where he was running through and the dog realized this wasn't his area to protect. Damn city people.. This is a huge german shepherd too. Ever had one of those lunging at your face?! I was ready to shoot him. Clearly he was thretening me. At the time I was working at an emergency vet so it was hard to save dogs all night then come home and kill them. We had a gunshot wound kitty come in and thats when I decided I would shoot to kill. So yes, I broke my own rule and should have killed the second one. He was so hurt though I felt like the second shot would have been out of cold blood. 

Now this was not the first dog to die on the property. When I first moved in the first time we had some kind of white shaggy dog kill a TON of chickens. I woke up to an attack, glanced out the back window while grabbing the gun and ran out the front door and around the house. Animal control came and got his body too but he looked more like a dumped dog and not an owned dog. He had skin leasons everywhere and was not a healthy dog.   




Ahaha, Southern!  
He comes to $439 plus shipping! I dont think I can find a flat rate box big enough though!


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## BlueMoonFarms (Feb 28, 2013)

Omg the poor baby 
I just hopped on, and thank goodness he is going to make it!!


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## bonbean01 (Feb 28, 2013)

Glad he is doing better   You've done very well by him and I applaud you 

Even with coyotes, by far the most livestock killed is by neighbour's huge pet dogs that are allowed to run loose


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## ksalvagno (Feb 28, 2013)

Glad he is doing better!


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