# Neighbors Dogs!



## elevan (Dec 1, 2010)

I am venting here!!!

The people that live behind me have for some reason turned their darn dogs loose tonight!!    

It's freezing cold (low teens) and every half hour my dogs start carrying on - I go outside and have to run off their darn dogs!  My dogs are upset, the cats are hiding in the trees  

So the past couple of times, I've been taking out my gun cause if they go after my critters or me they are dogfood!  This last time I fired a couple of warning shots and they took off.

First thing tomorrow morning the dog warden is getting a call!  If I could catch the stupid things, I would chain them up and hand them over to her.

I'm not overly concerned about the goats as they are secure in the barn.  But these 2 dogs seem to be going after my cats...and if I go out in the morning and find any critter injured there will be heck to pay!


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## ksalvagno (Dec 2, 2010)

I hate that when people have no consideration. Just because you are out in the country doesn't give you the right to let your dogs roam free. Hopefully this can be resolved. I lost 2 barn cats recently and I'm assuming it is coyotes but it sure broke my heart when they weren't there in the morning.


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## glenolam (Dec 2, 2010)

How close are the neighbors?

I guess I take our "area" for granted because I have family all around and we all have dogs that visit each house daily.  Luckily, we only had one problem and that was with a bird dog puppy who was learning - our uncle didn't know our chickens were out and was taking the puppy out to train.  Next thing you know 2 chickens are mauled bad enough they had to be slaughtered.  We weren't mad, though, mainly because it was the first and only occurance and he was very sorry about it.  I don't know what I'd do in your shoes...I sure hope it works out for you!


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## rabbitlady4433 (Dec 2, 2010)

I know how you feel.  I don't live in the country, but people in my town let their dogs run loose all the time and it seems they always end up in my yard! My neighbors are especially bad.  They do have one dog that hadn't ever been out of it's kennel since they moved in 3 years ago!  He is really mean (vicious)and was always trying to bite through the fencing when ever I would go in the back yard to care for my rabbits.  Then one day I went to leave for work and it was sitting on my front porch blocking the door.  I pretended that I wouldn't be scared but it growled and tried tearing though my screen door to get at me.  I called the police, since our animal control wasn't in yet, it took them over an hour to arrive, all the while this dog wouldn't leave my door, biting and scratching to get in.  Low and behold, the neighbors walk out and are all like he's a good dog, he'd never hurt anyone, talking to the police.  I really pity the dog, which was my only reasoning in not shooting it.  The only attention he gets is when they walk out side and smoke ciggerettes staring at it through the cage.  My husband awoke with all the commotion and was peeved I didn't shoot it, and now I regret I didn't.  They were issued a ticket, but I don't think they even cared, they didn't even offer to repair the damage done to my doors!  Now they have another dog in the pen with it and they fight all the time.  Like, blood splattering fight.  The keep saying their only playing!  I keep making complaints to animal control, but things move way to slow in this town.  My biggest fear is my children meeting him at the door and all the other kids on my street.  I won't hesitate next time, he's a gonner!  Sorry just had to vent!


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## savingdogs (Dec 2, 2010)

Irresponsible dog ownership makes us all upset, even us dog owners, or perhaps us dog owners even more so, because it shouldn't be like that.
I don't know why people think dogs should be allowed to run free. When we lived in the city, we had people who said they couldn't keep their dog in their yard because they were from the country and their dogs were not used to it.

Gosh darn it, now we are in the country, what does that mean?


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## elevan (Dec 3, 2010)

Well the dog warden informed the owners that I am prepared to shoot if necessary.  And she gave them a rundown of the Ohio Law that protects my right to do so in certain situations.  Hopefully they don't ever turn them loose again cause they don't have a fence to contain them.

It boiled over for me the next morning when they were still loose and running around when I took my 4 year old out to catch his preschool bus.
We were waiting for the bus and the dogs approached us growling and snarling.  That was it - I started throwing stuff and yelling - couldn't very well get my gun in that situation as if the bus showed up it would not look at all good to them (I can image their call to dispatch about me standing at the end of the drive with a 12 gage)  

We had another dog incident about a couple of months ago where we were able to catch that dog and turn it over to the warden.  She used the same tactic - telling them that I WOULD shoot it and be within my right to do so.  The owners never turn him loose now.  Let's hope the owners of these 2 dogs are just as smart.


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## elevan (Dec 3, 2010)

rabbitlady4433 said:
			
		

> I know how you feel.  I don't live in the country, but people in my town let their dogs run loose all the time and it seems they always end up in my yard! My neighbors are especially bad.  They do have one dog that hadn't ever been out of it's kennel since they moved in 3 years ago!  He is really mean (vicious)and was always trying to bite through the fencing when ever I would go in the back yard to care for my rabbits.  Then one day I went to leave for work and it was sitting on my front porch blocking the door.  I pretended that I wouldn't be scared but it growled and tried tearing though my screen door to get at me.  I called the police, since our animal control wasn't in yet, it took them over an hour to arrive, all the while this dog wouldn't leave my door, biting and scratching to get in.  Low and behold, the neighbors walk out and are all like he's a good dog, he'd never hurt anyone, talking to the police.  I really pity the dog, which was my only reasoning in not shooting it.  The only attention he gets is when they walk out side and smoke ciggerettes staring at it through the cage.  My husband awoke with all the commotion and was peeved I didn't shoot it, and now I regret I didn't.  They were issued a ticket, but I don't think they even cared, they didn't even offer to repair the damage done to my doors!  Now they have another dog in the pen with it and they fight all the time.  Like, blood splattering fight.  The keep saying their only playing!  I keep making complaints to animal control, but things move way to slow in this town.  My biggest fear is my children meeting him at the door and all the other kids on my street.  I won't hesitate next time, he's a gonner!  Sorry just had to vent!


I completely know what you mean! The people who live directly next door to me (not the owners of the dogs I'm venting about) have a rotweiler that they say is completely harmless - wouldn't hurt a fly.  And yet every time I walk down the drive to get the mail if the dog is out it growls at me.  There's a good deal of yard space between the drive and the property line - but nowhere near enough distance if he decides to come at me.  They don't have a fence and do not chain him - just open the door and let him out.  For that reason my boys are not allowed to play in the front of the house as we don't have any fencing there.  Our back is completely fenced into a play area for them...garden...and animal fields.


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## elevan (Dec 3, 2010)

savingdogs said:
			
		

> Irresponsible dog ownership makes us all upset, even us dog owners, or perhaps us dog owners even more so, because it shouldn't be like that.
> I don't know why people think dogs should be allowed to run free. When we lived in the city, we had people who said they couldn't keep their dog in their yard because they were from the country and their dogs were not used to it.
> 
> Gosh darn it, now we are in the country, what does that mean?


Being in the country means you're more likely to have to use your gun.  In the city you can usually get animal control out quickly...not so in the country.  In my case the dog warden couldn't get to me for almost 2 days!

I understand she's only 1 person for 40,000 people countywide...but I would rather not have to shoot someone's pet.  But the longer they are running around being a menace the more likely they are to start taking an interest in the livestock or actually harm my dogs or cats.


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## KristyHall (Jan 28, 2011)

I agree completely on shooting to protect yourself or your property from dangerous animals. It never is the dog's fault, they are only doing what comes natural or how they have been raised, but it doesn't change the fact that anything that poses an immediate threat is at risk of being shot.
I tend to give a lot of warning but people out here love to let their dogs run loose. I've had some scary run ins and when I was a child I lost a couple of pet rabbits when some rotwielers (SP?) tore open their hutch like it was paper.
After loosing an entire flock of chickens when something, likely a big dog, literaly ripped the metal siding off of the side and then ripped out the wood planks underneath then came into the coop and slaughtered every bird except a rooster and two chicks that had hidden under the dog houses I was using as nesting boxes, I got an old camper that someone was taking to the dump because of water damage, and compleatly converted it into a chicken fortress! (Yes I know I am the run on sentence queen!)
Dogs have tried to get in, I have caught them trying, but so far nothing can get in unless it is a bear or has opposible thumbs.
Another time I had chased off some big dogs form the yard then walked out to teh coop in the dark to check on the  chickens. I tripped and fell and from the shadows I heard a low growling bark and I lept up and swung the  flashlight aroudn in time to see the dogs charge past me into the woods where they crouched in the brush and watched me. I knew they were there because their eyes kept reflecting the light. It was like some kind of creepy werewolf movie.
I have had other dogs show up that were harmless, including friendly and skinny strays. I would feed them and give them a warm bed until the animal shelter opens and take them to the shelter.
Including one that had been shot in the face! The poor sweet blood hound was a dear. He had shot gun embedded in his legs and face, missing parts of his ears, and damage to one eye! The local vet fixed him for free and we found him a home right away. 
A lonely elderly widow wanted a good dog to putter around town with him. I hear they are still the best of friends 4 years later.
When you (proverbial you) take on the responsibility of an animal it is up to you to do teh best you can to ensure the animl's health and safety and it makes me so mad when people are irrisponsible with their animals, dogs, cats, or live stock.
Grrrrrr


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## jason_mazzy (Jan 28, 2011)

make a few salt rock shells. they are a great deterent for humans or animals, and are less than lethal. the dogs will get taught a lesson and you won't feel bad/ have to clean up the mess.


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## elevan (Jan 28, 2011)

jason_mazzy said:
			
		

> make a few salt rock shells. they are a great deterent for humans or animals, and are less than lethal. the dogs will get taught a lesson and you won't feel bad/ have to clean up the mess.


Thanks for the tip.

I have a problem with these particular dogs twice.

The dog warden made it clear to the owners that I would shoot them and be well within my right to do so.  Now they have the dogs locked inside an outbuilding  some people just shouldn't have animals.


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## ohiofarmgirl (Jan 28, 2011)

sorry to hear about all your troubles... you know.. some people (i dont know who) would suggest you could also take the dogs to another county's shelter... most folks dont think to look beyond the closest ones. 

just sayin' if you arent comfortable shooting the trouble makers. 

or get a bigger and badder dog
;-)

or do what i did and become completely unglued on the neighbors (as in totally loosing your mind, fly off the handle, screaming like a crazy person to the point that my other neighbors heard me), go out and get a survey and mark the property lines with the biggest ugliest fluorescent orange post, then get a lot of field fence. 

hang in there baby, we're all in this together


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## elevan (Jan 28, 2011)

It's been a month so hopefully they don't get lax and let them loose again.  Thanks for the support


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