Rspca Called As Dogs Shot

[Verdant Amphibian]

http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2010/04/...hot-over-stock/

AN APPLE Tree Creek man is calling for the RSPCA to investigate after his dogs were shot by a neighbour who lost stock in a dog attack last week.

Wayne Bragg lost a goat and a kid in a dog attack on his property during the weekend of March 27-28 and his Maremma pup was euthanased as a result of injuries from the incident.

Mr Bragg said he was washing his other dog beside a shed about 10.30am on Good Friday, when he heard the sound of dogs growling and barking in his goat paddock.

“After all the attacks we’ve had and the one the weekend before, I grabbed my .22 (calibre rifle) and went to investigate,” Mr Bragg said.

“These two dogs had our last four goats bailed up in a paddock.”

Mr Bragg claimed he shot one dog “in the middle of an attack” and the other as it was trying to escape, because he assumed the dogs had been responsible for the previous attack on his stock.

He said he had seen the dogs on his property on at least three other occasions.

“They’ve always bolted through different parts of the fence, but after they were shot they went straight down to the corner of the neighbour’s fence,” he said.

“So they were the first ones I rang and the dogs turned out to be theirs.”

Mr Bragg said he then advised the police and the Bundaberg Regional Council animal control officer of his actions.

Neighbour Trevor Roper has admitted one of the dogs was his six-month-old miniature Staffordshire pup, while the other, a similarly aged dog of indeterminate breed, belonged to his grandchildren.

“We only heard one shot, then moments later the staffy came in with blood pouring from a nasty wound to the stomach,” he said.

“Our initial horror heightened when shortly after, the male dog belonging to our grandchildren crawled into our garage with its leg shattered.”

But Mr Roper said he knew the dogs’ natures and, because of their size and age, he did not believe they would pose a threat to any stock.

“We’ve lost stock ourselves when we had property on the Sunshine Coast and we genuinely feel for their losses,” he said.

“But we are very upset by what has happened and cannot in any way condone what’s been done.”

He said he was unaware the dogs had been on the Braggs’ property before.

“We are responsible pet owners and if a problem was there, we would have acted had we been advised,” he said.

“We always keep our dogs restrained of a night time but none of our remaining pets will get off the property again at any time.”

Mr Roper has referred the matter to the RSPCA for investigation.

[Nekhbet]

stupid tree-changers

his dogs were found bailing up 4 goats in a paddock. A huge fail right there. Every right to be shot at causing harm and distress to livestock.

[Sandra777]

Keep your **** dogs at home! So what if they had never done it before, they were caught in the act this time. Big shame the stock owner wasn't a better shot and the dogs suffered, but hardly his fault the dogs were there to be shot at in the first place.

Oh yes... Miniature Staffordshire?

[centitout]

sorry,but the goat owner was well within his rights,but then you get the OH,THEY WOULD NEVER DO THAT,AND IF THEY DID THEY ONLY WANTED TO PLAY

Why is it up to the owner of the mauled stock to find out where they live,me it would be shoot first,find out later too,especially if not the first time.

[WreckitWhippet]

Can't blame him for getting the gun out and he certainly didn't hide the fact that he did.

[Souff]

“We always keep our dogs restrained of a night time but none of our remaining pets will get off the property again at any time.”

Hard lesson to learn. Dogs attack stock in daylight hours too.

If you choose to live in the country you must keep your dogs at home ALL the time, not just at night.

A farmer has the legal right to shoot dogs that are mauling stock.

I am sorry that this farmer only injured the dogs though, it would have been more humane to have used another bullet on each and finished the job properly.

Souff

[poodlefan]

Wayne Bragg lost a goat and a kid in a dog attack on his property during the weekend of March 27-28 and his Maremma pup was euthanased as a result of injuries from the incident.

I hope Mr Roper gets a bill for those losses. Seems Mr Roper hasn't considered the cruelty involved in letting your dogs maul stock and kill a pup.

[Kelly_Louise]

There are miniature Staffys?

I wonder if either of the dogs survived? I'm assuming they did because there was nothing to say that they had died?

I feel awful that these dogs were shot and injured - poor buggers... BUT, the owners are fully responsible and can't cry foul. THEY are to blame, and the poor dogs have copped the brunt of it. If only they'd kept their dogs on their property, the deaths and injuries could have been avoided.

Can't blame a man for protecting his stock and his own dog... and I agree, he didn't try to hide it and did the responsible thing and rang the owners and reported it. What more can a man do?

I love maremma's... poor pup.

I also hope Mr Roper gets hit with a bill... he might really take his role as 'responsible pet owner' more seriously then.

[Wazzat Xolo]

http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2010/04/...hot-over-stock/

“We’ve lost stock ourselves when we had property on the Sunshine Coast and we genuinely feel for their losses,” he said.

I am not surprised this man has lost stock, he cant even keep his dogs confined, his stock probably wandered off too. I hope he gets the full book thrown at him, hope the dogs are all ok, and can anyone tell me waht a miniature Staffy is ?

[casowner]

Sympathy factor ZERO

Sorry that the dogs suffered pain, unfortunately it is hard to hit a moving target and the clean kill goal wasn't executed

Massive sympathy to the farmer, goats and baby maremma pup that died the week before after being attacked.

Keep your f'n dogs on your own property or deal with the consequences

[poodlefan]

But Mr Roper said he knew the dogs’ natures and, because of their size and age, he did not believe they would pose a threat to any stock.

An old workmate spent years as a police officer on the ACT rural patrol. He said over the years there would be few common breeds of dogs he hadn't seen shot for worrying stock.. including a miniature poodle.

They're all dogs.

[Christina]

Don't understand why he has reported this to RSPCA.

His own stupid fault. He has done the wrong thing & his dogs suffered from his careless actions. Some nerve.

[cookierhys]

Aww, feel so sorry for the poor injured/ dead dogs, but i get that the farmer had every right to do it and that their deaths/ injuries are due, solely, to the dogs owner who didnt keep them contained.

Such a shame that two beautiful dogs had to be harmed, if only people could look after they're animals.

He wont stand a chance by taking this to the RSPCA, he was in the wrong and he wont get anything, hopefully they will ban his from buying anymore dogs, but that's very unlikely.

Poor dogs, poor stock. everyone loses, its unfair.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I will just never get it when someone claims to love their dogs and yet, they allow them to wander.

There was a vet show on TV a week ago and I shook my head when this older couple were distraught because one of their cocker spaniels had been hit by a car. It underwent several surgeries but in the end, they had to pts. Their other cocker spaniel was also out wandering and came to let them know there was a problem. The cocker was black, hit on the road in the night, hmmmmm. Whose fault was it? Owner or car driver?? Yes, the car driver should have stopped but the dog shouldn't have been there in the first place.

I'm just sorry this guy didn't make a clean kill of these two dogs. If they are vicious enough to kill his not only his goats but his puppy, they are dangerous dogs.

[bulldogz4eva]

I agree he was well within his rights however if you cant kill the dog with one clean shot then dont take the shot.Losing stock is one thing but making other animals suffer because your shooting sucks is another.

[furballs]

If any animal is aggressively attacking an innocent, non-aggressive animal, don't you think that you would use any means necessary to get rid of it, the person's ability to aim shouldn't be an issue, they did what they had to. I hate to see any animal suffer but we all have to protect our own. I feel sorry for the poor dogs for the owner they were given.