Im Going To Get Flamed For This.. I Do Feel Really Bad Though..

[Guest bigdogg]

Yep I agree. Even in my house, as I've said , we were split on this one. Half vehemently argued the absolute right to shoot the dogs, the other half opposed that just as much. I'm amazed that the first shot didn't send the surviving dog running, most dogs aren't conditioned to gunshot noises and are scared witless by it and take off at a warped speed. Then I wasn't there, so maybe it wasn't about scaring the dogs off but shooting them to ensure they never had another chance at doing it again. The consolation for me here is from what i've read, I assume there was a scope on the rifle and they were cleanly and humanely shot at a distance and werent cornered to do it, shame the scope wasn't powerful enough to make the collars visible.

Killing a couple of chooks( for me )is different from hunting down sheep and stock, especially sheep which can die enmasse whether mauled or not. My daughter shows/breeds poultry and they all have names (yeah, not a word people ) so it was personal when I had a dog wander onto the property (gate left open by delivery man who obviously doesn't connect that livestock etc won't stay home) and kill one chook.

I was really ticked off and would be a liar if I said otherwise, but caught the dog and called the owner. Owner apologised profusely, the dog had been missing for three days and offered to pay for the chook. It was a family dog so for me personally, I was ultimately glad of the outcome and unless it was something I considered drastic, I would not shoot .

I've really good fencing and my dogs usually has somebody here, but if the extraordinary happened and they escaped and somebody shot them for that, intellectually I would know they had the right, but emotionally I would not accept it. My own family can't agree on this one, so I'm guessing others won't be able too either.

Open sights mate.. And, there was no warning shot..

Yes have seen feral dogs take off and yes have seen feral dogs stand their and look at the other one.

Just to clarify, i have no issues shooting feral dogs (not pets / domesticated dogs) Thats part of my life / job in managing a cattle property.

I totally understand where your coming from though.. Thanks for your reply.

[Guest bigdogg]

You don't say where you are Bigdog.

Dingos are protected in some states, and shooting them attracts huge penalties.

My dogs despatched of an aggressive rooster, in the school agriculture plot, that had not been corralled properly.

Understandably, the dogs did not take too kindly to being threatened by a big, gaudy, feathery thing.

Anyway, personally I would not have taken too kindly to the dogs being shot.

IMO I think you did the wrong thing. There are many other options. Maybe a warning shot or two or three.

North Qld..

Dingoes are officially protected only in Australia where there exist conservation areas for "pure" dingoes. These areas include national parks and natural reserves in New South Wales, the Northern Territory, and Victoria, the Arnhem Land and other Aboriginal reserves, UNESCO World Heritage Sites, and the whole of the Australian Capital Territory. Outside of these protected area, dingos are regarded as declared pests in the bulk of their remaining distribution area and landowners are committed to control the local populations. Throughout Australia, all other wild dogs are considered pests but in practice are granted full protection in conservation zones because a separate management apart from those set aside for dingoes is not possible

As for the rest of your post.. I think myValkyrie has summed it up well.

[Guest bigdogg]

I didn't know people in Australia could have a gun and just shoot something because they thought it was something else and use that as an excuse....wow

Thanks for your contribution..

I couldnt find an emotion for NFI (no f*****G idea)

[zizzi]

I think you will find all rural Aussies hav a couple of guns especially stock farmers. No way I'd give a dingo a warning shot so it or they could run off and harass someone elses stock or come back to mine at night.

Bigdog didn't know they were pets... First thought dingo attacking stock second thought gun. It's just the way things are.

[zizzi]

Bigdog how about one of these?

[gillybob]

If anyone has seen what dogs do to stock, there would be no problem shooting them.

We often had dairy cattle killed in Queensland, mostly by 'pet' dogs.

A lot of people dont understand how far dogs can travel in a night.

[Clyde]

You poor thing, I totally sympathize

A similar thing happened to me last week. Since I moved here the neighbours ACD has been coming on to my property. Ive spent a fortune on good fencing keeping my own pets and stock as safe as possible. He would get in to my garbage and stir my dogs up but he wouldnt let me near him. I learned from my other neighbours that he had killed their chooks then last week found him in my stock paddock with my lamb and chooks. I chased him out and blocked up the hole he had dug. I then left a friendly note for my neighbour asking if he could please keep his dog in as I worry about the lamb and chooks. He came around and apologized. The next day 3 of my 4 chooks were killed. I dont know if it was his dog or not but left another note saying the chooks were killed and and said it may have been his dog or a fox. I offered to help him construct a way to keep his dog in. Two days later he came over and said he had taken his dog to the pound. I felt so awful as there was no proof. I would have helped him do something to contain his dog, or at the least help rehome him straight in to another home rather than the pound. I keep thinking about his dog and wondering if he was rehomed or pts. It felt like he took very drastic action. Lovely man though who also insisted on paying for the chickens. It keeps running through my mind that maybe it was just foxes.

Clyde, I'm pretty sure that foxes would not leave any evidence, only a few feathers, if you actually found your chickens dead, it was not a fox. Don't be too hard on yourself, you've ogt to do what you got to do.

To the OP, no flaming, ultimately, you had dogs on your property killing your stock, you were well within your rights. I'm sorry you feel so bad, and I'm sorry to all involved, including the dogs.

Really? I'm so anxious about it. I found where one girl was eaten near the coop, just her head and intestines left behind. The other two were taken with just a trail of feathers. Whatever ate her lay in the paddock with a horse, sheep and goats. I wonder if a fox would be that ballsy? I am too frightened to even let the girls out during the day anymore.

[Merrirose]

It is my understanding that it is legal to shoot any dog on your property harassing your stock. You have the right to defend your property. I couldn't do it myself though in a situation like that I probably wish I could. I completely understand and regardless of if they were Chihuahuas or Dingoes you had every right to do what you did.

[asal]

Unlucky dogs i keep telling myself..

If they had of been another colour, different size.. They would still be alive..

hey dont beat yourself up.

i saw two magnificant dogs chasing our cattle one day. all cattle ok, the dogs came when i called and i took them to the pound and their owners were told they had been found chasing cattle.

over a period of 3 months we lost 19 calves and one cow although not killed having most of her hindquarters eaten ment she had to be put down. as for the calves all we found was the bones. never forget finding the semi paralyed partialy eaten cow and her totaly eaten calf my vet was with me and he took one horrified look at the teeth markes on the calves skull and began running for his car.. left me behind with not even a look back.

his words as he took off. "run... ive seen those marks before from bullens lions. there must be one out" n he was gone.

he also did work for bullens so had seen plenty of partialy eaten bodies in the lion pens, if you dont get it.

so i learned he was not the hero type anyway, caught up and at least he was waiting in his car for me all windows up.

then the sheep began dissappearing, one day hubby was stock checking but no gun with him and spotted two great danes and a basset. since two of them were the dogs i had so foolishly taken to the pound instead of shooting as hubby and the vet had suggested at the time. he thought he would call them and catch them. the black bitch that had not been with the other two before took one look and attacked him, he had to climb a tree until they lost interest and left.

so, shoot em when you can. we losts thousands in stock and the owners refused to admit their darlings would hurt a fly

[Crisovar]

I just want to add that many people seem to have an issue with shooting a "pet dog" maybe on the grounds that the dog belongs to a family, in many areas it is the "pet dogs" that are doing the damage. Surely if it is your treasured pet then you would take steps to keep them home? Considering the number of repeat offenders and the continual my dog wouldn't harm, it just likes to play, just likes to run attitudes it is not at all surprising that people are fed up.

Like bigdoggs experience people lose multiple dogs and still don't contain them, you can warn people, confront them with evidence and they still don't take measures to stop it. Some don't give a rats, others are in complete denial.

The end result is the same dead dogs and huge losses to stock owners.

[asal]

although the mongrels did keep them locked up after hubby arrived with guns, so the poor doggies didnt get let loose for their "run" anymore now they knew guns were waiting for em to leave their property

forgot to add, our favourite memory is while these owners are telling us their darlings wouldnt hurt a fly, what comes up the driveway with the entire shoulder of one of our sheep in its mouth? flanked by the other two killers?

Owner opens the gate, ushers doggies in, complete with afters, and looks hubby in the eye while denies their didum's had anything to do with the slaughter .

Edited January 14, 2011 by asal

[Tralee]

If the dogs in question had just been lost, wandering or hanging about harmlessly, then sure, try to call or catch them - these dogs weren't, they were killing Bigdogs poultry. If I found 2 dogs (whether they were dingos, feral dogs or pet dogs) in the act of attacking & killing my animals - you can be sure there would not be a warning shot.

In the last week I have had 2 of my Maremmas injured by dogs (not seriously & recovering well) but my neighbour has not been so lucky - 6 goats mauled in one night, 2 whose injuries were so horrific they had to be destroyed, the other 4 will hopefully recover. No stock owner enjoys shooting dogs on their property - nor do they enjoy having their animals terrorised, mauled or killed.

Glad to hear your Maremmas are recovering myValkyrie.

However, the cover of darkness is very different to the clear light of day.

I too have lost a prize Rhode Island Red and I understand the torn sentiments.

I have also had the occasional lost dog, and let's be honest here, I would rather lose a 'chook' or, give up a 'chook', before a dog anyday.

I can get another chook at the markets.

Other people take a different view, but I can't imagine what it would take to make me pick up a gun.

Not gonna' happen peeps'.

[gwenneth1]

Yep I agree. Even in my house, as I've said , we were split on this one. Half vehemently argued the absolute right to shoot the dogs, the other half opposed that just as much. I'm amazed that the first shot didn't send the surviving dog running, most dogs aren't conditioned to gunshot noises and are scared witless by it and take off at a warped speed. Then I wasn't there, so maybe it wasn't about scaring the dogs off but shooting them to ensure they never had another chance at doing it again. The consolation for me here is from what i've read, I assume there was a scope on the rifle and they were cleanly and humanely shot at a distance and werent cornered to do it, shame the scope wasn't powerful enough to make the collars visible.

Killing a couple of chooks( for me )is different from hunting down sheep and stock, especially sheep which can die enmasse whether mauled or not. My daughter shows/breeds poultry and they all have names (yeah, not a word people ) so it was personal when I had a dog wander onto the property (gate left open by delivery man who obviously doesn't connect that livestock etc won't stay home) and kill one chook.

I was really ticked off and would be a liar if I said otherwise, but caught the dog and called the owner. Owner apologised profusely, the dog had been missing for three days and offered to pay for the chook. It was a family dog so for me personally, I was ultimately glad of the outcome and unless it was something I considered drastic, I would not shoot .

I've really good fencing and my dogs usually has somebody here, but if the extraordinary happened and they escaped and somebody shot them for that, intellectually I would know they had the right, but emotionally I would not accept it. My own family can't agree on this one, so I'm guessing others won't be able too either.

Open sights mate.. And, there was no warning shot..

Yes have seen feral dogs take off and yes have seen feral dogs stand their and look at the other one.

Just to clarify, i have no issues shooting feral dogs (not pets / domesticated dogs) Thats part of my life / job in managing a cattle property.

I totally understand where your coming from though.. Thanks for your reply.

slightly off topic here...

I have no issues with feral animals being shot (and that includes feral cats) , most people that can handle a rifle make it pretty instant and humanely. My issues are with feral animals is being hunted by city type folk dropping in and blasting away, leaving animals to die slowly.

It was a bun fight here at my place over this topic, so thanks for that

[persephone]

I just want to add that many people seem to have an issue with shooting a "pet dog" maybe on the grounds that the dog belongs to a family, in many areas it is the "pet dogs" that are doing the damage.

[Guest bigdogg]

slightly off topic here...

I have no issues with feral animals being shot (and that includes feral cats) , most people that can handle a rifle make it pretty instant and humanely. My issues are with feral animals is being hunted by city type folk dropping in and blasting away, leaving animals to die slowly.

It was a bun fight here at my place over this topic, so thanks for that

As a hunter myself.. I have the same issues with these types of yahoos.. Lots of genuine people out there.. but a few 'squeezers' as well.. We all seem to be put in the same basket at times..

[Crisovar]

If the dogs in question had just been lost, wandering or hanging about harmlessly, then sure, try to call or catch them - these dogs weren't, they were killing Bigdogs poultry. If I found 2 dogs (whether they were dingos, feral dogs or pet dogs) in the act of attacking & killing my animals - you can be sure there would not be a warning shot.

In the last week I have had 2 of my Maremmas injured by dogs (not seriously & recovering well) but my neighbour has not been so lucky - 6 goats mauled in one night, 2 whose injuries were so horrific they had to be destroyed, the other 4 will hopefully recover. No stock owner enjoys shooting dogs on their property - nor do they enjoy having their animals terrorised, mauled or killed.

Glad to hear your Maremmas are recovering myValkyrie.

However, the cover of darkness is very different to the clear light of day.

I too have lost a prize Rhode Island Red and I understand the torn sentiments.

I have also had the occasional lost dog, and let's be honest here, I would rather lose a 'chook' or, give up a 'chook', before a dog anyday.

I can get another chook at the markets.

Other people take a different view, but I can't imagine what it would take to make me pick up a gun.

Not gonna' happen peeps'.

Would a few maimed foals upset you or maybe a foal ripped to bits whilst still being born.

Get over yourself.

[myValkyrie]

If anyone has seen what dogs do to stock, there would be no problem shooting them.

We often had dairy cattle killed in Queensland, mostly by 'pet' dogs.

A lot of people dont understand how far dogs can travel in a night.

Absolutely - aside from the injuries & death from actual attacks/bites (& some of the injuries make your stomach turn), I think someone already mentioned too, they panic stock to run through fences & other obstacles and they don't even have to touch them for the stress of being chased & frightened to make pregnant does abort, stillbirth or abandon babies.

I just want to add that many people seem to have an issue with shooting a "pet dog" maybe on the grounds that the dog belongs to a family, in many areas it is the "pet dogs" that are doing the damage. Surely if it is your treasured pet then you would take steps to keep them home? Considering the number of repeat offenders and the continual my dog wouldn't harm, it just likes to play, just likes to run attitudes it is not at all surprising that people are fed up.

Like bigdoggs experience people lose multiple dogs and still don't contain them, you can warn people, confront them with evidence and they still don't take measures to stop it. Some don't give a rats, others are in complete denial.

The end result is the same dead dogs and huge losses to stock owners.

I would agree - we have minimal dingo problems - they wised up to the LGDs pretty quickly & look for easier meals. Pet dogs are the main problem in our area - I think our livestock dogs have saved us a lot of heartbreak.

[ShesaLikeableBiBear]

Sorry you had to go through this, however the dogs should not have been on your property, and you had every right to shoot given that your stock (no matter what they were) were being killed.

We lost 20 sheep to wild dogs last year.

Unfortunately we are not allowed to shoot on land 40 acres or under, we have 40.

[gwenneth1]

I just want to add that many people seem to have an issue with shooting a "pet dog" maybe on the grounds that the dog belongs to a family, in many areas it is the "pet dogs" that are doing the damage.

Its not uncommon for domesticated pets doing attacks as opposed to feral animls and for me there are a lot of variables whether I would personally shoot a domesticated animal or not. For me, it all boils down to circumstances involved and one's own personal philosophies on the matter. Again, I use the word "personally' , because these are just my views, which aren't wrong or right necessarily but just how I see things. I can't point the finger and yell "A-hole ' for shooting the dogs and I can't say 'way to go'. Bigdogg made a decision, followed through and but had the grace to indicate they still felt awful about the outcome, especially for the young girl whose pets they were. There wasn't any gloating or joy in the original post from what i could see.

Fortunately, people can make their own choices how the resolve a situation and even if I would have chosen a different path, doesn't mean others would necessarily agree with me or I with them.

[myValkyrie]

Glad to hear your Maremmas are recovering myValkyrie.

However, the cover of darkness is very different to the clear light of day.

I too have lost a prize Rhode Island Red and I understand the torn sentiments.

I have also had the occasional lost dog, and let's be honest here, I would rather lose a 'chook' or, give up a 'chook', before a dog anyday.

I can get another chook at the markets. Other people take a different view, but I can't imagine what it would take to make me pick up a gun.

Not gonna' happen peeps'.

Thanks for the kind thoughts for the dogs.

I would be one of those people that take a different view - I have other animals here that I treasure as much as any dog - horses, couple of old cows, my favourite goats..................I can't "just get another one" & I am not prepared to just "lose" them or "give them up" because some numpty thinks it's fine to let his dogs belt around the countryside chasing whatever they feel like. I do my utmost to keep our stock safe, we have good fencing (mesh & electric) & good dogs - if that's not enough to deter them, then I have no qualms about picking up a gun.