Deadly force against a dog to protect one's own dog?

[beeenbag]

I can whole heartedly agree with one being in fear of a dog that's being aggressive and coming towards them, but those that threaten to shoot "pits" are just ignorant.

I have a fairly aggressive looking pit and he is the most gentle giant you've ever seen. If he were to come at someone, it would genuinely be for attention. He thinks he is one of the kids.

It's not the breed, it's the upbringing or lack thereof, that makes a mean dog. One of the meanest dogs I've encountered was a poodle and the next being a local lab when I was growing up.

 

[grampajack]

"It's very sad though, as the pit used to be the most popular family dog in America, and before that it was the most popular family dog in England, as well."

That was before dog fighters and dopers starting selectively breeding pit bulls for aggressiveness. Dog fights remain popular in parts of the US. i know guys who owned and fought pit bulls. Many folks have no idea where their pit bull pup came from. A pup from an aggressive fighting line will be an aggressive dog.

Russian scientists studied aggressiveness in artic foxes for decades.

https://blogs.scientificamerican.co...tten-russian-experiment-in-fox-domestication/

I don't know, I've seen pits rescued from fighting rings that weren't aggressive at all towards humans, and on the other side of the coin I've seen pits that never fought and were never abused that were nevertheless vicious. I think dogs are a lot like kids, where it just boils down to what the parents are willing to tolerate.

 

[grampajack]

double tap

 

[illinoisburt]

Well none of this is an answer about the laws, just anecdotes.

The laws will vary by jurisdiction, but the constant will be the dog is property. To have a right to destroy someone else's property is going to involve some very specific circumstances which will either be spelled out on the books or worked out in cases. Trying to make a generalization would be foolhardy.

I would suggest common criminal questions likely include discharge regulations, animal cruelty laws, and criminal damage to property (the dog and wherever the bullet may end up). Civil suits by the owner for vet bills or the death of the dog certainly could arise, along with emotional distress if shot in front of them or their kids, and negligence if a bullet goes awry.

Now there is obviously a lot of leeway in how law enforcement may approach these things. Circumstances will be important. But regardless, I dont think there is going to be any cut and dried answer to the original question.

 

[herrwalther]

Now there is obviously a lot of leeway in how law enforcement may approach these things. Circumstances will be important. But regardless, I dont think there is going to be any cut and dried answer to the original question.

The problem of wild dogs in my area is so bad, the local police departments have started buying additional firearms to deal with animals. A pack of wild dogs tore apart a farm turkey in my front yard a few years ago. The responding officer put one of the dogs down with a .45LC from a Taurus Judge instead of using his service handgun. Cruisers also have a shotgun or AR in every vehicle as a just in case weapon. I have lived in tons of different areas and I have never seen as many wild and un cared for dogs as I do here. Going just 1500 feet up the road to go into town, I usually see about 11 dogs just roaming around.

 

[Jack B.]

Wild dogs are a different story. Used to have wild dogs running through the woods on a large farm I once lived on. You never went out side without a gun and we actively hunted them . They were a big problem in the area.

 

[berettaprofessor]

As a veterinarian, I can tell you that Pit Bulls and crosses thereof, are indeed often some of the sweetest dogs I encounter. I agree that it is most definitely the nutball owners who make most of them into something else. As an example, last week I was treating a patient whose owner proudly stated that he had the (intact) male dog hump every new visitor to the house to establish its dominance and then he would pull the dog away from the visitor to establish HIS dominance over the dog. Some people are just nuts.

That being said, I also never trust a pit bull cross or a Chow as a veterinary patient. They can be sweet but if they feel threatened they can turn on you or the owner in an instant. The result is never pretty.

 

[Jackal]

I've encountered 2 aggressive pitbulls that have jumped my dog, both were off leash in public areas. I should ad, my dog is a deaf female pitbull. She never fights back, just gets attacked. I carry a small pepper spray for dogs now. In my experience, dog owners decide whether or not their dog attacks someone/something. Keep your animal on a leash. Training a dog is a lot like training a child, smack them when they are naughty, praise them when they are good. Makes for good kids and happy dogs.

 

[Sunray]

Another dog is not wildlife.
I'd be guessing that grandma might be looking at the possibility of a civil law suit. Doesn't sound like she needed a firearm. The pit bull's owner might be looking at a failing to control his pet fine. Assuming there's such a local ordinance. Leash laws and the like.
"...mean poodles..." Yep. Carried the mail years ago. The big dogs were no problem. Even the one Staffordshire who's job was security in a furniture recovering shop. Only dog that bit me, because the idiot owner put the dog's food below the mail box on the porch, was a spaniel sized Heinz 57. The whole street got cut off for 24 hours.
"...naturally had a very sweet disposition as a breed..." Never once met a mean one either. Well except for the MOM who thought I might bother her puppies. Said puppies were swarming the fence gate to say hello. She wasn't being mean though. Just a Mom. 'Nother post office adventure.
"...selectively breeding pit bulls for aggressiveness..." Isn't breeding. It's training. Just like you can train a war horse or dog.
"...Our sheriff..." He doesn't get to make that decision. Makes him and his entire department liable for any resulting actions. And law suits.
"...some practical way to ban idiots..." SPCA would have, um, kittens, if they heard about that guy.

 

[eastbank]

the problem comes to knowing when your sweet large pit bull or any other dog is going to bite or not and with a small child you may not have long to decide if its friendly or not, here we have leash laws and if the dog is off your property you will be liable and the dog may be killed if life and limb are indangered. I have never been cruel to any animal, but if one of my grandchildren, three under 9 years old were threatened with being bitten I would do my best to stop it and if it meant killing the dog, so be it. no ones dog is worth any ones life. eastbank.

 

[vito]

When I am out walking with my dog I am always watching for aggressive unleashed dogs. If a dog approaches us aggressively I assume the threat is to me, not just to my dog. I would not hesitate to use my firearm, or other item such as a knife if I am not armed with a gun, and would deal with the consequences later. I value the life of my dog as far greater than the life of some strange, aggressive animal and for that matter, more than the owner of such an animal.

 

[Art Eatman]

This thread has wandered way too far from legal issues.