Had to kill a dog yesterday with my 642 ....

[4v50 Gary]

Every now and then critters have to be reminded that we're the top of the foodchain (with exception of the parasites that live on or within us ). The danger about feral dogs is that unlike other critters, they don't have that natural fear of man. If they were once domesticated, they won't have fear of fire either. What you did was right, just, and humane (rehabilitation through reincarnation).

 

[MCgunner]

Be careful. Texas laws are so screwed up I'd easier get away with killing a man. I shot a dog that had been running with a wild pack that had killed my cats and for a couple of years were hounding the neighborhood. He actually came in my yard and jumped on two adult cats I had at the time. I ran off the porch and started kickin' the snot out of him, ran off a ways and turned on me and I shot him. I got cuffed and stuffed and charged with misdemeanor animal cruelty, got my gun taken as evidence, got my CCW license yanked. The judge dismissed the charges at the arraignment, but it cost me 2800 in legal fees. Got my gun and CCW back after 9 months. Live and learn. Next time, I'll pull my leatherman on him, stab him to death, and toss him down the storm drain. SSS dude, shoot, shovel, and shut up.

 

[gmh1013]

I had to shoot a wild dog back in northern AZ at friends camp house....may have been rapid.
Long shot with a .22 magnum Marlin and a 6x scope ....200+ yards.
head shot and he dropped ....dog killed our friend cocker spaniel.
I not a dog lover but hated to shoot it though

 

[StrikeFire83]

When I was a toddler in the Texas Hill Country (been a city boy since age 6) we had about 6 acres with a house, a barn, a few horses, and a stock tank. The whole property was fenced in with barbed wire. At about age 2 my parents would just let me run around and play as long as I stayed in sight.

A pack of feral dogs showed up on the property for a few weeks, and my dad kept me inside. They killed one of our barn cats, but nothing ended up happening. When they attacked and mauled 5 year old girl a couple properties over, my dad and our next door neighbor spent a weekend shooting the whole pack. They shot about 6 or 7 of the dogs, and my dad cut the throat out of one of the bigger ones and nailed it to a fence post in case any of them were left and decided to show up. We never heard from them again.

Now this was Texas in the mid 80s, so things might be different elsewhere and nowadays, but that's how it worked when I was a baby.

 

[Yo Mama]

Am I the only one concerned you looked for these dogs? If it was a person everyone would be saying you should have called the police. I know animal control told you to do what you needed to do, but unless there is more to the story I fear you were in the wrong. If the dog went after your wife at the time she wasn't searching for them maybe fine. You appear to have hunted them.

Sorry if I'm the sole deflector. I'm sorry it happened, and sure hoping there is more you're not telling.

 

[barnetmill]

You did the right thing man. And let's face it, feral dogs do not have a good life at all. Scrounging, skulking around, often dying from eating poisoned food out of mixed garbage. At least this one died quick. Wolves and coyotes are out there living as God intended them...most of the time. Hoosier

you raised an interesting point relative to coyotes are now found far from their ancestral homes. In NW FL should I leave them alone natural predators or shot them on sight as pests. I am not really sure. If I had stock or small pets nearby I certainly would.

 

[wankerjake]

And, yeah, I've called animal control before, but they always tell me I need to take care of the problem on my own, so I don't bother calling them anymore.

Screw animal control, if I ever have a dog problem I'm calling you! Seriously though I don't think you did anything wrong, I'd have shot him too. No reason to tolerate that behavior from a stray dog in my opinion.

 

[Yo Mama]

Shoot on sight!!! What the hell!!!

Guys, seriously, unless your life is compromised don't fricking shoot an animal. I've been bit multiple times, and never would be justified to shoot a dog.

 

[Raptorq7r13]

If a dog I don't know is biting me, I think that it's a pretty good guess that life will be compromised if you don't do something. Don't just shoot a dog because it's loose and running around. If it's a threat, it doesn't have to be actively attacking me to constitute my attention and, if necessary, elimination of the threat.

 

[wankerjake]

If it was a person everyone would be saying you should have called the police

That's just it; it wasn't a person, it was a flippin dog, and it showed aggression towards him and his wife on his own property. He doesn't have to put up with that crap. There is no reason to call the police about a dog when you can take care of it yourself before a human gets bitten.

 

[conw]

Every now and then critters have to be reminded that we're the top of the foodchain (with exception of the parasites that live on or within us )

Is it just my take on things, or has THR been a little cracked out lately?

 

[bensdad]

Good shoot. Might wanna keep it to yourself next time. Bury it deep enough that your own dogs can't dig it up.

 

[Yo Mama]

Again, aggression is not justified to defend yourself. I understand the emotions, but look at it outside of the feelings.

Some additional comments are concerning regarding creulty to animals that have been posted.

 

[wankerjake]

Ok, outside the emotions, it seems that a stray dog frequents his property and showed aggression towards him and his wife. Now in fact, I don't know this guy from Adam. Never met the gent before. Emotions completely aside, I think he was absolutely in the right to shoot that dog that was actively causing problems on his property. The way I see it he had 3 options: 1. Fix the problem immediately and for good by shooting the dog. 2. Call the police or the pound and put the burden on somebody else, so the dog could end up somebody else's problem. 3. Worry about being cruel to the animal and let it roam his place untamed until it bit his wife when she is conducting business in her own yard.
I know I'm being sarcastic but I don't understand the "cruelty to animals" aspect of this situation. He didn't skin it alive, or hobble it and hang it upside down in his barn. He just killed it and now it's dead. Anyway I know we all have our opinions on the matter but I wouldn't lose any sleep over it if I was him.

 

[average_shooter]

Guys, seriously, unless your life is compromised don't fricking shoot an animal.

I don't know you, and thus I don't know your life experience or education. But with all due respect, my degree is in Conservation. I've studied this stuff.

Stray, once tame pets can certainly wreak havoc on native populations and must be dealt with. We cannot allow animals once domesticated to roam free to disturb natural systems any more than they already have been. It's not just dogs, either. Cats are problematic in many areas because they kill native, possibly endangered or threatened birds. Pigs are a big problem in certain areas because they can completely destroy the ecosystem by rooting around and digging everything up.

And it's not just animals, either. Garlic mustard was established in gardens to use for food. Spotted knapweed (just realized I meant Purple Loosestrife) is still sold in some garden stores as a pretty flower. Hell, even dandelions had to be introduced to this continent.

There's something to be said for leaving natural systems natural. But feral, invasive animals are not part of most, if any, natural systems.

 

[Yo Mama]

^At least I respect your polite response.

 

[bensdad]

Some additional comments are concerning regarding creulty to animals that have been posted.

The only "cruelty to animals" I've seen posted is encouraging people to let feral dogs live... so they can eviscerate domestic cats, kill livestock, kill family dogs (on their owner's property), force people to live in fear (on their own property) and raise all manner of hell. These dogs will die of something. Freeze to death? Starve? Get hit by a car? Kill each other? Dehydration? Tell us, which death is better than the HUMANE bullet delivered by the man who's kids can't play outside? Which death is preferable to the one delivered by a farmer who's lost thousands of dollars worth of livestock and can't afford to lose any more?

Sometimes I wonder why people don't think things through. Then again, maybe I'm the one who doesn't see clearly. That's possible.

 

[Carne Frio]

Loose dogs that show feral behavior to pets, livestock
or people need to be either live trapped and taken to
local animal control or shot. Better that than some
child be mauled or killed.

 

[AStone]

Interesting to see all the 642 owners in this thread.

Only dog I ever had to shoot at was not "feral" per se, but one step removed. Its owner - my neighbor in a quasi-country area (rural Washington on Puget Sound near Olympia) - let it and it's son run free, despite my repeated protestations.

The old one was testy. They would trot through my yard on the way to their favorite stomping grounds. I tried hard to befriend them because I like dogs. I'd go to the neighbor's house and pet them while he was with them. I kept biscuits at my back door to offer them when they came by (even though I didn't have a dog then).

I think the "dad" was probably senile. Once, he came through the back yard alone, saw me on the back porch, came up to the porch, barking and growling rather viciously. I just went inside, resolved to call animal control the next day.

Later that night (or the next), a friend arrived from out of town around midnight. The two dogs came up into my driveway exhibiting aggressive behavior toward me and my friend.

I stepped inside, grabbed my 9mm (yes, I was once a heretical owner of a bottom feeder ), and fired off a round into a dirt berm just left of the driveway (no houses behind it in that direction; only Puget Sound).

Those dogs left peel out marks with their feet in the driveway. Never saw them again on my property.

 

[Spot]

Feral, n. That which was once tame and useful but which has since become wild and dangerous. Example: The Feral Government.

Gud 'un!!!

 

[hoptob]

Those dogs left peel out marks with their feet in the driveway. Never saw them again on my property.

Good point, Nem. A warning shot could have been enough to scare the dogs off.

Mike

 

[jt1]

While I do not advocate indiscriminate killing of any living thing, The only issues I have with the actions of the OP is that by his own omission he should have selected a more appropriate weapon given the fact he was aware of the situation and had the opportunity to do so...given the threat posed to his family I personally would have taken actions to reduce it completely and hopefully avoid a future encounter by my loved ones or other vulnerable people. I like dogs as much as the next guy but all PCBS aside, we all have the responsibility to safeguard good folks from bad things, whatever, or whoever that may be...

 

[cottonmouth]

Where's the pics?

J.B.

 

[MCgunner]

Shoot on sight!!! What the hell!!!

Guys, seriously, unless your life is compromised don't fricking shoot an animal. I've been bit multiple times, and never would be justified to shoot a dog.

It's just a danged dog. I've SSS'ed 'em on my place just for being there. They harrass wildlife and and kill deer, grown deer, and just leave 'em to rot. Feral dogs do not belong there and deserve eradication. Turn your ire to the folks that would dump the dogs there in the first place. They didn't have the cojones to put the dogs down, left it up to me.

You can legally kill any animal after livestock in this state even though they've gotten stupid with the animal cruelty laws. You don't even have to catch the animal in the act. You can just suspect him and it's legal. Unfortunately for me, that does not cover cats, but I was protecting property when I shot that animal and that's justification in Texas to shoot man or beast, as well as self defense when he turned on me.

I love dogs, but I also don't give quarter to feral ones or marauding pets. Don't want your dog killed, don't violate the lease laws and let it come in my yard and kill my cats. I'd be really sad if someone shot my lab. He's a good dog, well trained retriever, loves to hunt, but if he was killin' someone else's animals, I'd understand if he got shot. He's on a leash, though, as per required by ordinance in this town. And, I've not had any problems since I got him. He keeps the bad dogs away. I don't think anyone loves dogs more than a hunter. Ruger's my duck hunting buddy after all. But, I don't get stupid over it, join PETA, or something.

 

[xXxplosive]

Doesn't seem to me you had to kill anything......dog was at a distance as you said and probably tellin you they just wanted to be left alone. I understand you want them off your property but it seems you just wanted to try out your revolver on something....I have no problem with dispatching an animal in self defense, for food, etc. but your story doesn't pan out and just a judgement call.....yours, deciding life and death.

Obviously I don't condone taking any life for no reason.......especially dogs.

IMO Lousy Story and Poor Judgement.