Problem with stray pitbulls.

[Camel]

I know that shooting strays is sometimes the only option available. I don't have a problem with shooting a rabid or feral dog as they are no better, and usualy worse, than coyotes. I guess what Im getting at is that I wouldnt shoot a stray domestic dog unless it was aggressive. Ive been raised with dogs as a member of the family and I dont think I could bring myself to shoot a stray. Non-lethal negative reenforcement is about as far as I would go, and Id probably feel bad about that. If that didnt work there is more than one shelter in my area that would take the dog for free.

 

[Sharpie1]

Why don't you just feed them something and call animal control while they're there eating? No need to show so much hatred for the poor things.

Because it is a stray dog.

Once the animal comes into my yard, it is a threat to me and my family. It is wandering loose, and possibly has an aggressive behavior, and/or rabies. Feeding it would only make matters worse. It would obviously keep the strange dog near your home, and possibly attract other stray animals.

Shooting a stray / feral dog isn't showing hatred, it's simply pest control.

I answered this (seemingly rhetorical) question as if it were a sincere one - although I think (and hope) it is sarcasm.

The good thing about all this is, everyone is free to make their own decision. If a particular person wants to call someone else to come and maybe take care of the problem, or if they want to haul it off in their own vehicle, I think that's great. I, however, have no problems justifying my methods of pest control.

I have learned from experience that this is by far the safest and most effective way to dispose of the stray animal problem.

TD

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

It may help if you go and have a polite word with the owner/ neighbor before you resort to any extreme measures. If neighbor is uncooperative, call the authorities. If the dogs become aggressive towards you or your spouse then "give 'em lead !"

 

[roo_ster]

Stray & Threatening dogs.

If you/you family/your pets feel threatened by a dog, and you think it could do damage, I see no diffrerence between 4-legged threats & 2-legged threats. .45 is a sure cure for such aggression.
--
Nuisance strays are another matter. I'm not going to off a neighbors pooch for cr@pping in my yard. I live in the city, and animal control is called. Richardson, Texas, has an active & useful animal control dept. I have met thema few times & they seem like good eggs.
--
Strays in the country are a different matter althogether. My gramps had a problem with ferals kiling his hogs, so he shot every dadgum stray he could range with his .22 pump rifle. One he did in a whole pack who had gotten in the hog pen. When stray dogs are taking food out the mouths of your babe, expect the pooches to end up dead.
--
We have a family in the neighborhood that learned their dog-handling and dog-care techniques south of the border. I pity any dog that gets bought by them, 'cause it has a short, miserable life. In two years they have gone through four dogs, all of which have managed to get out multiple times, run around, and get hit by an auto or go missing. I think one died of parvo. I can think of a certain family that could use a last trip to the vet for a shot. They give thier dogs names like "Psycho" or "Dracula" and stop going out to look for them after the dogs pass the cute puppy stage. What trash.
--
I always wonder how long their current victim of neglect will last. The longest lasted 8 months.

 

[TallPine]

I have no patience with aggresive dogs. Mean dogs get one chance on my place and that is their last one.

There are too many good dogs in the world to put up with a bad one

 

[Tall Man]

Several years ago, a stray dog of medium construction and miscellaneous parentage was wondering about my lot. The animal looked scared and confused. I lured it into my garage. It was immediately supplicant, which confirmed my gut instinct about this poor chap. I was thus able to obtain the owner's information from the collar. The owner arrived post haste to claim her lost charge. I refused the offer of a reward, as the sight of two friends being reuinted was quite sufficient for me.

I'm glad that the event ended with a handshake and not the pungent aroma of powder.

Certainly we must prefer the former. Certainly we must prepare for the latter.

TM

 

[berto]

A "stray" dog on your property,fair enough,youcan shoot it...but consider it may be a stray "pet" that gets loose.....


I understand the need to take action WRT feral/stray dogs chasing deer,acting aggressive to people...you do what you need to do,my folks live in the hills and this issue crops up sometimes.
However,to take the stance that "it's all on the owner to keep their dog contained" is a little harsh if you make no effort to decipher the animal is a stray or someones pet before 86'ing it.Yeah,it's my job to keep my pet,leashed up or inside,I do so.
Things do happen though when especially kids are involved in the household and pets DO sometimes get loose,I personally ain't going to blast someone's pet because it came in my yard and distinguish myself as the "gun toting psycho of the neighborhood" unless the animal is a threat.

 

[pax]

I think this whole issue is just one more rural vs urban thang, and that the "right" answers to the questions posed by the first post depend almost entirely upon where you live.

City and suburban folks usually can only conceive of a dog as a pet -- a pet that may be mistrained or mishandled by the neighbors, but which is of course the responsibility of someone else, and is usually under the direct control of some human. They have a hard time wrapping their brains around the concept of a dog that literally belongs to no one, a dog for which no human being has any responsibility or care whatsoever.

Rural folks, when they see dogs on their property that are not their own, know in their bones that this animal is wild, belongs to no one, can carry nasty diseases, and, left alone, will do damage to their property and belongings. They have a hard time wrapping their brains around the concept of a dog running free that belongs to someone, that someone might care about.

City and suburban folks, seeing a stray dog, immediately think to call Animal Control so that someone else will quietly "put the animal to sleep" somewhere else.

Rural folks don't always have access to Animal Control, and are used to solving such problems for themselves. So they'll "put the animal to sleep" in a more noisy, direct, and messy fashion.

In either case, the usual outcome for the animal is a quick, clean death. Which is as it should be, if the animal has no one to take care of it properly and is either a nuisance or a hazard to human beings.

As for the post which started this thread: Shooting a dangerous nuisance which belongs to no one may be sad, but it isn't wrong. Setting out a pan full of poison in hopes the problem animal will drink it, though, is something else entirely. Not only can poison cause a painful, slow death rather than a quick easy one, but you have no control over which animal drinks the poison.

If you live somewhere where simply shooting a problem animal isn't advisable, then you live somewhere where a quick call to Animal Control should take care of the problem.

pax

Why is it that city folks never believe outdoor folks, when it comes to animal behavior? -- Art Eatman

 

[Sharpie1]

berto

I personally ain't going to blast someone's pet because it came in my yard and distinguish myself as the "gun toting psycho of the neighborhood" unless the animal is a threat

You obviously don't live in a rural area.

Calling animal control may seem more appropriate for you. If you think it is, call them.

As for everyone else, let them do what they wish without being labeled as "psycho".

Respectfully,

TD

 

[pythium]

While not the most considerate, the most trouble free solution would be to either kill the dog or catch it and take it to the pound yourself without letting the owner know. If you talk to the owner first, and the owner doesn't take care of the problem, and then you end up having to shoot it, you will be the first one questioned. Even if you are in the right this could cause all sorts of problems both legal and in the form of retaliations by the dogs owner. I like the idea of shoot, shovel and shut-up, only add a shut-up at the very begining.

 

[Russ]

Call the SPCA. They will take them away. I trust the friendliest Pit Bull like I do a rattler. I've seen otherwise docil Pits kill 2 Red Dobermans for no apparent reason. If you can't shoot them, lure them into your car and take them for a long ride to the desert and let them go.

 

[ojibweindian]

Call the SPCA. They will take them away. I trust the friendliest Pit Bull like I do a rattler. I've seen otherwise docil Pits kill 2 Red Dobermans for no apparent reason. If you can't shoot them, lure them into your car and take them for a long ride to the desert and let them go.

There is no SPCA near me, and people taking their unwanted pets for a long one-way ride is the reason for so many unmarked doggie graves around here.

Us rural inhabitants don't see a stray as a cute little doggie once belonging to someone; we see them as problems that will chase/eat our livestock, carry diseases, attack our dogs, our kids, whatever.

 

[berto]

tadyson

Please accept my apology if you feel I'm calling anyone a "psycho",in the rurals I think it's fair to conceive you may not belong to a neighborhood as your nearest neighbors could be well outside of earshot or eyesight.
As I have stated,I have family that lives in the rurals and I'm no stranger to that environment.My folks keep salt licks,alfalfa,hay,etc for feeding the local population of muleys during the winter...we have deer everywhere year round and my Pop's relationship has evolved (or devolved,depending on how you look at it)into a sort of Shepard- like presence over these animals.He doesn't take kindly to marauding packs of dogs on his property and hates coyotes as a general rule.As someone living in the rurals seeing over livestock,it's fair to say the "rules of engagement" are probably different....but I still say making a good will effort to determine the intent of the animal and whether it's a pet (collar?) seems reasonable.

 

[cameroneod]

Out in the woods

For me the definition of a stray is wether it has a colar on. No colar, no mercy.

 

[Flashpoint]

Thanks for the advice guys.

Let me clear up a few things, I'm not the country bumpkin moving to the big city, I would prefer to let animal control take care of things. Usually, most strays I would not bother with, maybe a BB gun pop in the butt at the most, but these two Pits are big and look about half starved. I have no idea who they belong to, but I suspect they comes from some pretty seedy area about half a mile down the road. They look like something you would see chained to the front door of a drug dealer's house. I have two boys a 5 year old and a 3 year old and a lab-boxer pup and a lab and I don't like the idea of any of them getting ate up by some white trashe's dog. When we move in and I see them, I may lure them into the garage with a tasty treat and hold them there until animal control gets there, but if it happens to be the weekend there will be no animal control to take care of the dogs. So then what do I do, be a prisoner in my own house until the dogs trot off, I don't think so. I have a friend on the police force I'll make a call to him and see what the reprocutions might be for discharging a firearm in city limits in order to protect life and property from a dangerous animal.

As far as stays in the country, 99% of theme do not have owners. We have taken a few in a couple I put down for being aggresive toward me and or MY pets. I'm a little more soft hearted than some of my neighbors who has live out here longer. One of my neighbor's wife seen with her own eyes the pound come out here and unload dogs. If something isn't done the dogs start running in packs or breeding with Coyotes and realy start to cause trouble. It's not as simple as call the owner or animal control. It's either take them in or put them down.

 

[Balog]

I grew up in a fairly isolated area (we got paved roads when I was about 6) where large packs of feral dogs were a constant threat. Idiot city folk would drive out into the desert to drop off their puppy. The ones that didn't starve or die of dehydration generally banded together and started hunting. While we had an electrified fence around our acreage, when we left the property being attacked by a pack of vicious feral dogs was a constant threat. On this thread I posted the following story that seems germane to the discussion

Standingbear's post reminded me of something that happened to a dog my family had named King. As far as we could tell he was part-Irish Setter, part pit-bull, part God only knows. Great dog. Kind and gentle to us kids, and very protective.

Once when my brothers were taking him for a walk, King got attacked by two Dobermans and a medium sized mutt. He threw the first Dobie through a gate in the cattle fence alongside the road, and mauled the other Dobie pretty bad before all three ran off. If he hadn't been there those feral dogs would most likely have severely injured my brothers, if not killed them outright.

Sometimes, owning a big dog that knows how to fight is a really good thing.

Even tho I live in the city , I still have a "country" perspective of strays. They are a danger. They are not worth the risk to myself or my family to try and rescue. If they are on my property they are dead. End of story.
Of course, this isn't always possible. I can't shoot safely in my brother's backyard (unless I climb on the roof) and I'm not going to charge out into the yard to try and club the damn thing to death. I'll call animal control. Of course, in my experience the dog will be gone by the time they respond. [/sigh] I've gotta get out of the city.

 

[gunsmith]

I love pitbull's

Owners,on the other hand can be real jerks!
In the 1980's pits were a real problem in my NY neighborhood.
Creeps thugs would fight them and sick them on pets for practice.
I often wished I had a .44 at the time because these pits were
huge and mean,I think they were using steroids on them.
Now on to your question.
If I had "enough" gun with me I might try to help out the dogs if
they were not a threat to me and mine.
The instant they became a threatbang!
But make sure to call 911 first.
Another problem is the owner, as illustrated by Preacherman
in this thread
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?s=&threadid=40687&highlight=brother
A man was killed by an angry dog owner who thought
that this guy killed his dog,a sad story you should consider as well.
911 may be the way to go.

 

[Sharpie1]

berto

No problem. You do have a good arguement.

TD

 

[Flashpoint]

If I had "enough" gun with me I might try to help out the dogs if they were not a threat to me and mine.

Gunsmith,
This comment is a little confusing to me, please clarify.

Speaking of enough gun what would be enough gun for a big Pit?

I walked out with a p239 9mm, but afterwards I was wishing I had my M40.

 

[Balog]

Flashpoint: do a search, the optimum caliber for dogs has been discussed at length. I'll just say that they are tough little buggers. Use as much gun as you can. Preferrably a long gun.

 

[fix]

You obviously don't live in a rural area.

I understand that this wasn't directed at me, but I must address this misconception. I do live in a rural area, and I don't condone the practice of shooting domestic animals unless they display some sort of unruly behavior. A dog barking at someone is not unruly, it's normal. I see dogs roaming around on a daily basis. Most of the time, I know who they belong to. Occasionally, my dogs escape and roam a bit. Nobody shoots them either. Stray dogs are usually given the benefit of the doubt, regardless of their appearance. Just the other day, I caught one that looked questionable and "held on to it" by feeding it, and very cautiously, petting it. The owner showed up the next day looking for it and was very grateful. He said the poor thing had gone missing several weeks before and they had just about given up. Had you lived here, they likely wouldn't have their dog. I hope you never move to my community.

 

[gunsmith]

For a big pit

I think at least a .357mag.
I saw NYPD shoot a big pit with 9mm,
it took over 25 shots to make it stop shaking the poodle in it's mouth,
it never let go and took the poodle with it to doggie heaven...
Did I say .357? hmmm, I guess I did.
I meant a marlin guide gun in 45/70.

 

[Stevie-Ray]

Though I won't, except in an emergency, discharge a firearm within my city, my neighbors have gotten the idea that should their big, mean looking dogs get out of their yards and onto my property, showing me anything but lolling tongues and wagging tails, especially around my wife, they are toast. The animal control system here is all but useless. Should you call them, they MAY be out in a few days. Something else that has worked in the past is to call them several times, documenting each call, and then say something like: "Look, if you don't get out here soon, I'm gonna hafta take care of this myself." Generally the cop on the other end thinks: GUN. They seem to make a special effort then around here. Maybe unfair to a department that is understaffed, but you do whatever you can in the interest of safety. You don't ever have to tell them you never intended to use a gun unless they say you implied it. You can always tell them, "No, you simply inferred it."

This is the main reason I carry a Delta Elite in the wilds of Upper Michigan. Not bears, but dogs.

 

[submin]

You don't have a "Pit Bull" problem, you have an "irresponsible pet owner" problem.

When faced with this problem fourteen years ago, I complained to the owners of a dog that habitually knocked over my trash cans and dug up the yard around the foundation of my house. No response.

I called the animal shelter several times and complained and no response. I called the sheriff office and got the "call me if it bites you" response.

Time to handle it. I tied a pork chop to a string and dragged it across the yard and between the truck and a CJ 5 with 'rag top'. I then sat in the CJ with the door removed and a hammer in hand.

Just as planned, the mutt came through with nose to the ground and no more problem. Just a neighbor asking if I had seen his 'Baby". Nope!

 

[gripper]

stray pitbulls

Gentlemen;I've owned working/fighting breed dogs most of my life. I've alweays gone back&forth between Dobermans&pitbulls. My first dog(at age 10)was a five week old throwaway ptibull;a photo negative of Petey from the little rascals(Black with a white mark instead of the other way around.).
I've had three Pits,and the current occupant of my couch is another female, black&tan Dobie,courtesy of Doberman Rescue League(DRU.ORG). Three of each breed at different times&nary a problem. That said;I would destroy ANY dog attacking people for any reason besides defending me or another person. Just think of the lethal force statutes in other areas&apply them to the dogs instead of the other implements.
Do nothing illegal;do nothing that will compromise your honor or class either. An @sshole like the "strain trainer",or the other upright pantloads that neglect,starve&abuse the dogs in their"care"deserve an @ss-kicking on general principle.
Poisoning someone's dog demeans you.I'd rather notify the LE's about the dangerous nuisance in the neighborhood;hopefully speaking with the owner about what the next step could be would make him modify his behavior;if not ride it where it takes you.
I juyst find it ironic that in oither threads we discuss how "idiot trainers/nija types" who instruct students to "just shoot the dog" are assuring a viloent reaction. Yet no one bats an eye when poisoning a dog like a sneak is not as instinctively spoken against.
And yes, I am biased in favor of the breed;but as I stated earlier;I'd not hesitate a moment if the need to kill a menace to a child or other innocent arose.