Shooting to save your dog.................

[Drjones]

That doesn't change the fact that the dog, as an animal, does not hold the same intrinsic value as human life.

Actually, that's your opinion, NOT a fact. Value is totally subjective.

I personally place animal life far higher in value than the lives of many two-legged critters. Fortunately, so do many others here!

IMO, as I said several times above, anyone out to wantonly, uneccessarily, and intentionally kill, harm, or maim an animal probably deserves death.

I notice a majority of the argument here is over whether it is morally justifiable to shoot over property. I happen to think it is. I am going to start a whole other thread on that....

 

[Drjones]

Beren: To answer if I really WOULD shoot someone JUST over my dog, probably not, due to the vast legal and financial repurcussions that you stated.

If it were legal, then I would act accordingly.

 

[Drjones]

Amazingly, if you never steal somebody else’s chickens and try to trot off with them, then you won’t ever get shot over it. Pretty crazy how that works ain’t it?

I've uttered the same sentiment here, but it seems to be ignored...

It works the same for lots of things: Don't try to kill, rape, etc. and you won't get shot.

Works for me....

The only people who should have a problem with such a policy are those who wouldn't abide by it, and therefore, those who we would want shot anyway...

 

[ahenry]

Beren,

May I most humbly suggest you relax just a tad? Each of those statements you mention seem, to me at least, to be nothing more than a statement that the person would indeed use deadly force if necessary to save the life of their pet or an animal. To my way of thinking nobody said anything remotely suggesting they would go off the deep end with this. Of course sometimes the written word can be difficult to convey nuances, so perhaps I interpreted this incorrectly and you’re right on. In which case, oops.

 

[MLH]

If you remember

Stealing horses was ( and still is in some places) a hanging offense. So sometimes property laws do allow you certain latitudes. I figure if someone has a gun in his hand and I'm in his presense how can I be sure he only going to shoot the dog and not me too? Don't think I'd take the chance that he's only going after the dog. I say you may be justified in shooting him under these circumstanses. YMMV

 

[Pawcatch]

Like those idiots that set steel traps and never check them,leaving wounded animals to chew their own legs off...sick....

I see drjones has fallen for the propaganda put out by groups like HSUS and PETA.
First off,I'm a trapper that uses foothold traps that checks my traps everyday,but that is just incorrect to say that animals chew off their own legs.Back in the old days when traps had no swivels,animals would basically twist off their foot and people thought that they chewed them off.But modern foothold traps have atleast two swivels on them to prevent this.

Also,using the term "steel trap" is like usung the term "cop killer bullets".Many foothold traps have passed Humane trapping standards in Canada,New Zealand,and soon in the U.S.,so it's just incorrect to label the use of them as torture.They are actually needed to catch problen animals like coyotes and foxes since these smart wild canines will avoid cage or box traps.