What to do when you can't shoot dogs?

Originally Posted by Horseyrider

"I feel like this phone call is going nowhere. I was afraid that might happen. So I have recorded this call. And in the event another attack occurs, then I can show the judge that you were given the opportunity to help and did nothing."

Originally Posted by pancho

Lots of arguing over nothing.

If the husband does not think there is a problem it isn't worth arguing about. If it was a serious problem the husband would take a day off to fix the problem. He must not think there is a problem. People are arguing over something the husband does not even care about.

Originally Posted by Horseyrider

I'm hesitant to offer anything on this thread because it's sort of degenerated into a squabble in and of itself. But here's my offering, and OP, you can use it if it fits for you, or discard it with some of the other stuff here that clearly won't work either. Regardless, I wish you the best and hope you can find peaceful resolution.

First, I'd consider my right (and my family's right) to move about my own property without being molested by outside people or animals to be the real issue here. That's been infringed. The one who is responsible for the infringement is, well, a few sandwiches short of a picnic. Not only is it pretty much impossible to shoot the offending dogs without risking stray shots going somewhere unintended, she's also very very likely to retaliate. In my way of seeing it, shooting the dogs, which would be a useful and proactive solution in many other situations, is just not going to work here. It seems like that would bring Ms Loony down on your other animals or maybe cause her to bring a can of gas down on your barn.

You really have to be careful to keep it from escalating. Authorities will prosecute her after the fact; but then it's too late for your home, your animals, or maybe you or your family.

I think if it was me, I would start with a private discussion with the 88 year old man. If he's the type who can keep his cool, I'd ask him to join with me. I'd talk to other surrounding neighbors that may have been hassled by her dogs. And we'd become a united front.

Next I'd call the police and animal control. I'd tell them, quietly and rationally, what's been going on. I would also have each of the neighbors do the same thing. I would think it would be very important to not become angry or emotional, as that often causes the person's opinion to be discounted. I would tell the police that she is in violation of a court order, and that her dogs are known biters. I would encourage the authorities and give them every opportunity to help. Yet if I don't feel I'm getting anywhere during the conversation, here's what I'd say, and in a very calm and conversational voice: "I feel like this phone call is going nowhere. I was afraid that might happen. So I have recorded this call. And in the event another attack occurs, then I can show the judge that you were given the opportunity to help and did nothing."

Chances are reasonable that this would be motivating.

You need to turn the wacko's focus to the police and animal control, not to you. Let the friction happen between you and the authorities; odds are better that both sides have rational people. Then the authorities can act, and she can focus on the authorities, not you. And they have the capability of hauling her away should she escalate.

BTW, in our county, known biters are PTS, period. Doesn't matter if they're nice doggies the rest of the time; if they bite anyone, or kill livestock, they're dead. There are way too many really nice dogs waiting in shelters for homes to let known biters live.

I wish you luck. You shouldn't have to be afraid to move about on your own land, nor should you have to be afraid for your family or critters.

Originally Posted by Common Tator

Many states only allow recording phone calls if you advise them at the beginning of the call that it is being recorded. I would hate to see the OP get into any legal hot water for doing something that may or may not be illegal in her state. I'm not a lawyer, and don't know all of the state's laws.

However if the one of the neighbors has a speaker phone where all of the neighbors involved were parties to the conversation, then there would be many witnesses, and that is about as good as a recording. Where there are many people telling them about the problem, they will have to give more weight to the seriousness of the problem.

Originally Posted by Common Tator

The husband is gone much of the time, and doesn't see it happening because the neighbor doesn't let the dogs out when she sees the husband's vehicle there. He CAN'T do anything, if the dogs aren't in his yard while he is home.


Thislittlepiggy, do you have a digital camera with video capability? Even taking still photos of the dogs on your property, or scaring your piglets would help A LOT, but if you could video it, and get the sound of barking and growling, it would carry more weight as evidence. Maybe you could start noting just how much of the time the dogs are on your property, and notate what they do to scare you every time it happens. This will escalate. You need documentation and evidence to back you up.

Originally Posted by pancho

If the husband doesn't believe his own wife I have a hard time understanding. If dogs are trying to attacking my child and someone had killed my livestock I would take time to tend to it. Didn't he see the dead animals?

The whole thing sounds fishy. A woman and a small child being attacked by dogs and the husband doing nothing about it. Don't sound like anyone I know.