Neighbors Dog

I must be a tender-hearted fool! When a starving stray dog turned up here I considered him to be a gift from God! I had been wanting a dog for a long time as we live out in the country but we felt that it would be too much of an expense to feed and vaccinate and so forth. I told DH I would feel safer if we had a dog here to bark when someone comes up and to let us know that folks were on the property, especially when I was here alone or to go on walks with us.
One day I was down in our deep front ditch cleaning up trash that folks had thrown out their car windows, when I looked up and saw the most emaciated dog I had ever seen in my life. I had never seen one this thin, not even on the tv news when they show abuse/neglect cases. You could seem every rib and his pelvic bones jutting out. He was of a large frame like a Lab, but had features like a beagle. This dog proceeded to crawl on his belly towards me, whimpering and begging me for help. He was literally trembling the whole time and had his tail between his legs. I was clearly his last chance and hope. I can imagine that he had tried to get help from other humans who more than likely savagely rebuffed him. (Thank goodness no one thought to shoot him!) I got out of the ditch, said "C'mon, boy" and he joyfully and expectantly followed me. I gave him something to eat and he never left. We had to get him treated for heartworms and lyme disease, but he pulled through with flying colors. That was 5 years ago and he is now fat and happy and laying on the couch as I type. If he goes outside he is on a very long tie-out to go and do his business. As I said before, I consider him a gift from God. And God has made a way for us to afford to keep him. Now if he would have come up here acting belligerent, that would have been the time get animal control out here, stat! But a gentle needy soul of the animal variety will always have a place here (Just ask all of our cats!).

I have a tender heart too...don't be fooled by the hard line towards some dogs. People who take in every stray don't have the corner on compassion, nor do all folks who shoot a stray have a hard heart. I've been a nurse for the past 18 years and the last three has been in the hospice field...I have compassion dripping out of my pores and running down my face most of the time.

I have taken in unwanted dogs too...when I had the room at my home and in my life for such. All three of the dogs I've owned were unwanted animals that had no home and I keep them for their lifetime~but one cannot do that with every dog that arrives on the doorstep.

It's called practicality. I have a responsibility to the other animals I've made a commitment to and will protect them from the well-fed, nuisance animals that no one keeps at home. One can only take in so many creatures and one cannot afford to lose the creatures that they've invested money into either.

I just have a different idea about the meaning of compassion and stewardship than do most folks...I reserve the bulk of my compassion for humans and treat the animals in my care with the utmost consideration according to their species and the requirements thereof. None of my animals live anything but a good life.

Wanted to point out that the thread started with poorly managed dog owned and cared for by a neighbor not a starving stray...

I think the main problem is the human element- not containing the dog and making sure that it didn't cause problems when not at home. I love the idea of my dog roaming, getting exercise, seeing interesting things and chasing whatever smells good but I would be an irresponsible dog owner to actually let that happen in my neighborhood. If you live in an area where your dog can impact a neighbor it is only responsible of you to not let it get there.

Around here, we all know who takes good care of their dogs and has had an accidental escape. We know who allows their dogs to roam and doesn't care what the dog is up to.

The two dogs get treated differently.

Unfortunately, the local shelter charges $35 to take a stray dog in. So strays don't get taken in.

Fireworks will send the little buggers running for cover! Those little packs that have a bunch of fireworks. If you're going outside, put them in your pocket with a lighter. When they start up, light em up and toss it away from you. You don't even have to be that close to them.

You situation was/is very different than what people are complaining of here. A pet that is being allowed to run loose can cause a lot of trouble. I'm betting that most people that came across a starved dog wouldn't shoot but would try to help it.

Another thought, the ones who practice SSS often have large investments in animals that a loose dog cold destroy in minutes. Some say, it's just a chicken. Well, that chicken would cost around $20 to replace. Not multiply that by 20 or 30 in a flock that can be wiped out in minutes. Goats and sheep are worth much more. Dogs can run them to death without ever touching one.

You can be nice and call the owners until you loose your animals and then you get a lot less nice. It's not the animal's fault it's loose but you shouldn't have to pay the price for a rude neighbor thinking it's okay to let their pets run loose.

DH just went over a couple of weeks ago and introduced himself to one of our neighbors. His free ranging chickens were digging in our garden and I was furious. He promised to pen them up. Well, this past week they were out free ranging again. Can you say 'free chickens in the freezer'?!

DD just went to open a bedroom window this afternoon and noticed his little dog was over peeing on our horse trailer tires. We both yelled and it high tailed home. His cats already come over and beat up on our outside cats.

We're about ready to have a really unfriendly relationship with this one neighbor. So glad the neighbors on the other side have a super old golden retriever who comes and visits us and never does any damage. We just love her!

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Just from my experiences with unwanted animals of any kind.
It is easier and much better to quietly get rid of the animal in question.
You can advise the neighbor but most times they will not believe you and if something happens to the animal you will get the blame.
Neighbors who do not take care of their animals, many times, will do damage to your animals if you complain about theirs.
It is much easier not to have to go through all of that. Just take care of the animal.

We just had a 'visitation' from the new neighbors dogs, was outside with two of my sheltie girls when they started screaming and running, here comes this big Doberman with a little Min Pin running after it. I yelled for the hubs to get a gun and I'm trying to get my girls in, got one in but the other was freaking, trying to stay away from the intruder dogs. Hubs came out with the shotgun, and I'm telling him to kill them, which he did not do. He said they were too shiny, clearly someones beloved pets, and had a feeling that the neighbor would be there soon. So I caught the Min Pin and put her in my x pen, she growled at me, and sure enough the new neighbor shows up. Nice enough fellow, must have been a bit unsettling to pull in, see that we had his dogs and there's this scary long haired country boy standing there with a shotgun. He was very apologetic, they got away from him, thanked us for waiting and not shooting them, I don't think they will be down here again anytime soon. I did notice that the male was intact, and that worries me, as I have intact females here and don't need that big boy showing up here when one is in heat. That will be a problem. And no, I shouldn't have to get all my dogs spayed just to keep someone esles dog off my property, I'm responsible for my dogs, they should be responsible for theirs. I am going to work on my fence this week, had removed part of it to bring the tractor in for work, now I'm going to work to get it all securely fenced in, so that no outside dogs can reach my dogs at all. That really is the only way to protect your animals, fence the problem out.

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"I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." Bilbo Baggins

wow. What a sneaky and despicable way to deal with a problem. As cowardly and dishonourable as an anonymous letter.

My beloved grandmother took care of the neighbors bulldog mix. Back in the day, she would hang the clothes on the line to dry. She always had a big basket full of laundry to hang and while hanging clothes she stepped into a "gift" the bulldog had left. Turns out that he was making a nasty habit of leaving gifts all over the neighborhood. So she got a B.B. gun out and steaked out her clothes line. There he came at the crack of dawn, and she waited and held her fire. And that ill mannered dog turned his rump to her and humped up to do the deed, and you guessed it, grandmother was a very good shot! That dog went screaming down the street with every neighbor looking out to see what was wrong. Grandmother hid the gun behind the tree and acted like she knew nothing! Good luck with your "dog" problem.

I tried the find the owner/ call owner method and had nothing but problem and made enemies of neighbors. Then I tried taking all dogs that could be caught within reason to the pound. Again had headaches as the pound told the owners who brought them in. And the losses in livestock add up quick. I have a good heart but learned SSS is the only way that I have less problems. If someone ask about there dog did not see it here even if it was laying out in the dog graveyard. Keep nice neihgbors nice and the next pet dog they get either disappears or stays home.

No its not, its practical and its protecting your own interests and your own animals. People can be really messed up, and retaliate for the slightest offense, why make yourself a target? When I see someones dogs running loose and their repeat offenders I know one thing for sure, the owners of those dogs have no respect for their neighbors, or the law, and don't love their dogs enough to keep them safe. No one likes shooting dogs, but sometimes its the only and last resort. Sometimes people don't leave you with a lot of choices.

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"I don’t know half of you half as well as I should like; and I like less than half of you half as well as you deserve." Bilbo Baggins

No, it is sneaky and disgusting behaviour. You deal with the people one on one. Yes it could be uncomfortable and frustrating that is the honourable way to deal with your problems. If the dog is attacking your animals you have the legal right to shoot it. But because it poops on your lawn? Or because a goat breaks down the fence and eats your lettuce?

What does it matter if it's lettuce or a chicken? It's someone else's animal taking food off of my table. The lettuce might not scream, but I'm out food and repairs to my fence. Try to keep your animals contained.

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The garden's getting bigger this year. Again.

Just a matter if you care more about your neighbor's dog than your own property.

As a property and/or livestock owner, you have no rights according to irresponsible dog owners. I've tried several times talking to people, but no more.They will keep the dogs on their property for a while, then get lax/lazy again. NO respect for any one, not even themselves.

Dogs will pay the price when they go after my livestock. I didn't buy them, feed/care for them for any dog to kill/eat. I don't know what's wrong with you people who think that your dogs have more rights to my property/livestock than I do.

The only time I've ever got any infractions against me was once when the same kind of dog issues came up and I lost it. So I won't post anymore on this except to say when people have respect for me/mine then their dogs will be left alone.

I used to have that warm fuzzy feeling towards the cute little doggie that showed up in my yard. Years of homesteading, and dozen of maimed and dead livestock later has removed that warm fuzzy feeling. There is nothing more heartbreaking than going out one morning and finding all of your goats laying dead, slaughtered by my neighbor's pets. I won't wait until I see the cute little doggie killing my stock before I shoot it. SSS is gonna happen.

For me it is the question of decent behaviour. Just because your neighbours behave without character does not mean that you have to lower yourself to their standards. I respect honesty and those who have the courage to deal with a problem in an honorable way. And yes I do put the life of my neighbour's dog over the inconvenience of poop on my property but I have also shot a dog that was attacking my neighbour's sheep which is legal and justifiable protection of property.

My original response was concerning the post that stated it is perfectly acceptable behaviour to kill your neigbour's dog in secret and just pretend it never happened. Sneaky and dishonorable.

I agree that it's sneaky, but I don't think that it's dishonorable. It's just keeping your head down, not letting irresponsible dog owners target you with a vendetta.

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The garden's getting bigger this year. Again.