Goats getting out

[mpete]

QUESTION: If your goats get out and go over to the neighbors and browse on their rose bushes, do they have the right to shoot them? I am in California and I think you can only shoot an animal that is threatening you or your livestock....

[DaniR1968]

No, I'm pretty sure they can't. Same thing with other livestock. My neighbors cows kept getting out and would often come here. As much as I wanted to have a barbeque, I couldn't.

All they can do is ask for money to cover damages, if any.

[Alice In TX/MO]

I'd ask an attorney. Whatever we tell you is what we *think* and not the facts of law for your location.

[Otter]

As a general rule, if it has hooves it cannot be shot or molested in any way, no matter where it is. What the harassed party CAN do is call the sheriff, who will fine the owner and possibly seize the animal until an impound fine is payed. In many places, if the other person tries to catch or chase the animal themselves, that counts as "molesting" them.

(again, everywhere in the country I've been - which hasn't been everywhere) The only time you can shoot something with hooves is if you are in danger of your life. For example, if the neighbor's bull gets out and charges you, you can shoot it.
If the neighbor's bull gets out and is eating your roses and you call the sheriff the neighbor owes you for damages, + whatever fines and impound fees your sheriff can charge.
BUT if the neighbor's bull gets out and is eating your roses and you run yelling out with a broomstick and try to chase it off and then it charges you, so you shoot it, well, you've molested it and had no right to do so and owe your neighbor one bull, just the same as if you went into it's pasture and whacked it with a broom and then killed it in self-defense.

Your best bet is to call your local sheriff's dept and ask them for a copy of the ordinances to be sure. But people have a lot less right to shoot other people's animals (including dogs) then they think they do.

[CaliannG]

~nods emphatically~ What Otter said.

If my neighbors dogs, whom I am POSITIVE were the ones that got into my chicken coop and killed off half of my chickens, are on my property, I cannot shoot them.

If I CATCH them eating a chicken, I cannot shoot them.

Only if I catch them in the act of killing the chicken, may I shoot them.

Anything the neighbor's cows, goats, sheep, horses, mules, whatever do is fair game unless they actually attempt to attack a human without any provocation. If the neighbor's mule is on my property, and attacks my goats, even kills one of them, I cannot shoot the mule. Hoofed animals get even more leeway than pet dogs. Only if the mule attacks a human may I shoot it.

[thaiblue12]

I would call your county, the brand inspector etc to find out.

Here in Colorado it is Open Range, they have to fence your animals OUT if they do not want them on their property. But horses and mules do not fall under that rule since they can be a dangerous bunch. We have a horses and mules at large law here which has been stuck into the neighbor's face many times but he thinks we should all feed his horses.

Find out the law, then bring them over a rose bush, say sorry about that and oh btw I called so and so and you cannot shoot my goats. If you do......

[LittleRedHen]

ooh caliann! i guess that is one thing i love about Michigan. We can shoot and kill any dog on our property if it doesn't have a current years license no matter what it is doing unless accompanied by its owner. It can cross our yard and its legal to shoot it. If it is a licensed dog we can still shoot to kill any dog that worries, threatens or attacks livestock. So if its going around the pen making them go into a frenzy its okay to shoot and kill. It would anger me greatly if I couldn't protect my livestock.

As for the original poster- I dont know on that one.

[RedSonja]

I don't know about loose goats in AL (other than Cheryl's experience with Taco ) but I would guess the goat's owner would be responsible for property damages. I do know if a dog is harassing my livestock I am within my rights to shoot or otherwise dispose of it. I didn't believe it was my neighbor's 2 Pomeranians that were mauling my chickens until I caught them in the act. I called Animal Control and the officer that responded repeatedly told me I could shoot them. I kind of got the impression he was hinting for me to shoot them rather than bother him any more LOL.

-Sonja

[Otter]

Dogs and livestock are different and have different laws. I only mentioned dogs because people assume they can be trigger-happy with them and generally no, you can't. You've got to catch them in the act of killing. I bet even in Michigan if you don't see the owner and take out someone's bird dog you will be surprised at just how heavy your fine is.

In the eyes of the law if it has hooves, then that is someone's livelihood there and if you mess with it you're the one in trouble even if it's sitting on your front porch

[thaiblue12]

Originally Posted by LittleRedHen

ooh caliann! i guess that is one thing i love about Michigan. We can shoot and kill any dog on our property if it doesn't have a current years license no matter what it is doing unless accompanied by its owner. It can cross our yard and its legal to shoot it. If it is a licensed dog we can still shoot to kill any dog that worries, threatens or attacks livestock. So if its going around the pen making them go into a frenzy its okay to shoot and kill. It would anger me greatly if I couldn't protect my livestock.

As for the original poster- I dont know on that one.

Well we can shoot a dog here too if it is harassing livestock I however am not loving it. It had to be doing something to the livestock, running past and scaring them is not acceptable reason to shoot it here.
It may be someone's pet that got loose for the first time and I shoot it cause it is running past or through my field? How would you feel if a tree blew over and knocked down your fence your dog got out for the first time ever and was trying to find it's way home and it scares a neighbor's horses and they shot it??
First time a see a loose dog I would try to find the owner and say your dog got out, scared my livestock and please keep it home before my LGD get ahold of it. Second time well then we will have issues.

That is neither here nor there, the OP needs to check their laws and etc like I mentioned before. Then speak to the neighbor about the laws. Figure out how the little boogers got out and fix it.

[Ranger]

Ah, no WONDER that I don't like Michigan.