Dogs on property...

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It wasn't a question about shooting dogs.
No, it was not a question about shooting dogs, but you did say that you would have shot them had you been at home.

It was a question as to the alternatives of shooting dogs to protect your family and not be confined to your house until said dogs decide to leave.
Most people recommend pepper spray. Attorney Andrew Branca does, ans poit out that dogs have a large amount of very sensifive olfactory sensory anatomy that makes the spray very effective indeed,

That said, I've learned some about Texas law in regards to shooting stray dogs which is good. It still floors me that if I were to buy a single chicken, I could shoot the dog legally but if my toddler or 4 year old was out there, I can't. Doesn't make a bit of sense to me but the law is the law.
Buy a chicken if you want to have one, but fo not let your misunderstanding of Texas law lead you into doing anything stupid.

You may not lawfully shoot a dog simply because you have livestock or fowl and the dog is on your property.

You may lawfully shoot if the dog is attacking, is about to attack, or has attacked your animals. That's not very much different from what you may do to protect you toddler or four year old.

Of course, in either case, the burden of proof is on you, and someone else will judge the evidence that you provide in you defense.
 
No, it was not a question about shooting dogs, but you did say that you would have shot them had you been at home.

Most people recommend pepper spray. Attorney Andrew Branca does, ans poit out that dogs have a large amount of very sensifive olfactory sensory anatomy that makes the spray very effective indeed,

Buy a chicken if you want to have one, but fo not let your misunderstanding of Texas law lead you into doing anything stupid.

You may not lawfully shoot a dog simply because you have livestock or fowl and the dog is on your property.

You may lawfully shoot if the dog is attacking, is about to attack, or has attacked your animals. That's not very much different from what you may do to protect you toddler or four year old.

Of course, in either case, the burden of proof is on you, and someone else will judge the evidence that you provide in you defense.


If you believe the animal is about to attack and therefore have to shoot to defend yourself or livestock, you are legally permitted in my state to kill a dog, as long as it is done humanely, and under those circumstances, you are also immune from civil liability and prosecution for animal cruelty.
 
Of course I wouldn't know from experience but I have been told a wrist rocket sling shot & a marble could persuade a dog not to come back into ones yard.
 
Dog person here too.

I have a variant of a "pitbull" and they are sorely misunderstood animals.
Yes they are. I've told this before, but a friend of mine bred pitbulls on the side. He used to say the same thing all the time. His stud was a AKC Grand Champion, and his best friend, so he above most should know of what he speaks, right? Not so much. His daughter-in-law was attacked for no reason, and had her face ripped to shreds, by the dog she had known for years. He put his best friend down immediately. Seems he misunderstood his friend's gentleness and obedience. I was nice and never told him "I told you so." This type of thing happens with pitbulls seemingly more than any other type of dog, and their strength and tenacity puts anyone on the receiving end of their attacks in grave danger. A Chihuahua can be as aggressive, but who the hell is afraid of one of those, or better yet, who can't handle one?



It would take a lot for me to shoot a dog and even if it was warranted I'm sure id feel bad about it afterwards.

Now cats are a different story. ;)
Perfect. I'm always amazed at how people value dogs above humans, but treat cats like the insects they step on.
 
Coincidentally I just returned from looking over a property in a rural area & was "greeted" by a couple of lose pit bull types w/no collars. Both were good sized dogs in the 70-80 pound range. They trotted up to me & one was a bit shyer than the other but I am not afraid of dogs so I spoke some kind words & no problem at all. They smelled me and walked away.

Someone who is scared of dogs may have reacted like they had just seen two man eating lions and shot them both. And then there are others that see it as a great opportunity to shoot a couple of dogs for no reason other than they enjoy that kind of thing.

Regardless of what the law says killing dogs (or anything at all) just because you fear them is very bad & doing it because you like it is much worse.

I think this is what a lot of people in this thread are talking about. .
 
Even with dog owners' good intentions to keep their dogs inside their properties, dogs can get out for many reasons. Heck, after returning from walk at the beach with our 3 dogs; after some time, I heard scratching at the front door to find we somehow forgot to let one of the dogs back onto our property and the dog was trying to get in (Our acre property is fenced on all sides. Poor dog. Bad owner) :eek::rofl:

While I believe there are certain "life threatening" situations where you may have to "shoot to kill" to defend your life or other lives (including livestock, other animals) but I also believe there are many proactive measures and non-lethal options that can be tried for most of loose/stray dog situations first. Shooting a dog to kill is the last and ultimate option. As many posted, there are many other options we can try first.

Of course, at any time, if situation turns or suddenly becomes life-threatening, there's always the shooting of the dog option. I think similar rule applies when a stray/loose 2 legged animal walks away from his/her house and threatens our lives, while there are other options we can use, shooting to kill to defend our lives is permitted by many laws of the land.
 
If you believe the animal is about to attack and therefore have to shoot to defend yourself or livestock, you are legally permitted in my state to kill a dog, as long as it is done humanely,
Do you know of any jurisidictions in which that would not be true?

and under those circumstances, you are also immune from civil liability and prosecution for animal cruelty.
Being afforded such immunity will depend on a court tuling, and the burden of proof in an immunity hearing is the same as that for either a civil or criminal trial for these issues.

You would have to convince a judge, rather than a majority of the jurors. If you are successful, you will avoid the full expense of a trial.

If you are unsuccessful, you will have presented your entire case and all of your evidence before the prosecution or plaintiff has begun o present his case.
 
Do you know of any jurisidictions in which that would not be true?

Being afforded such immunity will depend on a court tuling, and the burden of proof in an immunity hearing is the same as that for either a civil or criminal trial for these issues.

You would have to convince a judge, rather than a majority of the jurors. If you are successful, you will avoid the full expense of a trial.

If you are unsuccessful, you will have presented your entire case and all of your evidence before the prosecution or plaintiff has begun o present his case.

I guess the bottom line is, you have to do what is right to do at the time to protect yourself, family, and property. Then you have to be truthful and smart with how events are presented. If it goes to trial, it goes to trial. That's better than being mauled by a dog.
 
Yes they are. I've told this before, but a friend of mine bred pitbulls on the side. He used to say the same thing all the time. His stud was a AKC Grand Champion, and his best friend, so he above most should know of what he speaks, right? Not so much. His daughter-in-law was attacked for no reason, and had her face ripped to shreds, by the dog she had known for years. He put his best friend down immediately. Seems he misunderstood his friend's gentleness and obedience. I was nice and never told him "I told you so." This type of thing happens with pitbulls seemingly more than any other type of dog, and their strength and tenacity puts anyone on the receiving end of their attacks in grave danger. A Chihuahua can be as aggressive, but who the hell is afraid of one of those, or better yet, who can't handle one?



Perfect. I'm always amazed at how people value dogs above humans, but treat cats like the insects they step on.





You are obviously uninformed on the facts of different dog breeds in relation to negative events that dogs as a whole cause. But since you seem overly confident in what you think you know I wont waste time trying to educate you.

And on the cat thing, you'll notice an emoji at the end, which generally insinuates some sarcasm.


I'd offer to help you back on your horse but I'm afraid I dont have a ladder that high.
 
This type of thing happens with pitbulls seemingly more than any other type of dog, and their strength and tenacity puts anyone on the receiving end of their attacks in grave danger.


Last week a man in this neighborhood killed a pit bull that was threatening kids. The dog had no collar or chip. Pit bulls are responsible for the vast majority of dog attacks in Oklahoma:

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html
 
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Last week a man in this neighborhood killed a pit bull that was threatening kids. The dog had no collar or chip. Pit bulls are responsible for the vast majority of dog attacks in Oklahoma:

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html


Same in Georgia. Pitbulls were responsible for 68% of bites and 52% of deaths according to an article in the Atlanta Journal/Constitution.
https://www.ajc.com/news/crime--law...a-restrict-pit-bulls/TKIHFY7Qm6KC7D6dNDju7N/#

But I am sure if a wild looking stray with no collar shows up on your property in the country, the right thing to do is send your kid outside to love and pet on him some. What could possibly go wrong?
 
Last week a man in this neighborhood killed a pit bull that was threatening kids. The dog had no collar or chip. Pit bulls are responsible for the vast majority of dog attacks in Oklahoma:

http://www.oklahomahistory.net/viciousdogs.html

Most people cannot pick the pitbull out of a lineup of bully breed dogs. Can you?

https://www.shawpitbullrescue.com/can-you-find-the-pit-bull/

Kinda reminds me of when people see an AR-15 and assume "assault rifle." Just a lack of subject knowledge. And so all kind of untruths get spread. So what you really mean is bully breeds and molosser type dogs.

That said I have had a rash of stray dogs out here. I got me a red nose pitbull to CMA when I'm working outside. For very aggressive dogs, only a rifle will do. For interlopers chasing livestock around but otherwise not human aggressive I have found a gamo whisper very effective for distances up to 90 feet.
 
It is no secret that I am a dog lover. I also have no time for aggressive dogs or irresponsible owners. If I see a stray dog on my property my first thought is to find the owner.
Everyone has their favorites and there are wonderful dogs of all breeds. There are also valid reasons why some breeds are widely perceived as being mean or dangerous. If you hear about a fatal dog attack today what breed do you picture in your mind, Collie, German Short Hair, Springer Spaniel? I bet it is something else.
 
You are obviously uninformed on the facts of different dog breeds in relation to negative events that dogs as a whole cause. But since you seem overly confident in what you think you know I wont waste time trying to educate you.

And on the cat thing, you'll notice an emoji at the end, which generally insinuates some sarcasm.


I'd offer to help you back on your horse but I'm afraid I dont have a ladder that high.
I don't need nor want your damn help for anything. And about being uninformed, it seems two more similar entrants followed mine. And WE'RE the uninformed ones? No. And no sense in backpedaling-your emoji does nothing but try to smooth over your obviously parochial attitude about animals.
 
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