Legal ramifications of shooting a threatening dog

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Do it in Alabama and you could get a year and a day at taxpayer expense. Trappers in Alabama must have written permission to be on another's property and have their name and current license number on a metal tag attached to each trap. If said trapper catches a dog belonging to anybody(even if that person is on the land illegally) the trapper is liable for any damage including vet bills. I know this isn't shooting related but it illustrates how some states handle dogs/property rights.
 
From the city website:

Leash Law

By law, dogs are not permitted to “run at large.” This means the owner, possessor or keeper must have control of the dog through the use of a leash, cord or chain, and the leash must be in the hands of a human, not tied to a post, fence, etc. There is no length requirement in the leash law, but the person on the other end of the leash must have control of the dog or it is a violation. A dog may also be classified as running at large if it is confined in such a way as to allow the dog to have access to the public right-of-way. This means a dog cannot “break the plane of a fence,” so for example sticking its head over a fence to bark at someone is a violation.


Breed Ban Enforcement

Denver law prohibits any person from owning, possessing, keeping, exercising control over, maintaining, harboring or selling a pit bull in the City and County of Denver. A pit bull is defined as any dog that is an American Pit Bull Terrier, an American Staffordshire Terrier, a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, or any dog displaying the majority of physical traits of any one or more of these breeds. (Physical traits of American Staffordshire Terriers and Staffordshire Bull Terriers are listed at www.akc.org/breeds/breeds_a.cfm.) It is permissible to transport illegal breeds directly through the county, from a starting point outside of Denver to another destination outside of Denver, provided the dog remains in the vehicle.


There are at least 200 registered dogs in Denver that are illegal; Animal Control has sent letters to registered dog owners advising them of impending enforcement. Animal Control Director Doug Kelley estimated that there were about 4,500 illegal breeds before enforcement of the ban ended last April.


Denver’s original ban went into effect in 1991, and was upheld by the Colorado Supreme Court. The ordinance was challenged last year when a state representative sponsored a bill prohibiting all Colorado counties and municipalities from having breed-specific bans on dogs. The state passed the bill, and the City filed a lawsuit in May 2004 against the state. In December 2004, Denver District Court issued a ruling that the bill violated Denver’s home rule authority, and upheld the constitutionality of Denver’s ordinance.


Copies of the three official breed standards are available at the Denver Municipal Animal Shelter, located at 678 South Jason Street. For more information, call 303-698-0076.
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Based on this, and if the dog you are seeing is really a pit bull it very well could be an abandoned animal but that doesn't mean it's vicious. If you have a digital camera on your cell phone why not take a couple of pictures of this dog and pass them along to AC before you shoot anything. If you can pack a gun when you go running you can pack a digital camera or a cell phone so equipped. Been there, done that. The city has employees specifically trained, equipped and paid to handle this kind of problem. Let'em. They are empowered by the force of law. You are not. Document your interaction with the city point of contact. If you continue to see the dog at large and the city seems to be doing nothing....call you local flavor of Eyewitness News.

Best,

S-
 
"pit bull" is the "assault weapon" of dogs
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Yes, and if AK-47s had minds of their own, we'd be right to be scared. I think the comparison is ludicrous. Guns don't think for themselves. Dogs do. I have no problem with people owning "badass" things they have 100% control over. Even irresponsible people have 100% control over their firearms (as in the gun only shoots if they pull the trigger). But when you don't take care of an animal, you have a slew of different problems.

I think the "vicious dog" thing is primarily an American problem. You don't see these attacks happening in Europe. I think it's related to our abuse of our freedoms. I think we should take the step other countries have done and ban the pitbull. Or maybe put a stamp tax on it :).

I wish people wouldn't try to equate your right to bear arms with your right to own a dangerous breed of dog. They're not equal.
 
I wish people wouldn't try to equate your right to bear arms with your right to own a dangerous breed of dog. They're not equal.
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I take it you're not a "dog" person?

I admit that you're right about them not being equal, but you can't really call an entire breed "dangerous". It's about raising the dog right. If you treat it like some morons treat their pit bulls to toughen them up, it doesn't matter if it's a poodle, it's going to be dangerous. Don't blame the dogs, blame to owners, they're the stupid ones.

Back on topic, if the dog is charging at you in a threatening manner, you'd be justified in stopping it, I think. If you see a pit bull, but it's not bothering you, just take a picture and report it to animal control. That's probably the smartest course of action.
 
In my county in Alabama there is a leash law county wide. The owner is responsible for maintaining their dog at all times. Articulaion in any self defense situation is very important.

Owner is also responsible for all damages or injuries caused by their dog running loose.
 
I've done this several times, but it's probably worth doing again.

Most untrained dogs can be handled with a pointed stick. A dowel rod of 5/8ths inch diameter...sharpened to a pencil point and flame hardened on the first 6-8 inches...between 4 and 5 feet long is best, but the minimum will suffice.

When the snarling dog approaches...he's defending his perceived territory and testing your resolve. If he means to attack, there will be no such posturing. He'll simply come at you hammer and tong. He'll try to work his way around behind you. Don't let him. Keep turning to face him. Unless he's deadly serious, he'll stand down.

Hold the stick like a lance...straight out in front, offering the point to the dog.
Untrained dogs will grab the first thing they come to. When his front teeth clamp onto the stick...shove it down his throat and keep shoving as he backpedals. You're committed. Now is not the time to be kind or gentle, because he won't make the same mistake twice. The fact that he lunged at the stick is evidence that he's serious about it. So make him understand that he's just lost this fight.

Most will disengage and run at this point. If the dog is both large and powerful...and it doesn't require a Mastiff to meet that criteria...and he seems bent on continuing to fight...when you've got the stick far enough down his throat...yank it hard sideways and break it off. That'll give him something new to consider, and it'll nullify his primary weapon system...his jaws and teeth.

Note that I'm a dyed-in-the-wool dog lover. I have 14 here that proves it...and all but 3 are pretty large dogs...but I'm not willing to be chewed on to show my love for Canis Familiaris.
 
people who compare pit bulls to AW are just plain wrong.

there are no cases where an AW went crazy and started shooting people all by itself. It is after all, an inanimate object.

dogs of whatever persuasion have a mind of their own, and if not kept under control will exercise it in undesirable ways on occasion.
 
If you treat it like some morons treat their pit bulls to toughen them up, it doesn't matter if it's a poodle, it's going to be dangerous.
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Yes, and when the poodle bites you get it treated and go home. When the pit bull attacks, you may end up in the morgue.
 
I take it you're not a "dog" person?
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Actually I am. I'm just not a pitbull person. The pitbull in particular is a breed that is commonly associated with "thug" culture. I've met some nice pitbulls, sure. But the majority I have seen have been in the hands of people who were probably too stupid to own a violent dog breed. I still think the breed should be banned or at least heavily regulated.
 
I still think the breed should be banned or at least heavily regulated.
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I'll have to respectfully disagree on the banning...but agree on the regulation. Not as in regulate the ownership...but in the breeding of Pits and AmStaffs. The problems associated with Pitbulls is partly the handling of the dogs...but mostly in the breeding. Like a Siberian Husky...it's tough to get a well-bred Pit to turn on a human being.


There's so much "Thug Street Cred" associated with the dogs, that they've come to be in high demand. High demand creates suppliers who indiscrimately inbreed their stock in order to turn a fast buck. Inbred dogs are subject to go bad within 3 years...any breed. Inbreed Golden Retrievers or Siberian Huskies for 3-4 generations, and you've got a time bomb on your hands. There's a reason that only the Alpha wolves are allowed to breed in the wild. They instinctively know that it's a bad thing to do. If only people would take a clue from that.

Know your breeder. Demand credentials. Demand to see the pedigree so you can determine the lineage. Best to buy from a breeder who displays his/her credentials on the wall...and has at least one parent on-site. If your breeder is vague or attempts to throw up a smoke screen on any of these points...Walk away.
 
There's so much "Thug Street Cred" associated with the dogs, that they've come to be in high demand. High demand creates suppliers who indiscrimately inbreed their stock in order to turn a fast buck. Inbred dogs are subject to go bad within 3 years...any breed. Inbreed Golden Retrievers or Siberian Huskies for 3-4 generations, and you've got a time bomb on your hands.
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Inbreeding normally does not produce vicious dogs though. Most often you see health problems, not behavioral problems. IMO, the reason you see so many pit problems form the pit bull mills is that they are selling to anyone with the cash, and not taking the time to make sure the buyers understand the many issues with pits and other strong, aggressive dogs.

A lot of stupid people get pits, rotties, or shepherds, and then chain them up in the back yard, and think that the snarling that inevitably results means they are being good watchdogs.

Pit bulls are normally quite friendly unless they are trained to be otherwise, either intentionally or unintentionally. And once they are trained to not be friendly, it is near impossible to retrain them to be an acceptable pet. Thats why no reputable dog rescue group will adopt out a pit that shows any kind of aggression. The only safe thing to do is put it to sleep.
 
These losers are taking nice happy dogs, who just wanna play tug'o'war, and turning them into not-too-bright weapons...

"Yeah, reporter-babe... I have no idea why that dog turned on that little boy - We went out there every day and beat him so that he knew who was boss!"

Sheesh.
 
Inbreeding normally does not produce vicious dogs though. Most often you see health problems, not behavioral problems.
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Not on the first generation...sometimes not on the second. The third time's the charm, though...especially if the health issues include joint problems and hip dysplasia that put the animal in constant pain...which dogs don't normally indicate until they're nearly in agony. A suffering dog that has any aggressive tendencies is apt to go postal without warning.
 
I was not aware that pits were susceptable to that.
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Deeply inbred dogs...3 generations or more...are open to several maladies not common to a specific breed. Malformed joints...blindness....deafness...and even skull anomalies can crop up. Pressure on the brain can cause a dog to go off the same way as a nagging headache can lead us to short tempers.

A friend of mine had a young Pit that started showing sudden fear-aggression whenever he was approached from behind or when he was asleep. If he saw you coming, he acted like a silly puppy. Come at him from behind, and you had to keep your distance until he saw you. We figured out that he was as deaf as a log...and probably from birth. I have a deaf Collie that acts the same way.
 
Interesting, timely thread. Last night a neighbor's pit bull (not leashed but its owner - who can barely walk - was about 50 feet behind it) almost came through my patio door after my little german shepherd 10 week old pup. I cracked the patio door and told the owner "there's leash laws, get that damn dog on a leash". It may, or may not, be important to mention I am white, the PB's owner is black. He replied, "It's not a vicious dog." I said, "Doesn't look friendly right now, and I enjoy sitting out here on this deck while I smoke my cigar. This is the third time the dog has been here off leash." He walked away, calling the dog (who didn't want to go).

Today I'm going to animal control to file a report, then to the city's police to file another. I hope it doesn't start a war, or get my cars and truck trashed in the parking lot -- but at least the reports will be filed in case this silliness escalates.
 
ShunZu...Not all that surprising. Well-bred/properly raised and handled Pits are excellent people dogs. The ones that I've seen are completely goofy over children...but another dog is a whole 'nother ball of wax.

It's a common belief that Pits have to be trained to fight. Not so. Pits are born to fight. It's bred into them and it's instinctual much the same way as herding is to a Border Collie. Good Pits are as trustworthy around people as any breed there is...but they can't really be trusted around other same-sex dogs, or any dogs that they don't know...or even dogs that they do know. They don't require training to fight. They LIKE to fight. In videos showing two Pits locked in what looks like a death struggle...they often wag their tails.

For the record...A correctly-handled fighting Pit will break on command, and will never turn on its handler...stranger or not...if physical intervention is needed to get the dogs apart. If a Pit shows aggression toward a human handler...they're normally destroyed because they're unfit for fighting. When a pair of Pitbulls are "broken" by the handlers...they immediately turn into friendly puppies...if they're good fighting dogs.

Note that I don't advocate fighting any dog. Ever. It's cruel, and I will drop a dime on anyone that I know of who engages in it.
 
I've done this several times, but it's probably worth doing again.
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Hey, I object to you bringing a logical and realistic solution to this thread that doesn't involve ridiculous behaivor Tuner. We should all start bustin caps when we see a loose dog, cause you be knowin how they roll when they be loose 'n' all that DOG! ;)

As a confession, my mother in law brought her boxer over this past week while she stayed with us. We live in a 1 street no outlet neighborhood. My dog knows it boundaries but hers doesn't. She opened the door, he took off and ran across the street to the neighbor's house where the gentleman was getting out of his car. Yes she should have trained her dog better (mine was still sitting waiting for permission to exit the house) but did my neighbor shoot it? Nah, he was calm, petted Buddy (the dog), we apologized as we called him back over, and everyone was happy. Wow, no bullets and no mauled children involved. Amazing.
 
I doubt it. Unless there are contravening laws in Utah's urban areas, you can shoot a stray dog if it wanders onto your property- at least in the rural parts.

Personally, the OP should get
1. A dog whistle
2. Pepper spray or another dog-repellent spray (like the USPS issues)
3. Notify the authorities

I'd personally be more concerned with 'prey-driven' dogs as they are instinctually programmed to chase cyclists and runners.
 
Unless there are contravening laws in Utah's urban areas, you can shoot a stray dog if it wanders onto your property- at least in the rural parts.
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Pretty much the way it is in most parts of the country, with a few notable exceptions.

Stray dogs wandering onto my property account for one of the best dogs I've ever owned...ever. If a more perfect dog could have just decided that she wanted to live here and be part of the pack, I'd have to see it. She has been a pure delight...inside the house or out. It's said that a man is allowed only three really great dogs in his lifetime. I exceeded my limit long ago...and just added another one. She's a Siberian Husky, with...according to a few expert examinations...a bit of Red Wolf in the woodpile. Beautiful dog, and
a real Thief of Hearts.

So, I don't tend to think "Shoot the dog" just because it's a rangy, dirty, starving stray unless they give me cause. There are some awfully good dogs out there, wandering around abandoned or lost. Before you shoot...Give'em a chance to prove themselves. You may not want a dog, but the one on your property just might be exactly what somebody is lookin' for.

Okay...Rescue Rant over. Carry on!
 
most states will let you shoot a dog under the following conditions
-foaming at the mouth
-manged
-tryign to eat little children/people who cant run away
-you
-your pets

otherwise have a few bitemarks on your shoe heels. Is the dog even have a collar with tags on it?
 
If you're walking in the park, carry a big umbrella.

When the dog comes at you, open the umbrella and keep it between you and the dog. The dog can't see you & doesn't understand that it's a fragile barrier.

It's a trick I learned from a little lady meter reader. ("little lady meter reader" must always be sung to the tune of yellow polka dot bikini :))
 
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