(02-02-2023, 12:01 AM)sistersue Wrote: What kind of idiot lets their 4 large dogs out when there's a policeman in the yard with a gun? The killing of this dog is the dog owner's fault. Dogs aren't humans - they get overcome by instinct, and need their humans to protect them from themselves sometimes. Of course they're going to run at the cop. It looks like a friendly attack but how could the officer know that? My friend had one of his beautiful herding dogs murdered by a neighbor with a crossbow because the dogs were chasing his sheep and trying to herd them, so he was slaughtered even though no human was in danger at all. My friend still hates this guy after 14 years, but I can't help but also blame my dog owner friend for not repairing his fence. You have to watch over your dogs so they don't get hurt or killed. jmo
"It looks like a friendly attack". When you're being rushed by 4 pitbulls purposely released by their owners after they fail to open the door when a warrant is being served, nothing looks like a friendly attack.
I've had to put down 2 sheep in the last month that were mauled by a dog(s?) that trespassed onto our property to do so. I got a picture of a dog that was seen on our neighbor's property right before it happened. It looks a lot like a dog that killed all of our neighbor's goats and sheep a few months ago. A few days later I was walking my dog ON A LEASH ON MY OWN PROPERTY when we were rushed by a dog that looked nothing like the suspect dog that was on our neighbor's property. It was obviously not a feral, it looked well kept and had a newish looking collar. I don't know if it was a "friendly attack" or not, my dog went into full defensive mode. Fortunately I was carrying pepper spray and was able to spray the stray dog. It retreated, but then after about 15 seconds came running back and I sprayed it again. I immediately called the wife who rushed a rifle out to our location, but the dog did not return. I'm sure the owners were pissed to have their dog come home covered in bright red pepper spray, but I probably saved that dogs life. My dog wanted at it, and I would have done whatever necessary to protect ourselves.
About 7 years ago a dog or dogs killed most of our sheep, left one for dead with it's intestines hanging out, and caused substantial injuries to the only survivor. I was out of town and the wife had to call a neighbor over to put down the sheep with the guts hanging out. (She has since become proficient how to handle a firearm). Only one of our sheep survived the attack. We're able to fence our livestock in, and do our best to fence the dogs out, but pigs make proper fencing a moving target, and it's not my job to keep dogs out of our livestock paddocks. That responsibility falls clearly onto the dog owner.
We're both dog lovers and would be devastated if our dogs got out, chased somebody's sheep, and got killed for it. But we would have only ourselves to blame and would never hate the person for doing it. Frankly, considering the damage that stray dogs have done to our sweat, financial, and emotional equity, if we see dogs chasing our livestock we're not going to risk losing more animals trying to determine if the dog is herding or hurting them. Getting charged by a dog on our own property is the exclamation point to that sentiment.