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I have friends who live in the county and have a couple of dogs. They let the dogs wander and a neighbor came to their house a while back and asked them very politely (I was there when it happened) to please try to keep their dogs in their yard and away from his yard as he was tired of picking up garbage and "left behinds" where they had gotten into his cans and "done their thing" in his yard, plus he had young children who were afraid of large dogs (these 2 were rottweiler mixes). He was very nice about it, didn't raise heck, etc. A few days later, he came back again and made the same request, but this time he was a bit more stern about it. The third time (I was there again for this time), he told them in no uncertain terms if he caught the dogs in his yard, he was not going to hesitate to either entrap them and call the authorities (don't know who exactly he would call...don't know if animal control covers the county) or shoot them. After he left, my friends got all indignant about it...."We don't have a leash law, why should we keep our dogs penned?" I made the statement that they don't let their kids wander like that, so why do they let their animals? And the man had been there 3 times with the same request, seemed kind of logical to me he would get angry about it. Also, what is wrong with putting a dog on a super-long cable and letting them roam the yard? Or putting up a fence? I know a lot of animal lovers are going to get angry with me about this, but I understand the neighbor's point of view. I don't want someone's dog that my children are frightened of in my yard, getting into my garbage and doing their business.

The man's word was good.... one of the dogs got into his yard again and he shot at it (didn't hit it) with a bb gun. My friends found out about it and now are really upset and causing this man all kinds of grief. The other dog wandered into the nearby roadway and was hit by a car and killed and they raised cain with the driver for "killing their dog".... I just don't understand it.
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Unfortunately this happens all the time in the country. I asked a friend of mine who is a LEO to ask some people down the road to keep their dogs on their property. He said there was nothing he could do in the county and recommended for me to not say anything just eliminate the problem. He said if you go to the owner then things escalate and turn bad 96% of the time. In other words say nothing and the dog simply disappears.
Had a brother-in-law once had the same problem. He was told by a county deputy that unless they are running livestock he couldn't legally shoot the dog.

I am a Dog lover, but have to agree if someone isn't going to be responsible with their animals, they shouldn't be allowed to have them. This means keep them on your own property.
quote:
Originally posted by Schnauzer1:
Had a brother-in-law once had the same problem. He was told by a county deputy that unless they are running livestock he couldn't legally shoot the dog...


We had horses in the county and a neighbor's two dogs ran them. My husband politley asked them once to keep their dogs away from our horses. The second time he wasn't as polite, and he told them there would not be a third request. I never saw the dogs again, and all my husband would say was "I took care of it."
And legally he was within his rights to do so.
Calypso, I don't know if you mean Lauderdale or not, but if you do, I know that Lauderdale pays the Florence Animal Shelter to take care of stray and nuisance dogs. There just aren't enough officers to go around.

I totally agree that, while accidents do happen, dogs and cats are like two and three year olds and should be kept in a secure environment. The ones who let them run loose are the ones who won't neuter them either. The fact is simply they do not care what damage they do.

Also, if a neighbor's dog comes onto your property unwanted, the thing to do is take him to the shelter. Your name won't be given out, and after the owner has to pay the fine (assuming he does) to get him out, he won't be so lax with the dog again.
Feral dogs can be a real problem for wildlife. They kill to kill. Within the past year, I recall two examples, one in SC and another in GA where 3 elderly folks were attacked and killed by feral dogs. And by feral, I don’t mean wild all the time.

We hunters encourage dog owners to put safety orange collars with personal identification on their pets so as to avoid any confusion as breed alone means nothing. I’ve seen Rottweilers packed with collies and mixed breeds. Once on the farm, a dog-owning hunter and his two juvenile sons were confronted by a pack that growled at them as they advanced. The result of that encounter was predictable, and the daddy explained to his sons that there are bad dogs in this world. That’s but one typical example.

Folks who own pets need to understand the days of free ranging ended with the beginning of personal responsibility.
quote:
Originally posted by FirenzeVeritas:
Also, if a neighbor's dog comes onto your property unwanted, the thing to do is take him to the shelter. Your name won't be given out, and after the owner has to pay the fine (assuming he does) to get him out, he won't be so lax with the dog again.


Would you be willing to come to my house & catch 2 Pitt Bulls that a neighbor lets run loose?
This is not just a problem in the county. There are many morons in the city limits who consider their pets so special that they turn them loose at sundown to let them roam. Also, there are idiots who think their hounds are sooo smart because they assume they can distinquish property lines, so they let them out the door and believe the pet will "stay in its own yard." I've had many a dog run out on me and my dog when we are out walking. The owner usually will shrug and say, "He knows not to do that!"

I believe over a third of pet owners in Florence should not be pet owners.
In Lauderdale County, out in the rural areas they will provide you with a cage to catch the dog but then you have to bring it in. I know this because my 70 year old mother called about a neighbor of ours that has numerous dogs that are not in the best condition and roam around and were coming in her yard---before she fenced it in for her baby that adopted us. She was told they would provide a cage to catch the dog and then she could bring it to the shelter. Well I'm sorry but a 70 year old woman with 2 knee replacements and metal in her spine cannot lift a metal cage with a large dog inside to deliver it to the animal shelter. So if you have a dog problem in rural Lauderdale County that's all the help you will get.
quote:
Originally posted by CrustyMac:
I thought the whole point of living in the county was so that you could let your dogs run and shoot your guns.


One could definately solve the problem of the other.

I have to say, the poor guy should have killed the dog after he asked the first time. Then, while the neighbors might have suspected it, they would not have been sure. Now, when the dog comes up dead, they are going to know where to look.

Living in the country does not give you the right to be an ignorant neighbor. If you own 500 acres and you live in the middle of it, you can probably let your dog run free without worry of him bothering someone. But if you have a neighbor a half mile up the road and your dog is tearing up their garbage, you shouldnt expect to have that dog very long. This is coming from someone who has lived out in the country myself.

Kirk
There is also the danger of the dog running out in front of a vehicle and getting hit. Just yesterday on Laud Cty 8, my brother was driving us back from visiting our aunt. Two dogs ran out in front of him barking, as some dogs do like to chase cars. He barely avoided hitting them. They came out from nowhere. He wasn't worried about possibly damaging his car, he just didn't want to hit the dogs.
The county has an animal control department, that means your tax money pays for it. Why not use it?

I don't believe in chaining or penning dogs outside, that's cruel. It doesn't matter how long the cable is or if they have a "house" to get in out of the rain. Dogs need to be walked and cared for properly, there is no excuse for chaining or penning.

Letting the dog run free not only puts him at risk of getting killed, but puts your neighbors at risk of being attacked. Any dog will bite if injured or provoked. If that happens, it's your fault.

If you don't have a fence for the dog, walk him. If you don't have time to walk your dog or you don't want him inside at all, I'm sure there is a better suited family out there who would love to adopt him.
quote:
Originally posted by mekirk2:
quote:
Originally posted by CrustyMac:
I thought the whole point of living in the county was so that you could let your dogs run and shoot your guns.


One could definately solve the problem of the other.

I have to say, the poor guy should have killed the dog after he asked the first time. Then, while the neighbors might have suspected it, they would not have been sure. Now, when the dog comes up dead, they are going to know where to look.

Living in the country does not give you the right to be an ignorant neighbor. If you own 500 acres and you live in the middle of it, you can probably let your dog run free without worry of him bothering someone. But if you have a neighbor a half mile up the road and your dog is tearing up their garbage, you shouldnt expect to have that dog very long. This is coming from someone who has lived out in the country myself.

Kirk


Yep Crusty, shooting guns and running dogs is the point of country living from my perspective.

My situation is like what Kirk describes, but the dog running free depends on the breed. Take hunting hounds for instance. Most beagles and coon dogs don’t range too far if they are familiar with the farm. The new ones we try to release at the cabin so they’ll know where “home” is and return after the hunt if we can’t round them up. Then, at night, they’ll chase critters round and round the cabin, but I find the sound of a hound in full cry is a soothing sound and I’m not awake for long.

Deer hounds are a different matter. They will go and go. Neighbors [defined as someone who lives a mile or more away] will round them up and call.

During hunting season, I’ll probably hold and return more lost dogs to the owners than an animal shelter will do all year. Hunters and country folks by and large recognize hunting breeds and know their place.

Other breeds that hang close are the more intelligent breeds such as retrievers. Labs are good about staying at home.

But your run-of-the-mill urban pets wind up being food for predators at the top of the food chain such as bobcats, coyotes, owls, hawks and of course, feral dogs or become feral. Either way, life expectancy is very short.

I had a problem with one of the neighbors’ dog dumping my trash can till I started putting my trash can right beside his in his yard on pick-up day. Never saw that dog again.
quote:
Originally posted by mekirk2:

Living in the country does not give you the right to be an ignorant neighbor. If you own 500 acres and you live in the middle of it, you can probably let your dog run free without worry of him bothering someone. But if you have a neighbor a half mile up the road and your dog is tearing up their garbage, you shouldnt expect to have that dog very long. This is coming from someone who has lived out in the country myself.

Kirk


Well stated. I can tell from some of the comments left that many of you have never lived in the country. The biggest difference in living in the city and living in the country is that your neighbors are fewer and further apart in the country. That is unless you are living in the middle of 500 acres of your own private property like Kirk said. You still have to consider your neighbors and use common sense. Wink

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