Neighbor's cattle killed by wild dogs

[kawalekm]

I just heard from one of the neighbors that three cattle of a second neighbor had been killed by feral dogs. He said that they were a pack of mostly pit bulls. Neighbor 2 was able to shoot one and drive them off, but some are still at large. I spotted one stray dog myself on the road going back to my place. Now my son is scared of walking alone on the property and I'm keeping a rifle ready while I'm working outside. I have to speak to the neighbor again for more details, but any stray dog spotted on my property will be shot on sight. They are probably the former property of gangbangers in Bakersfield who abandoned their animals in the National Forest when they became a "problem".

[nancy1340]

Kaw, please be careful .

Sounds like it's time for a neighborhood hunting party . ;)

[mushrooman]

They need to put a few mules in with the cattle.They'll stomp the crap out of them.

[wr]

A couple of testy longhorn cows with calves will solve the dog problem in a permanent sort of way. Regardless of how its handled, it does need to be handled quickly.

[JohnW]

Wild dogs that kill cattle are not necessarily dangerous to people. *Some are but not all. *What I've usually seen and heard, is that neighborhood dogs pack up. *Usually the worst killer is somebody's pet, which makes it kind of a problem. *You might see a dog chasing one of your calves, but by the time you get down there he's gone. *He looks like your neighbor's dog from half a mile down the road. *You tell your neighbor you thought you saw his dog chasing cattle, but he can't belive it, because that's the same dog that's sitting in the living room right now with the kids and who wouldn't kill a fly. *Such a dog, often gets killed by 12 gauge, in the act, and the dogs owner can't believe it.

Cattle killer dogs are a liitle bit of a problem to hunt because they can cover so much territory, but if they already killed 3 cows, you'll find them one afternoon, probably one all by himself, if you keep a watch for them. *Just be careful to observe all of the usual gun safety.

[JohnW]

Did these dogs ever show up again? If not, then it must have been wild dogs passing through.

[edward_4576]

Pit Bulls ehhhh.....Here in Missouri because of many attacks on people there have been laws passed banning Pit-Bulls.

If you're caught with one there's heavy fines and in some areas if you keep one you have to pay extra insurance and higher fines along with special fencing etc.

Anyway, I wonder if this is something people living in rural areas are going to have to worry more about. If city folk don't want to see rover put down and can't afford to keep rover, they (city folk) might think it's kinder to dump them in the country, where the can return to nature.

There was a thread concerning feral dogs in cities and pets in a SHTF scenario. I wonder if now folks in rural area's are going to have the problem as well, perhaps worse considering the type of dogs that are being dumped now.

[kawalekm]

That's an important topic I think. It's easy to see how dogs would get lost or abandoned when the SHTF. I don't think most family pets would be a problem. Even if abandoned, they'd probubly be "adopted" by a refuge family that needs the protection/compaionship. Abandoned dogs are another story. They get dumped becuase they are already a problem animal and that behavior can only get worse once it's on its own. Does anyone have any "Katrina" related animal stories relevent to personal safety?
Michael

[lost1]

I'm sure the folks that had to deal with Katrina have more than their share of animal stories, I can tell you that just living on an isolated country road presents many animal problems in itself. We live a good way off one of those roads and in the past few months we've had two litters of pups, one litter of kittens, a boxer, a great Dane, many mixed breed dogs and a cat or two come to the house. The County Animal control people have been pretty good about getting these animals, so far. The animal control people say many of these are pets raised in town where they were confined, when the family moves to the new house on a quarteracre they let them run loose until they cause a problem then want to get rid of them.
I don't know the solution.... :-/

[sma]

when we were still living in palmyra, we'd always see dumped animals, especially right after Christmas! as a matter of fact, that's how we ended up with both our dogs. they were abandoned and we took them in.

there was a family that lived a ways behind us that were always getting dogs but they wouldn't put collars on them, feed them, or take care of them at all. the dogs would just run wild and eventually get shot or killed. then these people would go and get more dogs. >:( their dogs would terrorize the other pets in the area and dig in the trash and stuff.

it's a shame. the dogs never tried to hurt people though. they'd always take off running if they saw you.

[Leland_Charles]

Hi to all for starters .......
Just singed up so this is the first of my posts and the first of anything for that matter.
Her in New Mexico we do have a wild dog problem as we did in Arizona. Someone (and I beg forgiveness here for I am such a computer dummy I don't know how to get back to where the posters name can be found) did suggest using a mule; well that is a good idea.
As suggested the mule will get the job done, and a good job of it at that. Let me add my two cents here though, just as a food for thought. Mules are pretty expensive, mules are not as quick as you would like to think, and they do eat a lot. There are a few other things that a mule can do or not do that people have been led to believe as truth ........ I am no critic here, I just smile.
I am in the mule and donkey circles so to speak. I'll be 60 years old soon, so have a little bit of back ground here. I would suggest a donkey, that little critter should cost your neighbor less than a hundred dollars if not free, eats about one half of that of a mule, less vet bills, is smarter that than a mule, normally is more tolerant even if not in the best of moods, and just a big pet if you so choose. I could go on but have said enough for the standard donkey. Mini donkeys are big pets and can handle any pit that walks or for that matter several at a time ... but are expensive. I have standards, mammoths, and mini's.
So lets go back to pits, despite the bad reputation a rot has a more powerful bite and is more aggressive; so do many other breeds, the jaw does not "lock", the number one baby killer is the cocker spaniel because they are soooo possessive (excuse my spelling). I have raised pits for almost 40 years, we had 6 children, and just been greeted by our 17th grandchild this past January ....... in all that time I have only felt compelled to put down 2 dogs because I do not tolerate certain aggression.
Because of their "reputation" people train the animal to attack, be aggressive and be guard dogs ... none of this is necessary. A pro criminal will simply shoot the animal then do what he came to do, you are the one with to lose. Dogs TRAINED to perform this function should be put down, there is no reversal.
Here in the southwest dogs that run wild are normally shot; I know this may bite a few people the wrong way, truth is truth and they are a threat to livestock and humans because they do not have that natural fear that keeps most hunters still looking for game at the end of the season.
Well I've shot my mouth off here enough. Go with the donkey and be happy.
Leland Charles

[countrybullenator]

We live near Bakersfield too, and I know what you mean by gang banger leaving pits, I have taken 5 dogs, from our farm to the animal shelters in the past year. They were all skin and bones, Its a shame..

We live 1.5 hour east of Bakersfield and I work in town too.

Nice to see someone else on this board that lives near by

[disleksic]

so Leland would a donkey keep cyotes away from sheep my friend has a few sheep and loses some to cyotes every year