Dogs as predators
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Please understand this article contains very graphic images, this is a warning for sensitive viewers and people younger than 18.
After seeing this discuss brought up over the years, I thought I would make a blog to show the side of livestock owners. I understand most don't want to talk about it publicly due to the backlash of people who might not understand what we have to go through. This topic is something that shouldn't be taken lightly. Anyone who has owned livestock (pigs/ cows/ poultry/ waterfowl etc) has went through this at least once and sometimes more than they should have. This post is directed to dog owners who don't care about properly containing their dogs and owners who dump their dogs in "country areas" because they can't handle them. Most are unaware of the harm they can cause based on their decision. It's not to bash/ shame anyone, it is to hopefully open a few eyes who may be uneducated on the consequences.
I think some dog owners don't care about the destruction their dogs cause because they don't have to deal/see it in person. For livestock owners these events/ images will always be burned into their brains, all because some dog owners were careless and couldn't see the harm their dog could do.
Some believe a dog's life is more important than a chicken or duck. But to some livestock owners, they care more for their 2 legged friends than any dog or cat. For some, livestock is their livelihood and they depend on them to support their families.
I've had my fair share of encounters with neighborhood dogs. It's not always a pleasant one. I've never understood why some people allow their dogs to roam freely. Just because you don't think it leaves the yard when unsupervised, doesn't mean it doesn't in general.
Sadly, dogs have been a problem for livestock owners for years! Most of the time, people's livestock are confined in pens/cages for safety reasons. A dog is simply a predator that shouldn't have been a problem to begin with, because it should've been CONTAINED on it's OWN property in the first place. I understand that dogs can get out but if it damages anything it's your responsibility as a dog owner to pay for the damages (which rarely happens anymore). I've see it happen many times over and over. Just because it's a chicken or duck, the owner of the dog doesn't think they should have to pay for their careless mistake. In most states, a livestock owner has the right to protect it's livestock/property which includes killing a dog if caught in the act. In my opinion, if owners care so much for the dog, then it's safety should be your number one priority! I have owned dogs since I was young and I have contained my dogs on my own property but like most, I have had a few escape over the years. But if my dog had harmed something I would take the responsibility and try to make it right. After all you took on that responsibility when you brought the dog home.
I'd like to say on behalf of most livestock owners since we confine our livestock/animals, it would be nice if dog owners would do the same.
Each of these stories are from livestock owners all over the world. I will only be using first names due to the nature of the post, some names will not be disclosed at the owners request.
Anonymous
We lost a duck last November to a neighbor's dog. It was heartbreaking. I cried for weeks. We didn't take any pictures of her. I saw the dog (husky) out of the corner of my eye while working. But in that split second...I actually thought it was a wolf because all I seen was the tail and one of our other ducks pinned by it. I ran outside, barefoot, grabbed it by the ruff and punched it in the face. That's when I realized who it was. Adrenaline is something else, I unknowingly risked my life that day without even thinking. These birds are our children. I still choke up about that day when I see pics of her. Our Rose. June 2016, not a roaming dog but my cousins 7 month old Husky got loose and got a hold of her while they were visiting. Ripped feathers out, tore her booty and her vent. $900, a few stitches, 2 vet visits and 2 weeks away from her friends and she was all healed up! The doctor prescribed all natural wound balm along with Epsom salt soaks while her wounds healed up. As for the dog, he's allowed back on our property and hasn't harmed a bird since.
Anonymous
About 18 ready to process meat birds in here. They were to be shipped the next day. Neighbor's dog got through electric netting. $20 loss per bird.
Anonymous
This is Gomer, he was chased and bit by a stray dog. He passed away the next day.
Anonymous
This is the result of the neighbor's feisty terrier that they never keep penned up. It jumped up and grabbed the babies through the wire. Mama was helpless. I lost an entire litter of bunnies (9 total). I sell them for $15-20 each at weaning. So $135-$180 which is a lot for me. I was heartbroken, mama kept searching for her babies, and I know the babies suffered.
Anonymous
This is what was left of my daughter's chicken Faith. A stray had been coming into my fenced yard for a week or more playing with my dogs. I’m a live and let live, so didn’t mind as long as there wasn’t any aggression shown. She’d play and go on about her business. Then I came home to this one night. Sadly enough, after she had done this, my youngest dog got another of our girls. Now they’re in their own run instead of loose in our fenced yard. I never found the owner of the stray dog.
Anonymous
Our Barred Rock Mama got mauled by a Stray Dog! She managed to limp away and hide while we distracted and went after the Dog! My Husband went surging for her and lucky for us she limped to my Husband! She had a multitude of puncture wounds and her side was ripped open so you could see inside of her! She also was in shock!
Anonymous
My neighbor's dog chewed off my hen's wing. We took her to the vet to be euthanized. They said she wouldn't live because the dogs never had any vaccines. Happened almost a year ago. Day before Thanksgiving. It was the worst thanksgiving ever. Spent all day taking the animals to the vet for euthanization. 13 of our animals had to be put down. Only 2 survived.
Anonymous
Came home and found 4/5 of my ducks dead. The last one was miraculously still alive almost bitten in half hiding in my grill.
Amy
A neighbors dog got into our lot and killed 11 of the 12 hens/Roos in there. My daughter had to call the neighbor to come get his dog out of the lot, as he was stuck. Now, please know, this is the second attack on my chickens from this same dog. I have 2 lots of chickens. Both times, my chickens should have been dog free and safe. The neighbor was doing his best to keep his dog in his yard. He paid for replacement both times. He built a privacy fence to keep his dog inside his own yard. He began after the first attack and the dog broke out a piece of fence to get out the second time. Still makes me sick to think about it.
Caitlain
Roaming dogs broke through my coop. Killed all my meat birds, 12. Killed one egg duck and eventually my ‘guard’ goose died after he knew the remaining were safe. It was a sad day. Lost around $350 for the birds, had to redo the coop, costing around $400, and lost my ‘best’ goose friend.
Heather
This was a hardware cloth grow out pen, normally it would have a tarp over it to protect the chicks from the elements. When the cop arrived that night I took the tarp off so he could take pictures. These are my pictures from the next day before I cleaned up. These chicks were a couple days away from being moved into the main coop. This grow out pen was located maybe 50 feet from my house. I was in my house when it happened and didn’t hear anything. I went to take my dog for a walk and saw odd movement inside the pen so I took my dog back in the house and got a light. My neighbor's husky had one chicken in it's mouth, rest of the chickens in the pen were dead or dying. In all, we lost 18 chickens that night and the neighbor lost their dog. The dog was aggressive toward me when I tried to get him away from my birds. Neighbor had apparently had the dog tied out with clothes line rope, definitely not strong enough to hold a dog as strong as a husky. The dog had somehow tore a hole in the side of the pen where 2 pieces of hardware cloth overlapped. If we chose to take the neighbors to court we could have forced them to repay us for the chickens but we really do not want to deal with those neighbors anymore than necessary. We were probably out $250 for what we had in the chickens plus repairs to the pen.
Virginia
This is "Serendipitys Lookie Here" (call name Leroy). My first born on the Ranch, born on my father's birthday. Some time during the night of July 03, 2016, a female and male pit bull dug under my pasture fencing (all fencing has an under wire of barb wire to stop this from happening). They lived 4 doors down the road. When I went out for morning feeding this is what I found along with the female pit unable to escape due to her front leg being broken and the male pit running jumping my fence and going home. The police, dog pound and vet were all called within 15 minutes. Leroy had approximately 75% of his hide torn loose from his body but had the will to live so treatment was started. Leroy lived 15 days under Vet care round the clock before he had to be put down due to a secondary infection which showed itself as a ulcer in his left eye (he was not strong enough to have the needed surgery on his eye). The female pit bull was put down due to the fact I caught her on my property and she was covered in blood. The male pit bull was allowed to stay with it's family as I had no proof of its being on my property except my word and the owner had bathed it prior to animal services arriving at their house (it was still wet when they arrived). Total vet cost for Leroy was $7,348.00. The dog owner did not ever contact me so I took them to court. The Judge awarded me reimbursement of the total vet cost, nothing for Leroy. Leroy was a Classic Shetland Pony with double registration, a Stallion, each covering he provided was worth $500.00 and he held High Point standing with the A.S.P.C. To this day the dog owner has not paid a penny towards the vet bills and I am still making payments out of my pocket. You want to know what it cost..........$7,348.00 to the vet, a life time of income to the ranch and a big part of our heart.
Melissa
The (big breed) puppy next door has taken a liking to chasing our ducks and chickens. She has been caught a couple of times pouncing on them, this time we weren't home. She killed Ross, our drake and got home to catch her attacking Quackers (a tame, hand reared duck we rehomed from a lady). Quackers made it, poor Ross didn't. We also lost 2 of our pekin ducks that day. One did come home... the other has not. It was a very uncomfortable discussion with the neighbour, but thankfully they have taken measures to contain their puppy in their premises now. They never took it seriously until the dog actually ripped a duck apart and I explained that Quackers was someones precious 'baby' just as her puppy was.
Anonymous
Neighbor had a visitor who brought his dog. She got our turkey hens and Tom. Our livestock free range. We woke up early morning and found her chewing on them. She ran when we came outside. The hens were dead. Tommy was barely breathing. We were very upset and told him if we see his dog step one foot on our property we’ll shoot it. He paid us $300 for them so we could get more. We are happy that he did that but still doesn’t make it right. We loved our Tommy Boy and his personality.
Kasey
This was a friend of ours duck who's dog got ahold of this one and another but the other one didn't make it. The 1st wound is the hole on the shoulder above the wing. The other is from the maggots eating the good flesh and they were burrowing in his skin. I dug them out and made sure she was clean. I use different method to get him healed and it took about 4 months to be fully healed. On top of a wound care mixture, I also gave him a shot of antibiotics once daily for a month straight.
Anonymous
My former neighbor's rottweilers came to my house when we weren't home one evening and killed our dog on our front porch. I still have those images in my head, I hate thinking about it. They had been court ordered to keep their dogs contained but they didn't care. The 2 dogs got disposed of once a court order for them came to be put to sleep. My former neighbor tried giving the dogs away but because I have her on my Facebook to keep tabs on her, I saw what she was doing and stopped it and let everyone know what the dogs had done and they weren't friendly as she claimed
Sometimes the attacks are closer to home and done by our own dogs. To me, it hurts worse since you raised them but in the end, you feel as though you failed them and the livestock you own. I have personally been in this situation. Makes me cry everytime I think about it.
Anonymous
This was my rooster that passed away a few weeks ago from an attack from my own dog (schnauzer/mini poodle mix) she literally ate both sides of his butt and he didn’t make the night. We did spend about $100 in supplies trying to save him but he didn’t make it. She was leashed but he wandered into her area. Since she can’t get along with my chickens, she now lives at my moms house with her labradoodle.
Anonymous
We had a pack of dogs (3) come and attack one of our rescue ponies. It was like watching the wildlife channel unfold right in front of me, the formation the way one would jump from behind ortrip up so he would fall I was horrified. Yes livestock owners never forget the sight, the smell, the cries of anguish, the hours days weeks years it takes to heal our loved ones. Our pony had his neck shredded, his hind quarters done the same way and a ear ripped off. When he was penned down they started for his belly an genital area. We lost our pony. I did shoot 2 of the 3 (not saying it’s right but i did) and when i found the owner they had no care in the world just slammed the door in my face like i was bothering them.
Anonymous
This was my khaki Campbell that was mauled by my jack russells... she made it and has now rejoined the flock.
Anonymous
I have one that sadly my own dog did to our duck. My dog whom I grown to trust around my ducks I learned a hard lesson that day and since then we have done everything to not allow it to happen again. I don't think I could ever trust any of my dogs around my flock after that happened.
Properly containing your dogs is your responsibility as a dog owner but is also being a good neighbor to those of us who have livestock. If your dog does happen to escape, please take the responsibility and offer to replace the livestock your dog destroyed! For those who this post upset, please know it wasn't my intent to upset anyone. Was just trying to show the side that doesn't get seen by the ones who are responsible for it in the first place.