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In rural areas around here, wandering dogs got shot. I think this has changed in recent years and dog owners have become more responsible about keeping their dogs at home. One part of our land borders a small town and it used to be that dogs wandered everywhere. In fact one dog owner who had moved from the city to this small town actually told a farmer that he had moved so his dog could wander at will. His dog killed a calf and some of our chickens. And then the dog mysteriously disappeared - SSS.
To the OP, if you feel comfortable talking to the dog's owner do that. The reason why people here usually didn't talk to dog owners was because if, as in my above example, the dog "disappeared," you didn't want an angry dog owner to think of you first thing.
We haven't had roaming dogs here now for years but what has happened is that when starting out on a walk with my own dogs a couple of years ago, I ran into a lady walking her two dogs off leash on my driveway (long farm driveway). And she acted like it was a public road. After I got my dogs into the house, I drove up and asked her nicely if she was aware this was a private driveway and she said yes. Nothing else, just yes. And kept walking. Then I nicely told her that I would prefer her not to walk on my driveway as my dogs might not take kindly to her dogs. (I don't actually think my dogs would have behaved aggressively, but I don't know that for sure and it was a way to get her off my driveway.) I haven't seen her since. But still. I don't know what people are thinking sometimes. I thought it was very strange.
In rural areas around here, wandering dogs got shot. I think this has changed in recent years and dog owners have become more responsible about keeping their dogs at home. One part of our land borders a small town and it used to be that dogs wandered everywhere. In fact one dog owner who had moved from the city to this small town actually told a farmer that he had moved so his dog could wander at will. His dog killed a calf and some of our chickens. And then the dog mysteriously disappeared - SSS.
To the OP, if you feel comfortable talking to the dog's owner do that. The reason why people here usually didn't talk to dog owners was because if, as in my above example, the dog "disappeared," you didn't want an angry dog owner to think of you first thing.
We haven't had roaming dogs here now for years but what has happened is that when starting out on a walk with my own dogs a couple of years ago, I ran into a lady walking her two dogs off leash on my driveway (long farm driveway). And she acted like it was a public road. After I got my dogs into the house, I drove up and asked her nicely if she was aware this was a private driveway and she said yes. Nothing else, just yes. And kept walking. Then I nicely told her that I would prefer her not to walk on my driveway as my dogs might not take kindly to her dogs. (I don't actually think my dogs would have behaved aggressively, but I don't know that for sure and it was a way to get her off my driveway.) I haven't seen her since. But still. I don't know what people are thinking sometimes. I thought it was very strange.
Yes that is strange. I would’ve said oh my so sorry didn’t know and never would’ve gone up that driveway again. Why would she want to endanger her dogs?
In rural areas around here, wandering dogs got shot. I think this has changed in recent years and dog owners have become more responsible about keeping their dogs at home. One part of our land borders a small town and it used to be that dogs wandered everywhere. In fact one dog owner who had moved from the city to this small town actually told a farmer that he had moved so his dog could wander at will. His dog killed a calf and some of our chickens. And then the dog mysteriously disappeared - SSS.
To the OP, if you feel comfortable talking to the dog's owner do that. The reason why people here usually didn't talk to dog owners was because if, as in my above example, the dog "disappeared," you didn't want an angry dog owner to think of you first thing.
We haven't had roaming dogs here now for years but what has happened is that when starting out on a walk with my own dogs a couple of years ago, I ran into a lady walking her two dogs off leash on my driveway (long farm driveway). And she acted like it was a public road. After I got my dogs into the house, I drove up and asked her nicely if she was aware this was a private driveway and she said yes. Nothing else, just yes. And kept walking. Then I nicely told her that I would prefer her not to walk on my driveway as my dogs might not take kindly to her dogs. (I don't actually think my dogs would have behaved aggressively, but I don't know that for sure and it was a way to get her off my driveway.) I haven't seen her since. But still. I don't know what people are thinking sometimes. I thought it was very strange.
Two sometimes three hunting dogs cross through my property every morning, barking and howling, I'm usually in the house and my little guy goes wild ,barking and running from window to window, I don't mind them on my Property ( 65 Acres ), keeps larger game, bears, coyote, etc... out.
These dogs all wear GPS tracking collars, the last thing I want is a dead dog on my property.
There was a case here a few years ago where a hunter shot a dog chasing deer, which is allowed in Maryland, during black powder season. The hook was that it was on Department of Natural Resources property open for hunting and the dog belonged to the resident Wildlife Conservation Officer who, it turned out during trial, regularly allowed the dog to roam the property unattended.
The hunter was convicted on a very minor animal cruelty charge because it took him two shots to kill the dog.
There was a case here a few years ago where a hunter shot a dog chasing deer, which is allowed in Maryland, during black powder season. The hook was that it was on Department of Natural Resources property open for hunting and the dog belonged to the resident Wildlife Conservation Officer who, it turned out during trial, regularly allowed the dog to roam the property unattended.
The hunter was convicted on a very minor animal cruelty charge because it took him two shots to kill the dog.
The WCO is no longer a resident on the property.
I believe that our PA laws are about the same. But much has changed over the years. Anybody that shoots another's pet better have witnesses or evidence of that pet's wrong doing. We now live in a internet society and somebody someplace will find something wrong with another's actions (especially if it involves a 'pet').
As far as the bogus charge of minor animal cruelty for using two shots; what if the hunter simply left the animal bleed out for an hour? That would be animal cruelty in my book. The hunter was compassionate enough to quickly end the animal's life. Like I said; somebody will always find something wrong with any action against a pet.
I am glad the WCO lost their job or, at least, was moved off the property!
I believe that our PA laws are about the same. But much has changed over the years. Anybody that shoots another's pet better have witnesses or evidence of that pet's wrong doing. We now live in a internet society and somebody someplace will find something wrong with another's actions (especially if it involves a 'pet').
As far as the bogus charge of minor animal cruelty for using two shots; what if the hunter simply left the animal bleed out for an hour? That would be animal cruelty in my book. The hunter was compassionate enough to quickly end the animal's life. Like I said; somebody will always find something wrong with any action against a pet.
I am glad the WCO lost their job or, at least, was moved off the property!
This particular WCO, when in her training period, was going to cite me for having an unplugged shotgun while waterfowl hunting. The shotgun in question was an Over/Under.
Her training officer, whom I know, just watched her for a bit (and me to see what I'd do) and stopped her just as she was going to start the ticket. My only response was, "'Bout damned time".
Just tell the neighbor that you are nearsided and have really bad aim and that if you shoot their dog because you thought it was a small deer, oh well.
It doesn't really matter if shooting a dog on your property is legal or not as long as many rural people live by the three Ses. There are very few farmers who would automatically shoot a dog on their property just because it was on their property, but if the dog was a repeat offender or causes trouble with livestock, or looks and acts dangerous and scares children, then that would be the scenario in this area, but there could always be a farmer who would shoot just because the dog is on his property.
I wouldn't take that chance with my dogs. It doesn't really matter whether it would be illegal if you know there's a chance. But things have changed a lot here in the past 20 years and dog owners are much more responsible than they used to be. People keep an eye out for each other's dogs and will catch a stray dog and return it to the owner. In the past when we often had strange dogs here, I almost never knew who the owner was and even when I did know, people were very casual about their dog roaming. They didn't seem to care at all and would say things like "he'll come home when he's ready."
The pound has changed here and will look for the owner if a dog has a tattoo. In this area, years ago, dogs didn't have tattoos and weren't chipped. In all but livestock killing cases, I would call the pound.
Because of the unique circumstances of a farm with many acres, a fenced yard is not practical so I installed an underground fence years ago. It gave my then dog a much larger area (as big as I wanted to make it) while keeping him from roaming. I only had the one dog who wanted to roam. So far I've not had any reason to use it with my current dogs, a heeler who sticks to me like Velcro, and a 6 month old puppy who takes her cue from the heeler.
This particular WCO, when in her training period, was going to cite me for having an unplugged shotgun while waterfowl hunting. The shotgun in question was an Over/Under.
Her training officer, whom I know, just watched her for a bit (and me to see what I'd do) and stopped her just as she was going to start the ticket. My only response was, "'Bout damned time".
I keep my pumps and semiautos plugged. Now I have to worry about my side by side double barrel; do you think there is any possibility that she moved to PA?
We had a WCO that came back to our camp and hassled us the one year. It wasn't any big deal for us; but it was for him. The head of the PA Game Commission was a member of our camp at that time. About a year later he was reported by another land owner and it was a great time to send him to the unemployment lines. I do not know for sure that his visit to our camp had an effect on the final outcome - but it could have.
Right now PA does not have WCO's like they use to in the past. During the non-hunting seasons I think we only have one or a few to cover several counties. Of course, during the seasons, they put on deputies. Of course hunting has lost most of it's popularity: Popularity of hunting wanes across the country - US news - Life | NBC News. There has even been a decline in fishing in recent years.
PS I think our dog warden also cover three counties and that is all year long.
I keep my pumps and semiautos plugged. Now I have to worry about my side by side double barrel; do you think there is any possibility that she moved to PA?
We had a WCO that came back to our camp and hassled us the one year. It wasn't any big deal for us; but it was for him. The head of the PA Game Commission was a member of our camp at that time. About a year later he was reported by another land owner and it was a great time to send him to the unemployment lines. I do not know for sure that his visit to our camp had an effect on the final outcome - but it could have.
Right now PA does not have WCO's like they use to in the past. During the non-hunting seasons I think we only have one or a few to cover several counties. Of course, during the seasons, they put on deputies. Of course hunting has lost most of it's popularity: Popularity of hunting wanes across the country - US news - Life | NBC News. There has even been a decline in fishing in recent years.
PS I think our dog warden also cover three counties and that is all year long.
Ours are out and about all year long. They especially hit our fishing pier (quite rightly) due to the imaginative fishing techniques and catch limits some of the fishermen have. I could throw the immigrant card here but we also have some watermen who take an imaginative outlook on fishing regulations, especially when they use pound nets.
We now have several full time County Animal Control officers who have a 7 day schedule. Thirty years ago when growth in the County took off we had an incredible problem with loose dogs. It seemed that every single person that moved here had to buy a dog and then let it run loose because, 'Well he's in the country". Animal control got serious when these domestic dogs turned feral and started running in packs. That culminated in the death of a ten year old pulled off his bicycle by a roaming pack and killed.
We also have the occasional owner death by mauling, usually by pits. Almost invariably the victim is older.
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And kept walking. Then I nicely told her that I would prefer her not to walk on my driveway as my dogs might not take kindly to her dogs. (I don't actually think my dogs would have behaved aggressively, but I don't know that for sure and it was a way to get her off my driveway.) I haven't seen her since. But still. I don't know what people are thinking sometimes. I thought it was very strange.
