Stray Dogs

[Goatwhiskers]

One of the minor problems out here in the rural. I really wasn't sleeping well last night anyway, but my 2 Corgis kept running to the back door raising holy ned. Get up with my .45 in hand, nothing, nada. Finally got a couple hrs sleep. After daylight got up, there the thing was hanging by the patio door. As usual it was a big hound looking thing, bones about to pop through all over. Dang it if you feed the poor thing it'll never leave, I just can't bring myself to go ahead and shoot it for a multitude of reasons not the least of which is that I gotta haul it off. Lot of yelling, cussing, and a mag of .22's in the ground and it seems to have left, at least for now. Really it's the owners that I'd love to shoot. Rant over. GW

[lightman]

Thats a tough position to be in. If you feed it, its yours. If you drove it off you feel guilty. Maybe it found its way someplace else.

[poppy42]

Well I’m a sucker for dogs in need. I love dogs. People not so much. I would feed the dog in the hopes it might leed me back to the owner. What I’d do to him is an whole Nother story!

[higgins]

If, and it's a big if, your county has an animal control office, call them. They should be glad to pick up a starving dog and the fact that it won't go away would make their job easier.

[RED BEAR]

I just couldn't help myself i would have feed it to. I now have three dogs two of which i never intended to have. A cat well they can fend for themselves but wouldn't let one of them starve ether. I am with poppy i think a lot more of my dogs than most people. There is nothing more loyal than a dog.

[Handloader109]

It can be anywhere. I had someone drop off a 8 or nine week old blue heeler pup back in Mississippi. Found out a neighbor a mile down the road had one too. THOSE are the folks I want to use the .45 on.
Same with a kitten, who was the best cat in the world for about 9 years..... I've only had one here in NWA, was a really pretty Pit bull yearling. I couldn't get my hands on him he wouldn't let me get closer than 50 feet.
Woman finally came by and was able to get ahold of him. Supposedly her son's dog, seems his wife didn't like it and dropped off in the country.....

[bayjoe]

Sometimes a person might be doing the animal a favor by putting them out of their misery that was inflicted by somebody else's negligence

[rancher1913]

sorry but there is no excuse for not helping an animal in need, a bowl of food for a starving critter is the least a person can do and a call to the sheriff will get somebody there to pick it up and take it to a shelter. there but for the grace of god go I.

[RED BEAR]

Bayjoe that may be true but i couldn't be the one to do it. I just can't bring myself to harm a animal and will never understand anyone who does. And i am not talking about hunting that is nessary .i mean to be cruel for the sake of being cruel.

[Tom W.]

There's a difference between being cruel and putting a creature out of its misery. Dumping the dog off is about as cruel as can be, unless there are sub humans that like to torture animals.

In this city, if you feed a stray cat or dog it's considered yours and you'd best have a collar with a current rabies vaccination tag on it. Plus it can't be wandering around loose.

[M-Tecs]

Feed it and have the sheriff come pick it up. Most truly rural areas don't have animal control so the Sheriffs or police provide this service.

[dangitgriff]

I just couldn't help myself i would have feed it to. I now have three dogs two of which i never intended to have. A cat well they can fend for themselves but wouldn't let one of them starve ether. I am with poppy i think a lot more of my dogs than most people. There is nothing more loyal than a dog.

Amen to that.
I’ve had to shoot a couple of injured dogs when I was a teenager, and one beautiful red-tick ***** that would not stay out of our chicken coop.
Always hurt like hell doing it.

[Thundarstick]

There are very few strays around here anymore because of the coyotes, and the fact that strays get treated like coyotes don't bode well for them either!

[bob208]

you lose a cow or a horse then you will have no problem shooting them.

[cwlongshot]

Exactly the case here. As a kid growing up we had strays all over. Was common place! My lil sister was chased home one day, the next morning I took out trash, and it was there starin me down! Then like a light switch, ears pinned back head low in a deep growl. As it got close my #13 took him under the chin. He flipped over, and laid in the front yard for hours. Pop thought I killed it!! 260# & 6’ wearing 32” Jeans. I was a force in high school...

Today almost never. For about 20-25 days last month I could hear coyote pups up over the hill in front of my house at dusk.I went to investigate three times and the den is very well
Positioned and no dogs where found. But you can surely hear them. I spoke with a neighbor telling her what they are she said ooh thats puppies. She is right, but coyote puppies!! Signs all over about lost cats.. Id like to change the title to coyote food...

My lil 20# Lahsa is a very good listener. But still is on a leade when out after dark.

CW

[6bg6ga]

sorry but there is no excuse for not helping an animal in need, a bowl of food for a starving critter is the least a person can do and a call to the sheriff will get somebody there to pick it up and take it to a shelter. there but for the grace of god go I.

I agree with you. Animals sometimes need our help and understanding and you cannot blame a dog because they had a stupid irresponsible owner.

[dangitgriff]

I agree with you. Animals sometimes need our help and understanding and you cannot blame a dog because they had a stupid irresponsible owner.

They’re kinda like young adults that way.

[Kev18]

Well I’m a sucker for dogs in need. I love dogs. People not so much. I would feed the dog in the hopes it might leed me back to the owner. What I’d do to him is an whole Nother story!

Same! Some people dont care. And alot of times they may of had a litter somewhere so they wont even eat the food. They will bring it back to their puppers.

[lead-1]

My dad used to live in the ideal spot for people to dump unwanted animals off, he was always getting new dogs and cats. When he had his back and open heart surgerys he couldn't care for all them, he was down to two dogs so they stayed and my wife and I took what what we could catch (19) cats to the pound. The pound was ok with that because they were warned and most were kittens, they claimed they didn't have much trouble getting rid of the young ones.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

One or two a year is not a big thing. where I grew up some years we would have to deal with 15 or 20 a year.
No, animal control would not pick up anything not tied up for them. you could not lay a hand on these.
Yes they will form a pack and roam together. yes they kill livestock. Mom's little dog got chewed up several times.
Last bunch I helped deal with basically mugged our neighbor when she went to feed her dogs, which where penned up. Small pack, they where dealt with.
Did we tame and adopt a few, yes, but after they form a pack the SSS principle has to be applied. never liked it, but we did it.
CF
PS i's rather beat the crud out of people who drop off dogs in the woods than deal with the dogs.

[RED BEAR]

It really shows what type of person someone is.how they would treat a defenseless animal. I could never be cruel to an animal it just ain't in me. I ended up in more than one confrontation with a neighbor i used to have over how he treated his pit bulls. I usually try to mind my own business but this is one that makes me see red.

[Thundarstick]

There is A HUGE difference in getting ones jollies from mistreating an animal, and animal control. We never mistreated a stray dog, but we sure shot a lot of them DRT!

[Idaho45guy]

I remember when I first moved to Iowa, I worked with a guy that had some interesting stories about packs of feral dogs roaming the Iowa countryside.

Totally foreign concept to me since stray animals are quickly taken care of by the predators out here.

Lot's of people move to this area and are heartbroken by the loss of a pet that they let roam free when they go camping or move to a home in the country. Seems there are articles in the local papers that crop up every now and then regarding an increase in coyote and cougar sightings in towns when the predators discover easy meals.

[RED BEAR]

Thunderstick i understand there are things that must be done. It is just i wount be the one doing them.

[Finster101]

I'm happy strays are not much of a problem here, as I just don't think I could turn my back on one.

[Walks]

We have our own Animal Control. They mostly work against the Coyote problem.

We have been told by the "Authorities" that if they try to kill them all off, they will just breed faster. ?????

We don't have a dog anymore. But with all the Pet Cats & Small Dogs disappearing, My Daughter's Cat is allowed into the back yard, 8am-5pm. Cat sleeps all day on My Daughter's bed anyway. Standard female fraidy Cat.

All the Feral Cats are gone, so are the Year-round Ducks at the Pond in the Big Park. But if We see a coyote, were Not allowed to shoot them.

[Love Life]

I don’t like strays. Applies to animals and people.

[am44mag]

I couldn't let a dog go on starving, and I dang sure couldn't shoot one unless it was aggressive towards people, pets, or livestock. I sure wouldn't mind popping a few of the pieces of scum that drops those poor dogs off though.

[pcolapaddler]

The best dog we have ever had was a stray of sorts. He found us and we kept him for 14 years. I sure miss him.

Sent from the largest mountain range in Florida.

[sghart3578]

I'm torn on this one.

When I was younger I shot stray dogs out here regularly on the advice of the local Sheriff's Dept. They were mostly pitbulls and the occasional Rottweiler. One time about 25 years ago a loose Rottweiler was out charging and growling at schoolkids waiting for the bus. When I called the deputies they told me not to bother calling animal control. They were closed on Mondays and Fridays and wouldn't respond anyways unless someone had actually been bitten. I told him that my 6 year old and other children were afraid. He asked me "Do you have a gun?". I said "Yes." He said "Shoot that blankety-blank". I didn't enjoy it. I am a dog lover and Rottweilers are magnificent animals. But a child outranks a dog, especially my child. I wish I could have found the tweaker who let him loose. There are signs here saying that in this county loose dogs can be shot. Seems unusual for California I know.

At the time this area was a hotbed of meth production. You've all heard stories of mobile meth labs in old beater RV's? They're not stories, they were routine here for a while. Well local law enforcement got the meth labs under control or run off, don't know. And the number of loose "guard dogs" has dwindled. This area is now more gentrified as well. A loose dog is more likely to be a Jack Russel terrier or some such.

Loose domesticated dogs are also a ranchers nightmare. We had a local sheep farmer lose several lambs on a regular basis. We all thought it was coyotes until he shot the two large, full sized poodles that were getting out, roaming around and doing what dogs do. And some of the rich folk around here have performance horses worth upwards of $25,000. Some are my neighbors and they tell you up front that no stray is going to harm their horses.

I don't think that I could shoot a stray any more. I am older and softer. Heck, I even feed stray cats now! My wife and kids are stunned.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

Might have been a Star Wars dog?

https://i.imgur.com/6OV1zSW.jpg

[richhodg66]

We moved out in the sticks a few years ago, and I expected this to be a problem and it hasn't been yet. Only stray so far was a big friendly tom cat who hung around a couple of years, one of the best cats I ever knew. He came and went as he pleased, I fixed him up a nice little shelter and took him once a year to the vet for shots. We were convinced he was going between families, there's a farmhouse a half mile away. Anyway, he eventually stopped showing up, I miss the little guy.

I have gotten to where I don't like killing things without a good reason, but a stray pit or similar would likely get shot, can't afford to risk it showing up when my wife was outside and I wasn't around. I hope I never have to.

[dg31872]

We live way out in the country. Usually the strays show up when the college kids graduate or go home for the summer.
I don't shoot a dog unless it is after our cattle. The coyotes usually take care of the cats.
Some of the most loyal dogs we have had were strays.

[dverna]

I do not like stray dogs. In the six years we have lived in the woods we have not encountered any.

If they are non-aggressive, I will let them go. If they pose a threat, they will be shot.

If a starving dog came to house, I would toss out some food and see what happens.

[RED BEAR]

I couldn't let a dog go on starving, and I dang sure couldn't shoot one unless it was aggressive towards people, pets, or livestock. I sure wouldn't mind popping a few of the pieces of scum that drops those poor dogs off though.

I am with you i just could not set and watch an animal suffer. To my surprise some of the neighbor's are having problems with coyotes. I have never actually seen one but i live right on the edge out front houses out back woods all the way to the swamp. So maybe.

[am44mag]

I am with you i just could not set and watch an animal suffer. To my surprise some of the neighbor's are having problems with coyotes. I have never actually seen one but i live right on the edge out front houses out back woods all the way to the swamp. So maybe.Coyotes are another story. We've lost a few dogs to them over the years, so they are shot on sight.

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[MaryB]

Had packs of wild dogs roaming the river valley near me a few years ago. DNR has rules against shooting them, the ranchers and sheep herders had a different plan and most were shot. And they were interbreeding with the coyotes! Coydogs kill for the thrill of it, coyotes at least only kill for food...

Coyotes are a major problem here too, had 2 walk down the middle of the street in front of my house last night. Direction I can't shoot because of the horses...

[rl69]

I'm not much on killing...I find no joy in it....I hunt but it's for the meat,I prefer wild game.

But I'm not much on strays I'll put them down. Nothing good will come of letting them live. They eather suffer and starve or kill stock to survive.... Now with that said I have taken in a few but I can't keep them all

[gwpercle]

I'm a big softie , any stray , hungry or injured animal that shows up I at least feed . Yeah I know feeding them is dangerous and I've ended up adopting ( feeding every day) more than one cat or dog.
But the rule around here is if you going to move in , you going get fixed , stay here and not contribute to any more strays . Cats have to catch mice and/or snakes . Someone left a nice fat rat DOA on the laundry room floor to prove they were still on the job .
A man brought a sick puppy to the vet my wife worked for, they didn't think the little guy would make so planned to put him down.... That hurt , I told wife, buy the medicine he needs and bring him home , we nursed him and he got well...he grew up with my son...they was best buds till the end . My son is 40 and still talks about "Elmo" !
Over the years we have ended up with as many as 6 cats and 2 dogs at one time, yes it's a zoo around here...but that's the way God made me . Heck, I even FEED the squirrels around here !
Gary

[firefly1957]

I have had a few strays here in the sticks one was a lost coyote hound i put out a bowl of food (it was 2 am night before deer season it ate some let me pet it and read phone number off collar . Owner was glad to get it back he was sure it would be shot during deer season if still out . Others I have found in the woods coyote food same with countless cats one day a Rottweiler was in the front yard I called and it ran . Three days later in the morning the Rott and a hunting hound were on front porch and would not leave . I went out the back door keeping railing between us the hound let me pet it the rott growled at me and the hound growled at it if it got closer then a foot from it. I gave each of them a separate food and water bowl both had ribs showing called animal control . While waiting they got a second bowl of food and more water I got a chain on the hound and moved it off the porch to the pole barn the rott followed kept growling at me and the other dog. Over an hour later and no animal control and my wife had to leave I went out to move her car and that rott made the most awful growl it's eyes went wild and every hair stood on end it was 50 feet from me when it charged. I held Left hand up yelled sit it still charged right hand pulled 45 and as it crouched to jump at my throat I shot it. I am certain that thing was planning my death a 45 acp 165 gr +P Corbon knocked it flat.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Lived in Suburbia eons ago when I was a teen, a neighbor's dog (German Shorthair Pointer) walked up to me as I sat reading on my front step, and offered to eat me alive. I told it it was welcome to start a fight, and I'd end it; It decided I wasn't afraid of it enough and left.

My sister went to the same school as the owner's daughter, and told me the daughter kept complaining that someone had shot that dog AGAIN, somehow I didn't find this a shock... I suspect each time the dog healed up, the owner let it roam the neighborhood again. In addition to that obvious negligence, I suspect the dog wasn't well-treated at all, but its' behavior and being loose in that neighborhood were WHY it was getting perforated regularly, in a suburban setting. No idea what ended up happening to that dog. It never offered me violence again, at least.

I love strays, provided they are nice; I live in the same suburban area right now, so I don't see many. When I lived out in the boonies 10+ years ago, we had too many pets dropped off out in the country near us, almost all became coyote food. I don't think much of people who do that. Only had two cats make it to us, we'd feed them to keep the pack rat population down (Those things are ANNOYING!) as well as mice etc.; And one dog, who was let loose off his lead by an IDIOT neighbor and managed to run out in front of a motorcycle on the highway, and get killed. No humans were hurt, fortunately, the driver laid the bike down - Smart. But STUPID on the neighbor's part. You have to keep dogs & cats away from Coyotes or they're toast...

[dangitgriff]

How big a dog does it have to be for the coyotes to avoid confronting it? American pit bulls, Rhodesian ridgebacks and Rottweilers are not known for cowardice.

[cwlongshot]

“Breeds” is quite a generalization. My 140Rot was a block head and not afraid of anything. Accept maybe missing a meal Or a belly rub.
He took on at least one coyote in defense of his “sister”. The coyote had friends and lucky for Me he listened very well and stopped from Chasing them into the woods. He broadsided the one yote right in the yard who had his eye in my 20# Lahasa, right in the front yard and Ill tell you, the fur flew, but its was not blk fur!

Some Folks use dogs to hunt coyotes. Check out utube.

CW

[Mr_Sheesh]

Problem comes when your 150# big dog gets drawn into an exposed position by one coyote, then 8 of their packmates show up and surround your dog. Size alone isn't a guarantee of success in that situation. Now, if the dog has a human with a nice accurate semi-auto varmint rifle, that helps :)

[Texas by God]

A single coyote will flee an aggressive good sized dog. A pack can disassemble a good size dog fairly quick.
Some of my best dogs have been adopted strays. But I have killed many neighbors dogs that run our livestock. As the 5 acre McRanches proliferate, more free running dogs appear. If they are just exploring or visiting, it's cool.

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[Mr_Sheesh]

About 1977? we had a very friendly dog show up, Black Lab who brought his own tennis ball, "Here please throw my ball for me!", I was happy to do so. Unfortunately our momcat had JUST had a litter and when she came outside, saw an evil kitten-killing DOG in HER yard, so she puffed up, and "Crab-puff" ran at him (we were yelling at him "Run!" but he never saw her coming) and she attacked him and drove him off. Nice dog, she usually wouldn't have cared but a new litter of kittens = hormones had her guarding HER yard. I felt pretty sorry for the dog! Nowadays my cats are indoors-only, tho I want to put a "Catio" up when I move next so the cats have a place to "be outside" but safe. Might let the dogs have the run of that too (once I get some, after I move.)

That sort of dog I don't mind at all, friendly is great! Or a friendly cat who pops in to visit (had that happen once, mistook it for one of our cats, only it ran when it saw me, I captured it and took it back outside - Just "Uh-Oh a human I don't know", not hostile but validly concerned because we're far larger than they are.) "Little Joe" looked *just* like our cat, except for the collar and tag (and running LOL)

[MrWolf]

Problem comes when your 150# big dog gets drawn into an exposed position by one coyote, then 8 of their packmates show up and surround your dog. Size alone isn't a guarantee of success in that situation. Now, if the dog has a human with a nice accurate semi-auto varmint rifle, that helps :)

My Great Pyreneese turned two about a month ago and weighs prob 125+ at least now. My yard is fenced but a pack of coyotes were down the holler making a huge racket and he was going ballistic. I had the same thought. He could easily take out one but a pack would destroy him. I ended up firing half a dozen shots from my 9mm carbine in that direction (nothing around me down there - totally safe) and they moved off. Really bad this year. I usually have three flocks of turkeys. Heard a single Tom and saw only one hen this year.

[cwlongshot]

I cannot do it where I am mow, but before Id hunt that pac thats in around my yard. Id know where the den was and they would Move on or die.

CW

[RP]

It all comes down to people is my thinking get a pet get tired of it and drop it of to become someones else problem. Sure sometimes they are saved most of the time it goes bad for the animal.
I do not like to be forced to kill a animal because of a person is to dam sorry to take care of it and drops it off for someone to deal with. If your going to get a dog or cat get it fixed unless your going to breed it even if its a male.
In short good people are forced to kill something they do not want to.

[dangitgriff]

The number of cats and dogs that are euthanized at ‘shelters’ is outrageous. They pile the animal corpses up in a freezer until they get enough to make firing up the crematorium economical.
Shot or injected, they will wind up dead either way, in tragic commonality with many big-city homeless people.