Neighbor Problems

[Stonewall]

Go outside this morning with son in hand only to find pitbull sitting there looking at me in my driveway.  Run back inside, drop off Junior and draw my gun.  Dog ain't there!  It's 0800 and animal control is awake.  I call them then take my son to daycare.

I come back and the animal control officer was in our backyard trying to catch the pitbull.  I identified myself as the home owner, a police officer and that I was armed.  The dog was aggressively charging the officer and he told me to shoot him if he escapes.  The dog tears down a couple more panels of the fence but the officer finally got the "catcher's pole" thing around the dog's neck.  Biting, clawing and charging, the dog wouldn't give up.  The officer had to drag the dog about 100 yards from our backyard to his truck.

The neighbor's son comes out along with the home owner's wife.  This, after the officer knocked on the door several times this morning.  Not to mention the 2 police officers yesterday as well as myself.  The whole time no fewer than 5 cars were parked in front of the house or in the driveway.

When questioned by the officer, the son explained that it wasn't his dog but he let it stay back there with his smaller pitbull puppy that he just happened to get the same time the large adult pitbull showed up.  The guy asked the officer if he could take the smaller dog too, but they don't come get dogs just because you don't want them anymore.  However, the officer explained how he would be charged with animal cruelty because the smaller dog is chained up in the backyard without shelter, water and has since got himself tangled up and there's obviously no supervision.

Now, I have a 3+ foot hole in my fence and a new appreciation for how to handle neighbors and their dogs.  Instincts were right in the is case, and we should never assume that a dog is friendly, especially if we've never seen it before, it has no collar, is a pitbull and keeps coming back after you scare it off.  Also, as the animal control officer explained, dogs don't have teer ducts so OC spray doesn't affect them unless you can get it into their mouth, then it's like feeding them the hottest of hot peppers.

Lesson learned?  I think so.  Shoot first!  But of course, I didn't want to be the neighbor that shot and killed the other neighbor's dog.  Although I would have been justified, I wanted to do as much as I could to not begin a futile war between my neighbors since we're the ones that have to live with them.  On a personal note, I don't see the situation getting better.

Enjoy the pictures....

[jimmydeanno]

Just out of curiosity...what made the dog bleed - the pole thingy or did someone open a can when it charged?

[jeders]

Glad to hear that you don't have to worry about that dog anymore, good luck with the neighbors though.

[Stonewall]

Just out of curiosity...what made the dog bleed - the pole thingy or did someone open a can when it charged?

Dog kept fighting, biting the fence/wood, the pole and anything else it could.  I have video but I wouldn't know how to upload it, nor do I have the time to figure it out right now.

[Duke Dillio]

I still think the antifreeze would have worked out better.....

On the lighter side, I have to say that that is the ugliest dog that I have ever seen.  Hope it likes its' new home, behind bars.  Good going Kirt.  Now just got the pesky neighbors to take care of.  I recommend something in .308.

[Cecil DP]

And who's paying for the fence???

[Stonewall]

Yours truly.  Afterall, "it wasn't their dog". 

[Major Lord]

A couple of weeks after Hurricane Katrina, I was protecting some FEMA folks and we were set upon by a small dog pack gone feral. It included Pitbulls and at least one shepard. The pack sent one dog to get right in my face and bark ( a clever distraction) while other dogs tried to flank me. They almost got away with it. Like many dog lovers, I was reluctant to shoot dogs. Several of these dogs had collars, but after a matter of only days they turned into a bunch of wild killer dogs, and learned to pack-hunt. It is amazing what things are built into our little fluffy pets' instincts. My tender heartedness almost got me killed. If I had waited for just a few more nanoseconds before opening fire, I would have been killed and probably eaten. ( I had my clients go slowly to the vehicle when I saw the dogs approaching, and cut off the dog's approach) The good news is that the pack scattered when I opened fire. Lessons learned? engage, engage, engage. Start shooting bad doggies before they close the range on you. Also, don't leave your CAR in the car!

I got sheist from the powers that be. They wanted top know why I did not start with a verbal challenge, pepper spray, ASP baton, etc. (show me your paws! show me your paws!) Its amazing how the Monday morning QB's can have such "helpful" suggestions when its your life on the line.

Stonewall, I think you showed commendable restraint in not killing that hell-hound the first time he showed up within a hundred meters of your kids! I am glad it all worked out without loss of life.

Major Lord

[Stonewall]

Stonewall, I think you showed commendable restraint in not killing that hell-hound the first time he showed up within a hundred meters of your kids! I am glad it all worked out without loss of life.

Trust me, I'm re-hashing it through my mind and wish I had killed it when I first saw it.  While it was aggressive, it never got closer than 15M +/- to any of us and would run if you stomped your foot at it.  My wife didn't help matters any because she pleaded with me several times when I did in fact go outside and took aim.  I thought I got it taken care of when I nailed the wood to the fence, keeping it in my neighbor's backyard.  But of course, I was wrong. 

Fortunately, everyone is okay, no one even touched the dog or came close enough for it to touch us.  I know how things will end up with my neighbors and it's only a matter of time before SWAT kicks down their doors, I'm sure of it.  But until that happens, I don't want to be the neighbor that's known as the guy that will shoot your dog if I see it.  Kids in my neighborhood, and there are a lot of them, don't need to hear gunshots if I can help it.

I was actually a little disappointed in the police department's response.  If I were on duty and responded, I wouldn't have left until I knew the situation was under control.  The officer left without making contact or removing the dog from the property on Sunday.  Had to wait until Animal Control could show up on Monday.

My son is 16 months, it's not like he goes out and plays in the front yard unless we're out there with him.  Only thing that could have happened was my dog getting into it with the pitbull.  But I know, I'm pretty mad at myself for holding out.  I just expect too much from my neighbors since I live in a decent neighborhood.  All it takes is one bad neighbor to ruin a neighborhood.

[mikeylikey]

My son is 16 months, it's not like he goes out and plays in the front yard unless we're out there with him.  Only thing that could have happened was my dog getting into it with the pitbull.  But I know, I'm pretty mad at myself for holding out.  I just expect too much from my neighbors since I live in a decent neighborhood.  All it takes is one bad neighbor to ruin a neighborhood.

Nothing is more important than your Kids.  It doesn't matter if your son goes outside or not, things happen.  For example, you go to let your dog in, and that other dog runs in the house behind it and bites someone.  Relationships with your neighbors is a two-way street.  It seems like they have been rather disrespectful to you and your family.  I would seriously think about small claims for the fence.

Perhaps a letter from the family attorney threatening suit for mental anguish over the whole dog incident will be enough to line them out straight.

Anyway.....glad you got the dog out of there.     

[davedove]

And who's paying for the fence???

Yours truly.  Afterall, "it wasn't their dog". 

I don't know about your location, but in a lot of places, if you put up or repair a fence between properties, both parties are liable for half the cost.  A party that doesn't want to pay it's fair share can even be sued for the amount.

[Stonewall]

Not sure about the fence issue, but the fence has needed to be replaced for a while now and neighbors on both sides showed an interest in replacement months ago.  We just haven't taken action.  Of course, this was well before issues started to arise.

Mikey.  I know things happen, but I can't just go shooting things because what may happen.  I've got youngsters behind me and both sides; ages ranging from 3 to 9.  I see dogs loose in my neighborhood on a weekly basis, most of which have collars and probably just squeeze through the fence or got out the doggy door.  I'd be hard pressed to explain shooting dogs just because they're out on the street and can potentially hurt someone.   Granted this situation was different and new to me.  I never pushed the dog or provoked it.  If we saw it, we simply shut the door or scared it off, from the safety of our back door.  I agree, anything can happen, but the only thing I would have changed would be pushing the responding officer on Sunday to go look for the dog and confront it.  Naturally, when we needed it, we couldn't find the dog.  Kept running away.  Also, learned from the officer that another family called in from a different street, so it was making it's rounds in the 'hood.

[Ned]

Not sure about the fence issue, but the fence has needed to be replaced for a while now and neighbors on both sides showed an interest in replacement months ago.  We just haven't taken action.  Of course, this was well before issues started to arise.

Sounds like an opportunity here.  If the evil neighbor doesn't want to take responsiblity for the dog's damage, he might be receptive to the "it's time to replace our common fence" pitch.  (Normally, adjoining landowners are equally responsible for the cost of the fence.)

If he really is a good guy, this might be a face-saving way that will get the fence repaired without having to admit that he is responsible for the dog damage.

Just thinkin . . .

[Stonewall]

Just thinkin . . .

Always something good comes from you thinkin...

Oh yeah, the home owner himself is a good guy.  Retired Navy, works on computers, just doesn't have the same understanding that I do as far as how neighbors should act.  I think he's just in a bad position with him wanting to be the good dad and make sure his kids are taken care of and have a place to go when things get rough.  Unfortunately, I'm sure his kids abuse that open hand and open heart; or they simply just don't appreciate it.

[jimmydeanno]

...(Normally, adjoining landowners are equally responsible for the cost of the fence.)...

Not around here...if you want to put up a fence you need the town's approval (after submitting a design sample (paper) and the pretty side needs to face your neighbor's property.  You are responsible for it soley.There aren't any "joint fences" because they need to be at least 10 feet from the property line which puts it on your property or theirs. 

[flyerthom]

My hood

Suburbia NOOOOOOO!!!!

In all seriousness this might help the barking problem:

http://www.smarthome.com/61392-stop-dog-barking.html
http://www.tesco-shopping.com/DogOff.htm
http://koolatrononline.stores.yahoo.net/super-bark-free.html

http://www.welistit.com/tv.html?Tp=2&Vl=33&Pos=10
http://www.stopdogs.com/?gclid=CMH8hqP6jJACFSDyYAodtiK6tQ
http://www.izola.co.uk/bark-buster/body.htm



It's not right you might have to buy stuff to stop the dog from barking and using your house for a restroom but it beats having to crank off a few rounds and risk the vagaries of the court system.

[flyerthom]

On a side note, a Navy HM earned the Silver Star for actions in Iraq when he saved many Marines and killed many bad guys.

Is a Navy HM ALLOWED to kill MANY bad guys?

It was my understanding that medical personnel STILL went unarmed and were captured then indentured to care for wounded POWs with the assistance of supplies brought through the lines by the Red Cross/ Cresent. (According to the Geneva Conventions; had there been a change?)
...
Then again, considering the current oppositions failure to abide by the rules of civilized warfare, I can understand the reason you would arm a medic with an M4 carbine or M9 pistol. 

Medic!: The Story of a Conscientious Objector in the Vietnam War

[SAR-EMT1]

I think maybe I was misunderstood or misrepresented my question. I know medics go armed for self defense.
Let me put it another way: As a medic, I thought you had a "bag limit"

[Stonewall]

I think maybe I was misunderstood or misrepresented my question. I know medics go armed for self defense.
Let me put it another way: As a medic, I thought you had a "bag limit"

Dude, why are you in my "Neighbor Thread" with this medic stuff?  I think you're posting in the wrong forum.

[JohnKachenmeister]

We admitted it was off topic.  We'll stop now.