Dog Threat? How to Handle? Laws?

I'm not sure how people can question whether or not to shoot a dog that is a clear and present threat to life and limb but not question the same about a human attacker. As the son of a vet, I grew up in a gun-free household with animals, raising and protecting baby squirrels, rabbits, etc. We never had fewer than 4 pets in the house. However, I know from experience in the office how dangerous and aggressive animals can be - even bad cats, which are far weaker than dogs, can rip you to shreds. Any animal bearing any number of legs that attempts to attack anyone where they don't have the right to protect things will get kicked, stabbed, or shot if necessary. People don't realize how many aggressive dogs there are out there... to fully understand, you'd have to talk to a guy like my father-in-law, a UPS driver who has been bitten countless times despite assurances of owners and electric fences.

EDIT:That's a great example of why you shouldn't assume! Thank you for sharing.
 
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All human life is way more valuable than a dogs. I love dogs, own 6 shorthairs myself but if one ever went for a human it would be dead quick.

In Omaha several people have been attacked by dogs, one guy shot one and saved the gal, he was a hero in the media. Folks just are not willing to put up with this type of behavior.

Responsible pet owners dont let their dogs run loose.

the story of a man and his dog attacked on his property by his neighbor's dog. He shot and killed the dog and that cost him $235,000 in legal fees.
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What state was this in? Iowa the owner of the attacking dog would be charged. Dog would be dead as I can shoot them on my property. legally
 
This is something not discussed very often
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Actually it is a fairly regular topic on this forum.

Check your local laws.
There will always be questions about what the appropriate amount of force might be. Just because in your mind, deadly force is the right thing to do, doesn't mean that everyone will agree with you, or that is even the case.

You should expect that you will have to defend your actions.
 
My philosophy is pretty simple. Take the bite then shoot the dog. Often a dog barking and rushing you has no intention of biting you. But you didn't know that. If it does bite you or someone else you have the right to defend yourself or protect the other person.

No one wants to shoot someone's pet but with pet ownership comes responsiblities. One of them is for your pet to not be a nuisance to other folks.
 
I'm w/McQuail, and I've used this as my standard on a couple of charges. None of the dogs actually ever bit, although they sounded and looked like they would. Once was by two charging dogs.

First bite, and it gets shot. Anything short of that, and I think you're on the defensive trying to explain why you shot and killed some 5 year old girls pet. Bite marks, and there is no question the animal was vicious and you feared for your life.
 
Call me a Nancy boy but I'll be darned if I'm planning to let a dog bite me just to prove its intent.

I live in a rural area and we have a problem with wild dogs attacking our cattle and now I have two small children. I shoot most uncollared dogs on our property on sight. I get very tired of people dumping unwanted pets "on the farm outside of town".
 
I have a couple of big "pups" that can get pretty rowdy. They are harmless, but to someone not dog savvy they don't look harmless. They are not well socialized so they bark vigorously at things they don't like or understand. I can see why someone not familiar with dogs would freak if they saw them running at them barking like mad. That's why they don't roam and the one that is least likely to be called off is never off leash.

If one of my dogs got off my property and scared you enough that you shot it, that would be my fault. If you shot one of my dogs on my land I'd do everything I could get you "married" in prison.

Now, the most dangerous dog I ever knew didn't make a sound before it attacked. It would nonchalantly walk up behind you and tear off whatever it got a hold of.
 
I agree completely. Go ahead and draw your weapon. Try to avoid the dog. If you are bit, shoot the dog. Then call the police.
 
I'm not going to suffer a dog bite before I defend myself, but I'm not going to just shoot some poor doggy because it's owner is an irresponsible idiot, either.

If you're armed, then you owe it to the public to behave in a responsible manner. A wiener dog nipping at your heels doesn't deserve a bullet, but a large dog that can do serious damage might. Anywhere I've ever lived, dog owners are responsible for keeping their animals under control at all times, usually meaning not running loose.

So, both sides need to practice responsibility. Gun toters need to remember the law and be responsible, and dog owners need to be responsible and keep their dogs under control.
 
I've got an interesting perspective on this. Last week a neighbor's dog got loose and ended up in our yard. I don't know these neighbors well, they live down the road. But we own the same breed, so we've chatted over the years. We both own a large breed that is often associated with problems.

So I see the dog in my yard, go out on the deck and call to him. I thought I'd just slip a leash on him and bring him home. As soon as this dog saw me he went nuts and charged me. Here's some irony for you, I was protected because I was standing inside my dog's kennel at the time, surrounded by 6' chain link fencing.

Long story short I ended up chasing the dog off my property with an axe handle, but I could still hear him barking from another neighbor's house. He ran from my place across the street and trapped a woman in her car while her five year old daughter was trapped in the house. So I got in my car and drove towards the other house. When he saw me in my car he followed me all the way to his home, I leaned on my horn until the teenager who was home came out and got him.

Five minutes later another neighbor came walking down the street with her three year old. I can't imagine what this dog would of done to them.

I confronted the dogs owner a few days later, told him that he needed to put his dog down before it created a tragedy. He blew me off.

I know dogs very well, I know this breed. His dog went out of it's way to come at me first, and then directly to the next person that it found, and I live in a rural area, the dog had plenty of options to just run away. I thought about shooting it when it was on my property, but hesitated because I own the same breed, I shouldn't have. Everyone on my street would be safer if I shot that dog.
 
Mainah, very interesting perspective...and yours is very much like the scenario that came to my mind when I read the title of this thread.

I live next door to a VERY vicious male Weimaraner dog that is seperated from my back yard by a rather old five foot privacy fence. This dog has repeatedly nearly clawed and chewed his way through the fence slats enough so that the fence needed repairs by my neighbor. My two year old daughter often plays in my back yard and I have often worried that this dog will somehow get through the fence and attack. Yes, I have spoken to the neighbor about my concerns, yet they did not seem overly concerned about the dog or my anxiety. I truly believe that I will be forced to shoot this dog if he ever gets through.

I am beginning to wonder if I should start a "paper trail" by calling the police to complain. Sitting here now and writing this, I wonder what would happen if he got through my fence today and I wound up shooting the dog if before being able to file a complaint?...would I be guilty of any crime?
 
Mainah, Skadoosh, call the cops. You need to get the system alerted to the problem now so that it can deal with it if, heaven forbid, a problem occurs. Strikes don't count if the umpire doesn't see them.
 
I am beginning to wonder if I should start a "paper trail" by calling the police to complain. Sitting here now and writing this, I wonder what would happen if he got through my fence today and I wound up shooting the dog if before being able to file a complaint?...would I be guilty of any crime?
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I'd start the paper trail now. I'd have the local Animal Control Officer over, and show him the damage to the fence. Ideally he'd get to see the dog's behavior too. You might also want to consider putting your own fence up.

I don't have an ACO in my town, we have coverage from the county and I know from experience I have a minimum thirty minute wait if I call the police. But Maine law does allow for shooting a dog in self defense, especially if you're on your own property.

I told my neighbor to his face that I'd shoot the dog if it ever came on my property again, the husband of the woman who was trapped in her car sent the guy a certified letter with the same message. It isn't the kind of statement that I am even remotely casual about, and as a dog lover I hated having to deliver it.
 
In Florida there is a (Leash Law) So CC's use the advise DR Strange gave & apply some thought. Any BIG dog 80-110 Lbs could hurt ya bad, Pepper spray
May work I use it while bike riding works great on 40lbs & under never hade to
use on any bigger & hope I never have too. ; )
Y/D
 
This thread is interesting. But still confusing. Say I could carry, (can’t in Illinois) and was minding my own business walking down the middle of the sidewalk. It’s perfectly legal for any law abiding citizen to walk down the middle of the sidewalk in any town I know of, at any time of the day. Your dog on your property, suddenly appears, running directly towards me, barking, growling, showing it’s teeth. No visible fence between the dog and me. I liken that to a person running towards me with a knife in hand. (Teeth same as knife) Your dog is a threat to my health and well being. I am sorry, but your dog is going to die. And I can get sued for this? You gotta be kidding me.
 
If the dog never leaves the property....

... then yes, you can be sued.

And most of us will both sue, and press charges.
 
So, the dog can commit assault, and you support it and would sue the person who defended hisself? I am not a lawyer, but feel like you would be responsible for your dogs actions. What if this attack from your dog caused a heart attack. I walk on the sidewalk, and do not retreat from dogs, or people. I have owned dogs all my life, trained lots of bird dogs. Just so you don't think I hate dogs. I read dogs pretty well, and would give a dog a lot of room to save his self before I acted. But it sounds to me like you feel it is ok for your dog to rush some one on public property and they will stop before they get to the property line?
 
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