Someone shot dog...

[FLDave]

Hello all,
We've been living in our new house on 15 acres about 3 months now. About a week ago, a brindle colored 80 lb. dog appeared. He hung around for about three days and I finally had to feed him something. He made a wallow area in the dirt on our side porch and greeted me when we came home. He seemed like he was determined to become our dog. He would follow me throughout the property and was pretty good about staying in the fence line. He barked at the neighbors (who we don't get along with) when they would come home. I'm sure they didn't like it because they wanted our property also before we bought it. The woman's rich daddy never bought it for her though.

Well we came home late tonight and "Boy", my 9 year-old daughter called him, didn't come greet me on our driveway. On letting our other dogs out I found him lying behind our garage. I only found some blood which came from his mouth. I flipped him over and found he'd been lung shot with a small caliber bullet. He was still a bit warm but he was gone.

We had the police come out and they went to the neighbors abot 11:00 and rang their bell about 4 times and noone answered. They proceeded to walk around their yard with flashlights but noon came out. My wife and I know they were home and the police said it was kind of an admission of guilt that they didn't answer the door. It was like they went to bed early and could not hear the doorbell.

Well this is very upsetting. About 6 months ago I had to tell the woman next door to go home because she came over complaining that a piece of plastic blew from our construction site to her yard. She basically came over hollering at me. I told her I'd take care of it and told her to go home. I told her next time to call my builder and he was in charge of his subs not me. I also told her if she came and said hello and that she had a problem I would do anything for her but to come over hollering at me was bad manners and would not bring out the best in me. We haven't spoken since. Her husband never came over to see what happened either. She seemed to be more of the man of the house anyways.

Well, what should I do? Looks like of all the people in the world I had to pick out the worst possible to move next to. I'm already planting bushes on pur property edge to give us a little privacy and my wife wants me to build a fence to bring our horses away from them.

I don't want to do anything stupid but I am a little mad. Make that a lot mad.

How far would an old dog be able to go with a lung shot? How long does it take for rigamortis to start? What should I do about thse wonderful people?
/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
Thanks,

 

[Birdhunter1]

I have neighbors I don't get along with either. They go nuts when my dog happens to approach their fence or crosses it but theirs are free to raom and they chase very deer they can. Mine are only out when I am with them and that is usually on a daily run or when I am quail hunting.
Sorry about the dog, just mention, if you ever peacefully talk to them, that someone shot your dog and leave it at that. don't accuse them or even hint you know who might have and see how they react. Chances are you may see them become restless and "have to go."

 

[Richard]

I'm sorry about your loss. I can't say much about it because it happened to me once and still brings out a REAL ugly part of me that isn't over it.

 

[DUMBDOG]

I am sorry for the loss Dave. As how far can he go with being lung shot, all I can say that after deer hunting for many years, is that a deer can go a long ways even when shot with a high caliber bullet in the lung area. Therefore my best guess is that he was shot within a couple of hundred yards of where he came home to rest.

As far as the neighbors go, not much you can do, unless you can prove that they shot "boy" on your property. The best thing to do is just ignore them. It has worked for me here in town for close to twenty years. Our neighbors in the country are very friendly and have brought back our dog a couple of times after letting her romp with their dogs in the fenced yard for a while.

 

[Freds]

That stinks.
I'm not sure how far the police would go to determine who shot a dog, obviously there's ballistics and there would also be blood where it initially happened, which may go against you if it was on their property. I'm not sure on the time frames of rigamortis, but it sets in and then leaves where the body becomes limp again. Seems like not answering the door if they were home (for the police) would also be in some kind of violation.
I would say a high fence on their side of your property is in order. I would want as much separation from these idiots as possible.

Sorry for the loss.

 

[slowzuki]

Sorry about your loss, the dog could have gone a ways depending. It may be tough to get any action as he technically isn't your dog. Locally I think a cruely to animals thing can be pursued.

In our community there is an unwritten rule that dogs running loose will be shot as the run down deer and get in fights with dogs that are tied. Luckily/unluckily all the loose dogs have met cars before anyone had to shoot one.

Just remember it may be that your neighbour had nothing to do with it and it could have been some punk kid from the area or something.

 

[dummy]

Sorry for your loss. Amazing how quickly we can become attached to those guys. Fence, as high as you can afford for your protection! Now, if it were me, I would be really tempted to get some very large capacitors and "field charge" her side of the fence. If they're infact innocent bystanders, well no harm done. If they're really nosy, you should be able to hear the outcome of their nosiness! Unfortunately, reality is you'd be the one in trouble /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif

 

[ByronBob]

Is there any other neighbors around that might not like animals other than your neighbor? All points to them but I'd give them the benefit of the doubt for a minute.

 

[rcrcomputing]

Like your story. My dog, a rott, got shot three times. Twice in the head and once between his shoulder blades. The sorry neighbor that I think/know did it has moved. The vet said the last time between the shoulder blades right behind his head, that they must have walked right up on him and shot him while he was turned away from them. We found him on our property unable to move as the bullet hit his spine. We rushed him to the vet. It was touch and go for awhile and he's never been able to walk the same. That bullet is still in him, but the previous one in his head was removable and the other in his head bounced off the skull.
Hi is a giant of a rott that never bothers anyone. Though he may "talk" to you and is quite scary if you don't know him.

The neighbor in question was a sorry chickens**t anyway and we are glad they're gone. Weenies with a gun... Runs to his shed and shuts the door when confronted.. That's how most bullies/weenies are..

 

[OkeeDon]

Long story that's not really mine to tell, but my daughter and son-in-law have a bordering neighbor who's pretty bad. After lots of problems, they finally installed a 6' wood stockade fence along that property line. No more problems. When her boyfriend throws branches and things over the fence, my s-i-l just throws them back. It's a shame to have to put a screening fence on rural property, and 390' of fence wasn't cheap, but we now know that my granddaughters will be safe.