Dogs running loose

[charlton289]

We have 2 dogs running around my neighborhood and they have attacked my cats and others in the area. By the time we know that they are around it's to late and by the time I can get a way to get them gone they vanish. And there is no set pattern as to when they show up I have called animal control and said that they can set traps but other than that it is up to us and most of the neighbors don't care about what happens to them. As I said they vanish as fast as they appear. The only way we know that they are here is my dog barking and it also chases them away hopefully one of these days I can corner them and be done with them.

 

[Stimw]

One thing I have found when trying to report something to county agency is after telling them my complaint I will ask their name, position and badge number, ect.
I have had them ask why do you need that?
I tell them "for my records". I seem to get a better response.

 

[atsah]

That's to bad you have irresponsible pet owners near by, I have two loose pit bulls about 500 yards down the road that have never come on my property but I know it's a matter of time.. We have CCP and it's legal to open carry in Maine and a lot of people do, I do as well and hope they don't come and attack any animal or person on my property, I don't like shooting pets but you have to protect what's yours because no one else will..

 

[Jstpssng]

I admire your restraint. My puppy has come of age and he has become a chicken killer. My neighbor is furious and won't accept payment. If he doesn't quit escaping, I may shoot him myself.

That's a tough one, and I laud you for accepting that your pup is causing problems. Too many people think that their pet is so cute that their foibles should be overlooked. It took some time and a little socially unacceptable discipline to teach my Lab not to be too rough with them yet he still kills one occasionally; in my case though it's my birds and half of the reason that I keep hens is because he likes them.
(He isn't very spoiled, is he? )

 

[radios1]

I had a similar situation, but with loose cats.. I still remember my 8 year old nephew going out to feed his very nice, and tame duck, and running in crying because a cat chewed the head off it, just for fun.. it didn't eat anything.. people think that cats should be let outside to kill things.. we would capture those cats in a trap, and relocate them 20 miles away, for months after that happened.. in my area, dogs are kept out with a fence..

 

[goeduck]

I don't know about your area there in Indiana but here in the northern section of Ea WA state - anything I bury on my property is very soon dug up and hauled off by coyotes. Its long ago come to the point that anything I kill - coon, badger, skunk etc - I haul to a specific spot on the property and just leave it there. It has always been hauled off within two days. Burying is a wasted effort.

I know I have deeper topsoil than most but we bury cows about 5 down to the top and no issues, dead born calves we just let the coyotes have. No real bones left over, all soft, not like a cow. We let the buzzards and eagles eat one dead cow and those bones are still kicking around the place.

 

[atsah]

I take great care to bury anything I have to, the last thing I want to do is feed coyotes, I shoot them I don’t feed them, they are devastating the deer herds here and elsewhere.. We take it serious, we get together with calls and sniper rifles and on any given night we take 25 out at least..

 

[goeduck]

Easy to say, and we do that when possible, but with encroaching development (houses) on all sides there is not always a clear shot and not always time to deal with a dead calf a 3 AM.

 

[oosik]

I'm certain not going to get into a big disagreement on how predators should be handled. Two years ago the neighbor had a "hired gun" kill 27 coyotes. Didn't seem to make the slightest difference in the local populations. Me out here on my 80 acres - I'm completely surrounded by several bands of coyotes. Always have been - always will be. I enjoy listening to them in the evening. Them and all the other creatures that go bump in the night.

I just leave them alone and they don't bother me one bit. Kind of wish they would come in a little closer, at night, and get some of the pocket gophers.

You - out east there atsah- feel, for some reason, that they must be killed. That's OK with me - that is totally your choice.

 

[MossRoad]

I have 4 acres or so of woods. I suspect that nature would take its course if I put them back there. But I am hesitant to let to the coyotes know there is an easy meal found at my place.

The next step will be a warning shot.

I do not want to kill the dogs, but have to protect my dog and horses if it comes to that.

As Moss said (we live in the same county) it appears our local animal shelter ain’t comin out to do their job. I just might be at the next county commissioners meeting to object to continuing the contract with them.

The humane society's funding was gutted when South Bend pulled out and started their own animal control agency.... another government agency with government employees, and government benefits, that will have to be paid for eternity. It was a prime example of political kingdom building and crazy cat ladies getting ahold of a government agency. I despise South Bend animal control's existence. Not because of their mission, but because its an unneeded agency that will end up costing taxpayers more in the long run.

As for the humane society that serves you and me, they do an excellent job with injured animals, both domestic and wildlife, and they'll take any animal you'd bring in or pick up any animal that you capture. They just don't have the budget to send people out to trap stray dogs.

Get yourself a live trap and catch them yourself. They'll come out and get them.

We've had to trap several over the years. Most were just trapped inside our fenced yard, and we coaxed them into a shed. Other's were just fed some food and came right up to us and took a leash.

There's some good info on dog trapping on the Havahart website...
Humane Dog Traps (Large Sizes In Stock) - Havahart(R)

Good luck with the problem. It's no fun, that's for sure.