Help pls! (dog killed chickens)

[VirginVegGrower]

He has compensated me for the costs of replacing the birds, and has apologised.

He was shocked at the replacement cost, but I offered to take him to where I bought them from and get a receipt for past purchase if he didn't believe me.

My daughter is quite upset by it all.

I'm off to clean up the mess and run out, put some bolts on it and concrete in any soft parts where anything else could dig under.

Make him clean the mess up, I assume it's not pleasant. Some folks honestly, you poor thing.

[chris]

Yup, VVG my new ones - one of the new ones survived - but she's in shock I think, so I doubt she'll last through the night. I can't believe the dog could shift a paving slab, gravel and wood to dig through like that. As it was so powerful I know that as soon as he got hold the birds they'd have been killed quite fast.

I'm so angry about it.

[chris]

Oh, and the dog got out of a bathroom window, jumped down onto a garage roof, then down - then made its way to our property.

*deep breath*.

Right really off now

[VirginVegGrower]

Yup, VVG my new ones - one of the new ones survived - but she's in shock I think, so I doubt she'll last through the night. I can't believe the dog could shift a paving slab, gravel and wood to dig through like that. As it was so powerful I know that as soon as he got hold the birds they'd have been killed quite fast.

I'm so angry about it.

I would be too, which is why I'd have him by the throat and make him clean it...but probably best not to listen to me there. I would be very tempted to call the RSPCA and report it still, but get the money off him first. The dog warden will not pursue this, the RSPCA just might. The thing is this dog could return if he thinks there is another chance. Which will now worry you senseless with two tots to think of. Have you brought the survivor inside?

[VirginVegGrower]

Oh, and the dog got out of a bathroom window, jumped down onto a garage roof, then down - then made its way to our property.

*deep breath*.

Right really off now

Oh damn it, that's a case out of the window literally then. Bu**er!

[Leeds_lad]

You hear about dogs doing this kind of stuff and getting a hold of Children.
Still a bad series of events but at least that wasn't the case this time!
Some owners ey, give the rest of them such a bad name

[binley100]

Jeez .... thats an awfully big bathroom window for an Alsatian to get through .

[rustylady]

You hear about dogs doing this kind of stuff and getting a hold of Children.
Still a bad series of events but at least that wasn't the case this time!
Some owners ey, give the rest of them such a bad name

The trouble is it isn't the owners who get a bad name, it's the dogs. Most of them have been neglected, badly trained, etc. etc.

[elizajay]

Hello Chris
I have just read this and am really sad for you and your family. I am sure you are all in shock along with your surviving chicken. One of mine was in shock for a week after an attack and failed to eat. Had to be put on critical care formula before she started eating again.
Jane

[rustylady]

He has compensated me for the costs of replacing the birds, and has apologised.

He was shocked at the replacement cost, but I offered to take him to where I bought them from and get a receipt for past purchase if he didn't believe me

So how did he find out what had happened? Did the dog warden turn up, or did the owner mysteriously find out where his dog was?

[veggiechicken]

Jeez .... thats an awfully big bathroom window for an Alsatian to get through .

And we all leave our dogs upstairs and leave an open window just above a garage roof? I suppose the alsatian was in there to stop burglars
Could have done better on the excuses line.......but how do you prove it?
Has the dog been seen roaming the streets before? And why did the dog decide to dig under a fence? Was it thin and hungry?

[VirginVegGrower]

And we all leave our dogs upstairs and leave an open window just above a garage roof? I suppose the alsatian was in there to stop burglars
Could have done better on the excuses line.......but how do you prove it?
Has the dog been seen roaming the streets before? And why did the dog decide to dig under a fence? Was it thin and hungry?

Quite, it's like me going out and leaving the window open downstairs for my little dotties to escape. It must have been desperate to dig like that. I still think it should be reported if no dog tag on as that is against the law. The warden could testify to that if it's the case. I can see why Chris is worried.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Surely there is damage to your property. The chooks were your property!

precisely the point.

[bearded bloke]

Deffo report it Chris,(police,dog warden & RSPCA) note details of the person (name,badge number,etc) who you are talking to,take pictures of everything & keep it all in a folder,pop down the citizens advice & ask them about how to apply the law in your particular case ..........

Dogs Act 1871

Under the Dogs Act 1871, any person may make a complaint to a magistrates court that a dog is dangerous, or report the matter to the police. If the court is satisfied that a dog is dangerous and not kept under proper control, it may make an order for it to be controlled or destroyed.

Section 3(5) of the 1991 Act clarifies the application of the Dogs Act 1871. The strength of the 1871 Act is that as it is not part of the criminal law, it operates on a lower standard of proof and proceedings can be taken even when a criminal offence has not been committed. It provides a remedy in a wide range of circumstances for the destruction, or imposition of controls, on dangerous dogs. A particular advantage of the 1871 Act is the fact that it applies everywhere, even in and around a private house which is why it is particularly appropriate for action on behalf of people such as postmen and women who are regularly at risk from dogs in front gardens.

Section 3(5)(b) of the 1991 Act enables a court to make an order under the 1871 Act that a dog is in future muzzled, kept on a lead, tethered or is excluded from specified places. This is a flexible provision which can be used to deal with a number of nuisance complaints about dogs including circumstances where dogs in one back garden cause fear of risk or injury to neighbours in another. Section 3(6) enables the neutering of male dogs in addition to, or instead of, other measures or controls.

[chris]

What are you going to do with the remaining gal?...get some companions asap???? Poor thing.

We'll get some more, I rang the place I got my last lot from and he's getting more stock (of the same as what we had before) in on Tuesday - which I guess will help my daughter by seeing the "same" chickens again. I'm not sure. There's a few other breeds I fancy, but my main concern is the amount of time this one is alone. At least it's the weekend and I can check up on her often.

You're a lot more forgiving for me. I would have no where let him, or his dog get away as easy as that.

I had to remain calm, at one point he challenged me (he was a lot bigger than me) but I stood my ground and said if he wants to 'go', then fine but I'd get the police involved afterwards. I knew, that due to the adrenaline I'd have the upper hand, but at the same time for once (as in the only time!) in my life I thought sensibly. It'd have not been in the chaps interest to hit me after his dog had killed my birds, which was at the back of my mind the entire conversation.

I would be too, which is why I'd have him by the throat and make him clean it...but probably best not to listen to me there. I would be very tempted to call the RSPCA and report it still, but get the money off him first. The dog warden will not pursue this, the RSPCA just might. The thing is this dog could return if he thinks there is another chance. Which will now worry you senseless with two tots to think of. Have you brought the survivor inside?

We called the Dog Warden, and Police (I think the RSPCA too, I can't remember to be honest my wife did all the calling), whilst I was driving home.. I've now concreted underneath the gate where the dog dug in, 2' down, 2' wide - no chance of him getting through that. I'm quite tempted to run two electric wires along the top of my fence now, I'll have to look into the legalities.

So how did he find out what had happened? Did the dog warden turn up, or did the owner mysteriously find out where his dog was?

Dog warden phoned us back, said the chap was looking for his dog, gave his number. The neighbour that backs onto him must have told him I had him tied up. To be fair, he thanked me for giving it water - but was cross that the lead I'd looped around his neck was tight (the dog was pulling on it to get to his owner, now in my back garden), which I pointed out I had no other way of tieing it up, and I'd tied another rope around his neck, with a knot to stop it getting too tight anyway. I had to force the dog back for him to slip it over his head.

And we all leave our dogs upstairs and leave an open window just above a garage roof? I suppose the alsatian was in there to stop burglars
Could have done better on the excuses line.......but how do you prove it?
Has the dog been seen roaming the streets before? And why did the dog decide to dig under a fence? Was it thin and hungry?

It wasn't thin, it was well looked after (no collar though), very, very powerful. The only way I could get it in my back garden, was walking it around my house - but lifting it up by this lead, so it acted as a choke. Sounds horrible - but it soon got the idea I wasn't going to mess around. Thinking back, I've no idea how I managed to lift the animal, nor how I managed to hold it against my house wall, and loop the lead over it's head. At one point, when its hackles raised up, and he lifted his lip I thought I was going to be bitten but thankfully no body (dog included!) was hurt. I can't say that I didn't want to hurt the dog, my neighbour said if he was in my shoes he'd have done - but growing up with dogs, and seeing first hand dogs kill - I know it's in their nature. I'm just mad the dog got out of the window (side opening, so plenty of room for it to do so). I can't think why the dog wanted to get out so bad though, and how / why it decided to come to my house? It's not exactly like we're "neighbours".

Deffo report it Chris,(police,dog warden & RSPCA) note details of the person (name,badge number,etc) who you are talking to,take pictures of everything & keep it all in a folder,pop down the citizens advice & ask them about how to apply the law in your particular case

Spoke to them, and asked what grounds I had, and if the barking (it does bark a lot - does my head in!) could constitute anything towards charges being pressed. It's up to the police, and the RSPCA/Warden can only get involved if the dog is being ill treated, but even if it's left outside all day, as long as it had access to water and shelter then there's nothing that they can do. I asked about the owner provided a secure area for it, and they said they have to - I guess in this case the owner didn't expect it to jump out of a window.

Looking back now, I don't think I'd have changed the way I dealt with the situation, the bloke didn't question the compensation I asked for (£40/bird). I told him initially I wanted him to go and buy some wood or concrete to block up the hole the dog dug, but then I decided to do it myself, as I'm picky - he's not the sort of person that I'd usually be friendly with, without sounding disrespectful.

I'm still upset by the matter, but the main thing is that no person was hurt and the situation has been sorted out, compensation wise. I've been around the garden now, and made sure that there are no more soft spots for entry, which, there aren't. I feel a bit guilty about clipping their wings, but if I hadn't they could have flown over the fence, and caused chaos with traffic (as the survivor was doing).

When checking the garden for weak spots, I found a blackbird chick that had some how fell between my garden wall and chicken run (about a 2" gap). Had to dismantle part of my run to get it out, as I felt so guilty about my birds I didn't want that one to starve to death. The moment I took it out, it was chirping away - its parents came down and fed it on my garden. Found it had cut under its wing, so gave it a quick squirt of purple spray (no idea of that was the right thing to do!), and have now put it in a box with straw in it, wedged between a tree and a fence... will go out at dark and put the box & chick in my garage incase a cat gets it at night - then put it back out again tomorrow. If I can't find the nest I'll keep doing this until it's strong enough to fly away.



Can't be doing with the death of this little chappie on my mind!