Your concern is understood and justified - not that you should _have_ to justify it. No reason not to take you at your word that the dog is a potential threat, and no reason you should have to lock yourself into your yard because of it.
Dogs do unpredictable things. Mean dogs can do predictable things. I'd really bypass the whole asking ahead of time thing, because it'd possibly make it look like you were just waiting for a chance to have an excuse to shoot it.
As a Texas resident and a CHL holder I can tell you that regardless of what the local police may say, you better check with a lawyer. Civil law is MUCH nastier in some ways (burden of proof, etc.) than criminal law or local ordinance.
Texas state law generally allows the use of "deadly force" to avoid "serious bodily harm" to yourself or another. The odds that the local law enforcement folks in Texas would gig you for illegally discharging a firearm in their jurisdiction if you met the first hurdle are negligible.
The odds that your neighbor will sue for emotional distress, depravation of companionship (who knows what he did with the dog?), etc are very high.
Never confuse the law with common sense. (Thomas Payne)
In any case, your "trusty" SKS is a BAD choice. It is not trusty (it's a HOS), it fires (if it fires without blowing up) an FMJ round that will put a knitting needle hole in a dog (doesn't stop or kill), and the house behind it and anything in between. Shotgun, #1 buck, as many wild dogs on my property (600 AC) can (or could) attest is the requisite medicine.
WTH is this doing on this NG????? Why am I responding??? Aggggh!
It's an odd question for your first post to this news group.
One thing I do _not_ recommend is opining like Dave, but that goes without saying.
Having been "in the business" until a few years ago, I can tell you that you will have to substantiate the threat and also answer the question on teasing. This because, by nature, dogs defend a territory; they do not seek to acquire it at others' expense. It is far more common to discover aggression on the part of people - notice the replies - than dogs.
You need to determine the local ordinances on dogs. Leash laws are common, and simply getting the dog picked up a couple of times can result in issuance of a confine or destroy order. If you can't convince your neighbor to control the dog, bring in the persuasive power of the boys in blue or brown. If the dog is aggressive to them, he will suffer the consequences.
Worst thing you can do is shoot the dog, especially if there are no bite marks on a human.
Hence the "shut up" part of the 3 S's, yes.
It depends. I have a 1950 Russian SKS that has never had a problem. Chicom crap, yeah, not so good.
Sorry, not a fair claim. I don't know that the SKS has a reputation for KaBooms.
Winchester, Remington, and several others manufacture a variety of ammo for this caliber. It's about as effective on deer-sized creatures as a .30-30.
I'm a fan of #8 shot, myself, but haven't had to do the dog thing. Works fine on coons, though.
Yeah, I thought for a while I was in misc.rural until I checked the headers. Was confused why someone would bring up firearms ordinances in a rural context. But, most guns have wood stocks, so there ya go.
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"Clint" snip
Sound advise. However, we have had some recent cases where loose pit bulls have mauled and killed some kids. When my kids were young, I kept and eye on them. Get and train your own dog to protect the kids.
Dave
How so? Guy asked for opinions. Don't like mine? Feel free to killfile me.
Which business, exactly?
And all dogs are the same in this regard?
Sorry if you take it as aggressive that I'm offended by the idea that _I_ should have to fence my property to control someone else's problem animal. Further, pointing the blame at the kids, without finding anything out about the situation, is asinine.
That's a great idea, let's just call 911 and wait for someone to show up. Hopefull the kid will still be recognizable by the time they arrive.
So I'm supposed to wait for the dog do bite my kid _before_ I do anything? Why, exactly?
Yeah, it seems that this discussion is both ignoring and confirming that! If it's a matter of stopping an imminent threat, the dog is the appropriate target. If the shooting is intended to be preventative, the owner may be the better target (but of another action, not of deadly force!). Nine times out of ten, a mean dog will become docile with a new owner, but a new replacement dog bought by the same owner will be mean. (No, I have no data to back up this totally unsubstantiated opinion.)
"Worry about the legal niceties later, after their safety is assured."....
.....And their daddy is in jail.
Folks, I have no problems with guns....it's the guy holding them that I many times question the wisdom of.
Owning a gun is a privilege and with the gun comes the responsibility if it is used.
Use a gun properly and you may save a life...use it wrong and you may spend the rest of your life in jail and bankrupt your family.
TMT
Thu, Nov 17, 2005, 7:47pm (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@spamcop.net (Dave=A0Hinz) pretty well covered it: it's never ethically wrong to value your kids over a threatening dog.
I'd keep an eye on my kids while they were outside. I'd also say a shotgun, about #4 buckshot, no rifle - better chance of a hit, and less carryiing range, and penetration. No single shot, you may need an immediate second shot.
If the guy's curious about the "legality" of it all, he needs to ask locally, and ask somone who would actually be qualified to give a pertinent answer. I live in NC, and have no idea how "legal" it'd be. Might be a good idea to tell some authority he's worried, just to have it on record, if he ever does have to take action. That's called PYA.
Me, a dog came in my yard growling at my kid(s), I'd be out there with a loaded shotgun, holler at it to git, if it kept moving, it'd stop moving. That's the point I'd be sure to contact the local law. Might also be tempted to sue the dog owner.
But, that's just me. I'm a people person.
JOAT Just pretend I'm not here. That's what I'm doing.
For shooting a DOG? Where the hell do you live? I sure wouldn't want to be there.
So you would have my kids mauled while I stand by watching it. Lovely.
Yes. You wouldn't want someone who doesn't know what they're doing, using deadly force. I guess those people get to dial 911 and wait, and hope for the best.
And shooting a dog is wrong in your mind, when it's attacking your family? If not, then why did you bother to respond as you did?
Thu, Nov 17, 2005, 7:58pm (EST+5) snipped-for-privacy@nowhere.non (Clint) If the dog is close enough to be threatening to the kids, I think it would be too close to the kids to fire a weapon at. IMHO.
One of the results of proper firearms training is not only safe firearms handling, but to be able to hit what you aim at. AND, to NOT take an unsafe shot. The appropiate action would be to approach close enough to be sure of missing the kid(s), and hitting the dog. Duh.
JOAT Just pretend I'm not here. That's what I'm doing.
Dogs don't growl unless they are serious; especially if they are out of their territory and have no reason to be defensive. You can shoot a person who is about to attack your child; certainly a dog in your yard.
However, be prepared for a lawsuit, a criminal investigation and so on. It would be nice if you had no other reason to shoot (such as you have warned your neighbor about what would happen if he didn't clean up after his dog...) and some witnesses.
Thu, Nov 17, 2005, 3:20pm snipped-for-privacy@velocity.net (Jerry=A0S.) doth sayeth: Sounds like the perfect opportunity to use your pointy stick.
Exactly.
Tied to the barrel of your shotgun.
JOAT Just pretend I'm not here. That's what I'm doing.
Thu, Nov 17, 2005, 2:07pm (EST-3) snipped-for-privacy@teamcasadot.org (Teamcasa) doth sayeth: loose pit bulls have mauled and killed some kids.
Not just pit bulls. And, not just kids, adults too, some in their
20s and 30s. Ever see any videos of pit bulls biting tires and puncturing them? Scary.JOAT Just pretend I'm not here. That's what I'm doing.
Point of correction, Owning a gun is a RIGHT.
You bet your sweet ass. Every hear of animal cruelty? IN the OP situation, the dog was GROWLING at the kids. IMHO a good attorney would argue that growling did not constitute an iminent danger. If the dog were ATTACKING - no problem.
Seems like a ridiculous situation but unless you live in the boonies of cow country you better have a damn good reason to shoot ANYTHING or you will go to jail or at least get sued by the animal's owner.
What an idiotic comment - needs no response.
Frankly, the way most people shoot, and especially under a pressure situation - they'd probably miss the dog and hit the kids. I repeat - if the dog is standing there growling - you have no right to shoot it. And if it's a rapidly moving target running towards your kids - you have just as good a chance at hitting your kids.
Rambo might make the shot - doubt about too may people in real life.
On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 19:31:49 GMT, with neither quill nor qualm, snipped-for-privacy@tx.net (Paul Brumman) quickly quoth:
Don't call the cops, call the local DA to see if he would charge you for it. Laws, cops, judges, and DAs all can have differing ideas, but it's the DA who either pursues it or not. He has the last word.
-- Save the Endangered ROAD NARROWS! -|-
Go find someone else to fight with Dave...I stand by what I said.
Pull a trigger only if you are willing to be fully responsible for whatever happens....same thing goes for driving a car, owning a dog, etc.
TMT
I just don't understand how this one got going. The frigging dog hasn't done anything. The guy doesn't like the dog, but the dog hasn't threatened his kids, who are afraid of the animal. His yard has a low fence, but he said nothing about the dog coming to the fence, threatening the kids, etc.
Yet about half you guys are up in arms, ready to blow the mutt away.
Ridiculous.
I do like the idea of the squirter with ammonia, or the pepper spray. Non-lethal, but effective. Screw up and hit one of your own kids and you have tears instead of blood.
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