situation with neighbors...

[gtijohn]

Hello, I am looking for a little advice. I will try and keep it short..

The story starts 10 years ago when we moved in. I live in a rural part of Orange County (ok, most of Orange is rural). The neighbors (we each have 4 acre lots) have a dog that is part lab and part chow that they let run wild. Our house is in the middle of our lot, there's is pretty close to our property line. Anyway, whenever we go out front, or to check the mailbox by the road the dog would come charging at us and circle us barking and growling. I usually would just pick up rocks from the gravel driveway and throw them at him and we back off. We dealt with this for a couple years and called animal control. Their answer was that if he has not bitten anybody that it was not an issue.

Time goes by, we have our first child. We end up spending a couple grand on fence in front of our house so our girl can play out front without us having to worry about the dog. Finally, after numerous complaints they start keeping the dog under tighter wraps.

Time goes by, we have another child and the neighbors are now breeding and raising pit bulls. They let them run free sometimes. When they do, the usually end up in front of our house trying to get to our to tiny toy poodles. We complain to animal control, same result. We talk to the neighbors. Their answer is that they tell them not to come over but they just wont listen (how crazy is that). So, I put up another fence now between our properties (420ft). This just means that the dogs have to go around the ends and gives us more time to get in the house or car before they can get near us. This has worked pretty well for the last couple of years.

Time goes by, we have another child ).

Yesterday, the wife comes home from dropping off daughter #1 at school and has the other two in the car. She comes around the back of the house to get into the garage and finds the neighbors dogs. They have killed some kind of animal and are feasting on it right behind our house. She honks at them and tries to get them to leave, they start growling and showing there teeth at her in the car. She decides to go get the neighbors. She pulls up in front of their house and honks a few times. The mother (older lady) comes out. My wife tells her that her sons dogs are behind our house and will not let her into the garage. The old lady says "when my son wakes up I will let him know". What a load of crap that is...Wife's response is "I am calling the police." The Sheriff deputy shows up at our house just as the dogs are leaving and animal control rolls in a little later. Old lady says the dogs where never over there, but deputy tells them that he saw them leaving. Anyway, animal control does nothing. The deputy happens to live just across the street and tells my wife to just shoot the dogs next time. His wife will not go to their mailbox without a gun and will shoot them if they come over to her.

So, right now, my wife is going to get her permit to carry concealed, but I just noticed that it should be legal for her to keep a gun in the car (glove box) with out it. Is this correct. I am also getting her a better carry gun so that she can carry it more comfortably. She currently has a Colt 1991A1 Compact that is just to big and heavy to keep in her purse. We are looking to get her a Walther PPK/S 380.

Sorry for the long post, just kind of frustrated with the whole situation. We have written to the county commissioners and all elected officials that we could think of, but no help there...

If the dogs come back, I would hate to have to shoot them, but that looks like what is going to happen.

Thanks for reading and any advise that you might have.

John

[ProShooter]

It is legal for her to keep the gun secured in a container or compartment in the vehicle while she is in it and she needs no permit to do that.... Its not advisable to keep one stored for an extended period of time, especially when kids are in the car or the car is parked unattended.

[gtijohn]

Thank you,,that is what I was thinking...at least she can have something in the car until she get her permit. Then she can just keep it in her purse.

John

[OakRidgeStars]

Call the VA State Police Area 15 office and ask to speak to a trooper about nuisance animals in your county. The local LE is not your only avenue to pursue.

http://www.vsp.state.va.us/Div2.shtm

Area 15 Office (Counties of Culpeper, Madison and Orange)
Culpeper:
15139 State Police Road; 3 miles north of Culpeper, east of Route 29 and 15 on Route 342
Mailing Address: 15139 State Police Road, Culpeper, Virginia 22701
Telephone: 540-829-7415

[gtijohn]

Thanks...that is one thing we did not think of....will pass it to the wife.

John

[NewColonial]

S. S. S.

End of problem.

[Mindflayer]

I would rather keep a larger caliber for aggressive dogs.

[newdovo]

S. S. S.
End of problem.

I had to look this up. For the other unenlightened, this from Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shoot,_shovel,_and_shut_up

[Kuda]

Looks like you have the blessings of the local Sheriff's office (Deputy as a neighbor). Just ensure it occurs on your property, your kids are in a safe location (so they do not try and twist child negligence on you) and there is no road between you and the dogs. Most important, make sure you are the first one that calls the authorities. Good luck and happy shooting!

[gunderwood]

It is sad your neighbor is so irresponsible that they have put you in this position. While the job is distasteful, it sounds like it must be done to protect your family.

Handguns, of any kind, are not the best for your problem. I'd carry one, but understand that you will likely need multiple shots (shooting under stress) and it may not put them down right then.

If you plan on S.S.S., a suppressed .22lr to the head will work wonders. If you don't care about the noise, but are worried about ricochets or a wounded dog vice a dead one, try a nice varmint gun. Preferably greater than 6mm. I wouldn't use V-Maxs (probably won't penetrate sufficiently), but a Nosler Ballistic Tip is probably the best bullet for that job IMHO.

With the Nosler BTs you don't need anything special, any old rifle will do...even a 5.56mm. I have some 30cal 125gr BTs you could "barrow."

[M1A4ME]

Its amazing how sorry some people can be. I'm pretty lucky. Six houses (about three on either side of me) have dogs. The owners either keep them inside (small dogs) or pens (larger dogs). My two mutts are 10 years old and have never been in a dog fight with either the neighbors' dogs or stray dogs.

If I had an issue there are multiple ways of taking care of it.

[WRW]

Contact your Board of Supervisors and let them know you don't want what happened in Spotsylvania to happen in Orange.

http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Dog_laws_st ... nia_county

and carry a shotgun when in the yard.

[Palladin]

Garrett, you're just so darned practical!



...and at >4000fps, the resulting pink mist and fur cloud will disperse in the wind.

[Kuda]

Sorry for the seconds, but since I am new to the forum, I am unsure if it is gone unsaid, that this course of action is obviously your last resort to protect your kids, wife and self.

I have run into similar issues when I lived in MA, but was able to resolve it through the local police (animal control, a division of to PD took the dogs away). However, while in MT, I unfortunately witnessed this happening on a couple of occasions. The sad thing always being that it is not the dog's fault, but the irresponsible owners'.

Good luck.

[CowboyT]

There was someone on RugerForum.net that had to deal with a similar situation while his wife went jogging. He didn't "say" what he did when the dog menaced his wife, fangs bared. But the implication was very strong that he shot the dog.

Kuda's right. It's not the dog's fault, but the irresponsible owner's. "When my son wakes up I'll let him know"?? WTF?? Protect your family, man. You have to. That's your family.

Also, make sure your wife is proficient in hitting a moving target. If those dogs do go after you, her, or your kids, they ain't standin' still. They'll be moving fast looking to sink their fangs into someone. Practice shooting something that's running.

And finally, I'd suggest getting to know a good attorney. If someone gets bitten up, you'll want to sue those neighbors till you own their eye sockets. Yes, you must think this way, too, unfortunately.

[zephyp]

An aggressive pit bull on my property menacing my wife? Are you for real...here's what I would do.

Make one call to animal control. If they failed to come out immediately and rectify the situation I would call the local LE and explain the situation to them. If they failed to so anything I would give them a 30 minute ultimatum...no show by them or animal control results in a dead dog...end of story.

The difference is I live in Springfield and animal control would probably show up right away but if I were in your situation I would do the same.

Edit: since you're obviously being bounced around I would keep a written log of activity by your neighbors, dogs, and your phone calls to local twits...

[LFS]

Edit: since you're obviously being bounced around I would keep a written log of activity by your neighbors, dogs, and your phone calls to local twits...

Absolutely do this! If you end up shooting one of the dogs, they could drag you into civil court. You need to show that these dogs were a nuisance and you attempted all civil and legal means to resolve the issue. Have it written down.

[VBshooter]

As far as it not being the dogs fault. Yes it is.....Noone is controlling their actions, If they're aggressive its because they really are Aggressive...If they end up on their side with a large caliber air hole in their skull it's their action that got it for them. The jackass neighbor is guilty of is not keeping them in a pen and being a jackass for not helping alleve the situation. Wait till he wakes up?? Oh OK just wait I have a 12 guage alarm clock. The dog did the deed and in turn Fido receives the punishment as necessary..

[TheGodfather]

Rat poison and a juicy steak works every time.

[kps]

when I lived at my wifes place, one of the neighbors brought in a pit bull, well it attacked one of our dogs, it picked the dog up & was shaking by throat, it punctured its neck, didnt do much to our dog, just enough to make it bleed, I fired a shot in air from my tractor to scare the pit away from my dog, well they was warned, next time the dog was running circles around me growling, snarling, & wouldnt let me pass, I fired a warning shot & dog took off, & told neighbor next time I felt threatened dog would disapear, 2 times they was warned, the third its gone, they removed it & sent it to one of their childrens home, & of course someone of their new neighbors poisoned it because it was trying to attack the newer neighbors.

when I used to rent this house to a woman, a neighbor had a dog that actually pushed screen door open & went after the cat that was inside, & was growling & barking at her, she made the mistake of saying to the neighbor the next time dog came over she would shoot it, they called police on her, for threatening to shoot their dog, well I laughed in both their faces as well as the police, I said if dog comes growling & barking like going to attack you have every right to defend yourself, & that my tennant should blow the dog away, I said dont do anything for it trespassing but if it is trying to attack, you have every right to shoot it, & I said just call me & throw its carcas in the back of my truck & I would dispose of it for her, well neighbor bought a large pen for their dog, & then later they moved away, but pen still in their former backyard.

you have the right to defend yourself against any attack. you do not have to wait until your bitten, but a snarling growling dog, being agressive, is as good as dead in these parts. I see some dogs that travel a mile or two to visit my dogs & they are great & loving, but if they or another was being agressive, they would disappear, in your case I would probably have the hole already dug, so next time it did it I would have a place for it, but dont let anyone know it is dug or they could say you intentionally got rid of & I wouldnt have seen anything or know anything, & property would be posted with no trespassing signs. & a car would be parked over fresh covered spot for a few months. if no junk vehicle, then maybe a flower boarder for your new "flower garden"? lol

Randy