Last Saturday, we had another dog attack on our farm.
Not all dog attacks or dog owners are created equal and it is important that people understand the difference.
The first attacks happened shortly after I bought my farm. My neighbours, Bob and Ramona Carpenter, had an airedale that had killed 3 geese and both my peacocks. It also attacked a ewe and lamb, leaving me with bills for medication, etc. and two weeks of work in the barn. Upon hearing that her dog had killed my geese and peacocks, Ramona responded, “That is what happens to birds, they die.” As she shooed me out of her house amidst profanities, I told her I’d heard the same thing about airedales.
The Carpenter’s never did take any responsibility for their dog’s actions. Two years later when it attacked Bob, he shot it and went and bought another airedale that runs around the neighbourhood just like the one he shot. Enough said.
Deep gashes through to muscle tissue. An ear almost torn off.
On Saturday as I worked on our new chicken coop, Louise came running up the road screaming. She and her kids had just been making candles with our family and I couldn’t figure out what was going on. As I ran to the road she told me her dogs had attacked Blackie. We ran into the swamp but couldn’t find her. Louise went back to the road to console her two hysterical children. I searched the swamp and found Blackie stuck in the mud with the back of her head ripped up bad. When she got stuck, a log was fortuitously under her neck or she would have been dead with her throat torn out.
I hollered to my neighbour, Bob Crutch, and he came down to help get Blackie out of the mud and swamp, no small feat. Thank god he was home. Once on dry land, she walked back to the barn on her own.
Fifteen plus stitches and two hours later. A hope, a wing and a prayer.
When I contacted Louise later, she expressed sincere sorrow and anguish and offered to pay for a vet or any costs. I told her that a sheep is worth $250 and a Saturday night Vet visit likely $1000-2000. We would deal with it ourselves. She insisted on paying for any costs. Louise told me that when the dogs attacked, she grabbed Blackie to try and get her away but the dogs kept attacking Blackie’s legs and she bolted. When Louise caught up to Blackie, stuck in the mud, she could do little but sit on Blackie and fight off her two full grown huskies with her bare hands. She’s not a big woman. She came to the barn this morning to help me inject Blackie as I was alone. We discussed her dogs and I told her my concerns regarding livestock, wildlife and people, children in particular.
I have 4 dogs. Two are cupcakes but two can be ferocious and have caused issues. One is a livestock guardian dog and the other a blue heeler. Both consider the livestock and farm their personal property and while the maremma looks ferocious, it’s the heeler that will defend our farm until she’s dead. The heeler once defended our girls from an attack by Carpenter’s airedale, thrice her size. As I ran towards the girls, a blue streak came from the right and tore into that dog something fierce and chased it all the way to its front door. I work hard to maintain control of my dogs. They’re here for a reason and it’s not to attack people, livestock or wildlife. If left with no other choice, I will shoot my own dog or any of my neighbour’s. To date, I’ve never shot a neighbour’s dog, though I have been tempted.
The Champ. Her right ear will likely never rise due to muscle and ligament damage, if she survives.
I do not support the Dog Bylaw in Area H and likely won’t.
It is light on dealing with big issues and heavy on barking dogs. Penalties for attacks and barking are similar. It is poorly crafted, and I use that term lightly, but did meet my expectations of the RDCK.
You can’t introduce a bylaw that will create personal responsibility amongst bad dog owners and I’d far rather deal with my neighbour than any bylaw enforcement officer, police officer or legal process.
What kind of dog owner are you? Are you a Carpenter, or are you a Louise? The RCMP say I can shoot your dog on my property. Will you leave me to make that decision and carry that responsibility?
