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?
I don’t support the bylaw either, but I sure wish some people would take responsibility for their nuisance dogs. Kudos to your neighbor for doing just that, even after the fact. I don’t want my beloved cats ripped apart by someone’s dogs coming into my yard….I take great pains to make damn sure my dog stays at home, either through physical barriers or good training, and I expect nothing less of my neighbors. If your dog wanders, it is YOUR responsibility to remedy that….I don’t have a gun, and would have a hard time shooting a dog even if I did, but I fully support land owners shooting nuisance dogs (AFTER warning the owners, if possible). Especially if you have poultry or livestock that are being harrassed by said dogs. Maybe if everyone knew their dog could be shot for wandering and chasing livestock they’d be more concerned with training or confining their dogs.
I’d have a hell of a time shooting a dog too. I love dogs just like you and it certainly isn’t something I’d take lightly. Living in the country isn’t like living in town where you can’t shoot a firearm without being arrested. It is a regular occurrence rurally, whether it be livestock going down, hunting, bears or other varmint.
Hey Jim. Good points. We too do not feel the proposed bylaw is well thought out. It was simply scooped from another jurisdiction and I think it was designed to fail.
Our little Boston Terrier bit someone on the rail trail the other day (not serious) and now we will be taking further measures to ensure that none of our dogs, big or small, can get off of our property.
Like the blog Jim.
Anyone who says your Boston Terrier scared them is a wussy but we all appreciate your efforts to keep the varmint at home and know that a dog attack at your farm could be far more expensive and serious than the one that occurred here.
Coming into winter, wildlife, mainly deer, also become vulnerable to dog attacks. The Prov wildlife act allows dogs accosting deer on crown land to be shot too. Many dog owners are very responsible. It is difficult to believe the family pet would ever rip bambi’s throat out, but dogs are very instinctual. Good training is expected, a good fence is better. Taking responsibility after the fact, seems rare, even when it is possible. Way to go Louise.
I hope your ewe is doing OK, JR,
Your post is well illustrated with stories, and well reasoned, Jim.
I suppose that instances where law enforcement (police action) actually somehow results in improving a person’s responsibility level ARE in a minority. Still, in many domains some sort of legal statute may serve as a guideline. You can’t, for instance, actually make all motorists drive consistently on the right side of the highway – especially on lonely, little-patrolled roads. But it seems good that law – as well as custom and habit – informs us about a collective guideline and a personal responsibility.
(That’s an illustration of a general principle, and I realize the parallel may not be all that close. Won’t quibble it.)
But this is pertinent, I think: There’s that woman friend of mine, whom I mentioned months ago, who was the victim of a chase by two full-grown mastiffs while she was riding a bike on the rail trail in north Appledale. She was bitten badly by one of them. She could not approach the property owners, since they left the particular rural acreage (on which the dogs were customarily fed) generally unattended. And my friend did not own a rifle and is not a markswoman, and lives alone. The police said they had no regional-district bylaw to work with, and so could not get involved with the situation.
“The Wild West” is wonderful in some ways, but not so wonderful in others. LOL
Anyhow, I especially liked your point about your personal attitude to the proposed bylaw. The point being that intelligent people will not support a badly crafted piece of proposed legislation. I agree with that.
Great comment, Joel.
I can’t speak for Krista or Brian but suspect that they would support a bylaw that was measured and thoughtfully conceived. I know I would.
I recall the previous discussion of your friend and take your point. We shouldn’t have to walk around with firearms to protect ourselves from dog attacks. A common solution in most ranching and farming areas meets resistance in the Valley. Dispatching animals in never pretty.
In terms of the RCMP having no jurisdiction, I call bullshit. This is merely their response to a severely limited and invisible police presence in the Valley. It’s how they manage limited resources and questionable priorities. We likely have 5 undercover officers to every uniformed one in the Valley.
If someone was attacked and killed, RCMP would get involved. An attack with a different outcome is no different. Officers are sworn to keep the peace and as such, this is a problem within their mandate.
Darcey’s comments about wildlife raise another good point. Dogs that attack people, domesticated animals and pets are likely running or killing wildlife as well and a call the local Conservation Officer may be in order.
All this talk of laws and police reminds me that I’d rather deal with my neighbour unless they are irresponsible dog owners. Then I’m left to ponder my options which might include supporting a decent bylaw.
An update;
Blackie appears to be doing great. Still some draining in one area but I have concerns I did too good a job stitching her up. Sheep don’t deal well with infection or any dead tissue.
Louise is coming tomorrow morning to give me her opinion as a vet assistant. I’m a new farmer with a needle and a prayer. She saw Blackie two days ago and her perspective will be helpful as will her assistance injecting Blackie with penicillin as she is getting more frisky each day.
Louise has also had her dogs tied up or on leash since the incident. She plans to repair her fencing to keep her dogs on her property and and has kept her dogs on leash when off her property. I’m okay with that.
Hi All
I guess I will be the evil twin on this thread but I did put a dog bylaw in Area E out of mortification when I was first elected. A dog breeder myself once upon a time….yes Siberian Huskies and a dog owner, once of an Irish Wolfound, I have paid my share of fees for dead chickems when my huskies broke their chains and got loose to go miles to kill as many chickens as they could find. I also had to fetch the Wolfound out from under people’s beds when she would bust into their houses for fear of thunder.
However in my first months after being elected, two small women at seperate times were charged by dogs in Area E knocked off their bikes and bitten. In one case the injuries from being thrown off the bike were so severe that the woman was off work for over four months….no apology, no compensation in either case. Seniors were walking with sticks and umbrellas to fend off dogs while trying to get excercise and exotic farm animalskilled by 2 fido type dogs , deer ran to death by dogs, dogs charging cars in snowy days, man with 12 dogs was defiantly letting them bark all night causes neighbours to become ill, and the regular bylaw officer was getting 30 dog calls a month from two rural areas. Its not her job. The police cited no bylaw as the cause for lack of action on their part.
My instructions to the bylaw officer are to not bother “Mopsy ” on her rounds and not hassle old uncle Fred if his dog is quietly walking off leash by his side but to focus on pervaisive problem dogs and owners and to ensure public parks can be enjoyed by everyone without being jumped over by dogs ,having kids knocked in the lake and coolers peed on. We don’t enforce the letter of the bylaw which I asked to be weakened some…maybe still not enough, but it has made some difference in Area E.
Ramona
Thanks, Ramona.
I guess my feeling is the proposed bylaw has lots of bite for barking but a bunch of barking for biting.
And I have to ask. After your huskies ran about killing chickens (and who knows what else) did you continue to breed, sell and own them? When dogs break their chains to go kill animals, are they pets or a liability?
If I found out my dog was running about the neighbourhood killing chickens, I would consider paying for dead animals a cop-out and kill it myself.
“If I found out my dog was running about the neighbourhood killing chickens, I would consider paying for dead animals a cop-out and kill it myself.”
Jim, you’ve expressed an admirable level of responsibility. And if you live by that – and I expect you do – then I commend you for.
People tend to develop ethical outlooks and habits when young. Teaching any upcoming generation about “other people’s rights” and about being ethical is a very challenging chore – ’cause it’s not just YOUR kids who need the input, but other people’s too.
A big problem with “pure libertarian” models of modern society is the spotty presence of your degree of responsibilty, Jim, within society. (Hey, forget “society” – that’s too big a term. Try “within our communities”).
Taking an animal’s life is always difficult, I find. I generally know each of our livestock personally. The ones I often have to put down prematurely are the same ones I’ve struggled to keep alive and know intimately. I’ve got one in the barn right now.
I know I could and would do it with a pet dog and that knowledge alone makes me far more aware of my dog’s activities and behavior, Joel. I’d far rather use severe training and correction than a bullet as I’d consider that an admission of failure and a waste of a fine animal.
Hi Jim
No, didn’t continue breeding for long. When the last litter was sold and 1 set of customers wanted to return one of their 2 dogs for killing sheep and my 2nd female husky died, I did not breed any more nor purchase that breed again realizing that as a young mom of 3, I didn’t have the time and focus needed to raise such a challenging breed. Living in the suburbs or in the city breeding and showing dogs was very different than trying to control them in a natural environment and in an agricultural area. In the end they spent much time in a pen. They were not aggressive to people or dogs.
The point is aside from me not killing my dog for its natural hunting tendancies, I tok responsibility for their actions which is very different than not calling apologizing or offering financial compensation to the victim or farmer which in the case of Area E was the situation.
Neighbour to neighbour solutions only work when people are neighbourly and barking all night can cause illness and upset in children and those that need to work the next day, so even though not as visual as physical attacks, it is still a form of aggression against the community.
Blackie’s getting positively frisky and trying to sneak out the barn door when we open it. We’ve chased her around the barn the last two days to treat her. Most of the stitches came out tonight and it looks like we’re over the hump. She won’t like it but she’s spending another week in the barn.
All the other animals have been very concerned. The sheep lay in a semi circle at the barn entrance in the morning. Carlos the cat comes to the barn each time and meows and purrs at Blackie while rubbing against her legs.
A big thanks to those who helped; Dr. Chris Chart (giving advice while on vacation), Bob Crutch (the best neighbour, ever), Louise (who’s very happy Blackie is on the mend and has had her dogs in check since), Michael Mills (antibiotics, syringes, electrolytes and encouragement, didn’t want any money) and my partner Rachel who is always solid as a rock and filled in all the holes.
Blackie (AKA Floppy) is one lucky sheep.
Good tohear about Blackie.