Roaming dogs suck.

For AWARENESS purposes. We have had roaming dogs killed in our community a few times recently. People are quick to judge the person that shoots the dog. This is NOT the shooters fault. Perhaps you can see this from the other sides point of view. This is 100% the dog owners fault. I know accidents happen, and it does suck...but many roaming dogs are chronic roamers and their owners are completely irresponsible. I have livestock, we have THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of dollars into them. I can not express how their loss would affect our family. There are laws protecting livestock and their owners, we are within our rights to shoot a dog that is so much as chasing or harassing livestock on up to actively attacking or eating livestock. It does not mean we hate dogs...or are out looking to shoot peoples pets, we are protecting our own animals and livelihood. Protect yours, by keeping them home. Below is a SMALL sample of some testimonies from livestock owners that have suffered losses due to roaming dogs. Also Here is a copy of the WA statute.... XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
RCW 16.08.020 DOGS INJURING STOCK MAY BE KILLED.
It shall be lawful for any person who shall see any dog or dogs chasing, biting, injuring or killing any sheep, swine or other domestic animal, including poultry, belonging to such person, on any real property owned or leased by, or under the control of, such person, or on any public highway, to kill such dog or dogs, and it shall be the duty of the owner or keeper of any dog or dogs so found chasing, biting or injuring any domestic animal, including poultry, upon being notified of that fact by the owner of such domestic animals or poultry, to thereafter keep such dog or dogs in leash or confined upon the premises of the owner or keeper thereof, and in case any such owner or keeper of a dog or dogs shall fail or neglect to comply with the provisions of this section, it shall be lawful for the owner of such domestic animals or poultry to kill such dog or dogs found running at large. XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
- Owners of the dogs that killed our rabbits had to pay us twice the value of the rabbits lost, plus fines for dogs at large, trespassing, and menacing/killing of livestock.
 - I lost 30 adults, 20 jrs and almost 100 market rabbits from dog attacks in a matter of hours, the doe survivors aborted their litters. There were about $7k in losses not including the equipment damages. No vet was gonna treat the number of dismembered rabbits
 - I know a lot of people don't want to see this...had a total of 5 goats killed by 2 stray dogs..
 - I lost 27 chickens in less then 15 minutes to two Jack Russell terriers that got loose from their owner. His home owners insurance paid but it put a complete halt to my egg business.
 - I lost a baby and mom. Took a video and animal control deemed the dog dangerous and the owner has to pay a certain amount a year to have it and if the dog is loose again the owner will get a misdemeanor charge. Rabbits are considered livestock. I live in Sequim Washington.
 - A dog got my brothers chickens we charged not just for the chickens but for lost income on the eggs. We estimated low at 200 eggs a year for 3 years, as they were young chickens.
 - A husky got out of their play area, scaled my fence, grabbed my goat, scaled back over the fence and took off. All while my children were outside playing with my goat kids. My husband ran outside, climbed the fence and ran down the dog. Luckily the goat lived. I live two minutes from the vet clinic I work out of. Her front leg was broken, her shoulder was fractured. Cost about $1000 when all was said and done. I'm still mad about it. I'm just glad I didn't lose her. The people resp for the dog covered everything.
 - A few months back, 2 huskies broke into my rabbit shed and ripped several of them out of their cages and killed them. The dogs were taken by animal control because they had killed other livestock also.
 - I've had it happen twice about a year apart. A dog killed five rabbits the first time. Didn't see the dog at all, but found a dog tag with the bodies. Second time a year later it killed four rabbits plus a doe and her kits and also managed to pull three kits out of another mama's cage. It was devastating as most of them were my kids' 4-H bunnies. We were also doing meat bunnies and selling to a local man who has a rabbit meat to restaurant business and we lost a lot of stock. We talked to animal control but because I never saw the dog they couldn't do anything.
 - I lost one young doe to loose dogs she was due to kindle the next day, when I went back into my rabbitry I found 6 of my fryers had all of their back toenails pulled out. the damage was more emotional than expensive. But the next day those same dogs killed an alpaca across town, they had no tags and no one claimed them the alpaca had cost its owner $1500.
 - Even if the dog doesn't manage to get in the cage they can cause the rabbits to break their backs from panic. A gruesome end. People have stock worth thousands of dollars, and lines they've spent years and years breeding that can be wiped out. I had a guy in one group who had a rare breed and all but a few were wiped out by a dog that jumped through an open window in to his barn. Many of the survivors had toes eaten off or other injuries. Each rabbit would cost $200 plus to replace, plus lines he lost, and lost fiber production. It was terrible.
 - Our neighbors pitibull attacked our sheep last year. The vet bill was at least $2500. Luckily for them none were pregnant or killed. The dog owner paid...wasn't happy about it either.
 - What most people don't realize is that 90% of the damage is under the skin.. they see one or two punctures but they DON'T see the crushed bones, the skin torn away from the muscle, torn muscles etc.. NOT to mention that the stress of being run can and will cause goats to die DAYS later due to organ failure brought upon by stress and lactic acid buildup in the body. I WISH I had pics to share.. every goddamned year I am treating at least a dozen goats (not mine) for dog attacks.
 - I had a doeling and a bucking killed about 3 weeks after I got them. I also had another doeling attacked who died a few days later. They cost $650.
 - friends bought one of my doelings. She was a house goat and lap dog and the children's favorite pet. They let her graze in the unfenced front yard while the front door was open and they sat inside 10 feet away. A pack of 3 neighborhood dogs wandered up out of nowhere and before the family could respond one dog had her by the throat and the other two disemboweled her in front of the kids. She was strewn all across the front yard as the family yelled and ran out and the dogs drug her to the edge of the road before dropping and running off.

No one wants to shoot a dog, but livestock owners have a responsibility to OUR animals safety. Be responsible for YOURS.