The worst thing about the whole situation is that the lady who came to pick the dogs up was completely clueless about what had just happened. Her dogs left her property , turned left, came across the road and attacked my horses, unprovoked. Had the dogs turned right and trotted about 1/4 mile down the road, there is a neighborhood full of kids who play outside, up and down the street. The dogs could very well have seen these innocent children running, and laughing and yelling as prey. I think that anyone who is taken aback about shooting a dog that is harrasssing livestock would have a second thought if they realized that you could just as easily substitute the kids down the street for my ponies. Would we have an issue shooting the dogs if they were attacking a child playing hop scotch in the road?
I don't want to kill anything..... my son had a good clear bead on the dogs and could have shot, but his dad and I stopped him 'cause when he could get a clear shot the horses weren't being threatened. I just hope that the education given to these folks by the Animal Control Officer will be enough to convince them to be responsible dog owners. |