Came home from work today and this is what I saw.


It almost came up the other side. I think it's a big pitbull/boxer mix that's been running with a pack around here. I'm outside the city limits, so no animal control. My neighbors are all close...too close. He always does it during the day when I'm at work. I don't know who owns him or I would pay them a visit. I'm also just renting the house, but I'm responsible for the yard. What should I do? I don't wanna shoot it. Someone would see me, and I don't wanna shoot someone's dog. Would rat shot be too much?

Geez.

Get some buck shot.

bury a steak about 6" under the ground, but pour a bottle of red pepper on it before you cover it back up.

That's a big hole?. Are you sure that the dog tracks aren't there chasing after what was doing the digging?

No. Rat shot is not too much. I've shot problem dogs wiht #8 bird shot out of a 20ga. As long as they are say 35 to 40 yards out and facing away from you, it wil really get their attention. I am not recomending you do this, but it worked for me.

I'm wondering if the dog may have been chasing a mole/groundhog

For perspective. About 3 ft deep (long) and a foot in diameter

Dang! I'd tell a few neighbors you are gonna put up camaras and sue the owner of whitch ever dog is doing it.

Even shooting in the air will get EVERYONES attention!

load up some shotgun shells with rock salt, it burns a long time after you hit them so they wont be back. It's not leathal unless you're real close and hit their eyes.

At this point its a public nuisance and should be dealt with as such. There's no city out there to come out and deal with the animal that is damaging your property, then its yours to deal with.

Wouldn't do rat shot though.. That'd just leave the poor thing in misery if you're too far away.

Just shoot it

Come home early, while he's in the hole and drive 2 pieces of rebarb down to block his exit.

The owner will eventually hear him and find him.

( I think chickenman has some extra rebarb at his place)

Talked to a deputy. He says I have to catch it in the act. His words, "I can't tell you to shoot it, but if it's damaging your property, you can do what you have to do to make it stop. Just keep it on the sly."

Can you "Dig it"?

Yep. If you can catch/trap him, do so and wait for the owner to put up fliers.

for a response like that I hope it finds your house and takes a big dump on your porch

Live trap it and drive out on a country road and dump it.

I don't have a live trap that big. It's taller than a hog, and wouldn't trip a wire with enough force like a hog. Maybe I should get a komodo dragon to patrol my yard...

Do you have or can borrow a game camera?

Gather some proof and then go from there. Fill it back up. Maybe it got what it was looking for?

Soak some hot dogs in antifreeze and inject some with a turkey needle. Whatever is doing that won't be feeling to good after a few bites.

PUT some big rat traps down....................Bill

game camera and proof, find out where it lives and take the pictures to the owner (I would have a sheriffs deputy go with for effect). dog is doing what dogs do, its more the owners fault for allowing it to run and that is who you need to deal with. if its a pit or pit/mix and there is a pack then put a notice in mailboxes that you plan to take action when you catch them damaging your property, do not say your going to shoot or kill but a pack needs to be dealt with before some kid gets hurt

Taze it bro

That's a big armadillo

How do you know it is a dog? Could be a wild animal.

I think it started with an armadillo and the dog is looking for it

A couple shotgun shots in the air should get the owner to come runnin, if it dont next time not in the air.

Get a donkey

prolly a mama making a place to have her pups

you said alot when you said you are in the county. that is destruction of property. catch him the act and destroy as needed.
if you tell one person its not a secret.

The Three S's come to mind.

Shoot.
Shovel.
Shut Up.

Was there a FIOS truck parked in front of your house the other day?

Probably those dog tracks in the dirt. Just a guess.

Have ya ever seen it?

must be something down there for an animal to be digging. fill it back up and put a camera up.

+1
The third "S" is the most important.

your an idiot,dumping dogs is not the answer

That looks more like an armadillo hole with dog tracks around it than it does a whole a dog was digging.

Or does it? The dog my be trying to throw the O.P. off his trail by making it look like an armadillo dug it.

looks like a mortor shell, your under attack

This is illegal and will get you in trouble. You can't poison dogs.

If it was me, Id never post about it again. Remember what the 3rd S stands for? Shut up....

Animal cruelty charges are just what some posters on this thread deserve. Screw up your life and lose any respect you ever had.

LOL! Dyin' here!!!

What Hop said.

I'll loan you my game cam if you need it. You could prolly catch one on sale at Academy for close to what we could ship it both ways though. Let me know.

Also, you can catch a pack of four night vision cameras and hardware at Harbor Freight to way cheap. I'd look into the camera thing first, get some proof of which dog is doing it, then send out some flyers.

Also, it might not be a single dog. If you've got a pack running loose that'd be my bet. When they get to running with buddies they get more bold and are more likely to be up to trouble.

One more thing. Paintball gun. You can really hurt them without hurting them. Savvy?

Cheaper Than Dirt sells less than lethal rounds for shotguns. Bean bags and whatnot.

Just remember that dogs' bones ain't as strong as people bones and those bean bag rounds are made for shooting people.

OOH! Bear spray! Hot fence! Look into non lethal stuff and be smarter than your varmints.



All that said, if it's a pregnant mom nesting you're gonna feel like a heel if you hurt her. If you wouldn't feel like a heel for hurting a pregnant dog, I don't like you.

shoot it