Some clarity on shooting dogs in defense.


Terminal Lance

New member
I called my local PD today and spoke to an officer in regards to the many times posted question about using your CCW to shoot a dog in defense of yourself. He told me that there will still be an investigation as if it were a person you shot ie: confiscation of your weapon and many interviews etc. He also informed me that the "no duty to retreat" under castle doctrine would not apply as it would to a person because the dog has no way of knowing what it is doing is wrong. Therefore you must use other means or attempt to do so before firing. He said to definitely defend yourself at all costs, but expect a GIANT pain in the ass if this happens. Hope this finally clears up some confusion on the subject.

12/5
 

A lot of this is going to depend on the state, city, local, etc. You are still going to have to answer some questions though.
 
I have shot and killed numerous dogs and coyotes usually from serious distance over the years that were chasing our cows (a dog can run cows to death easily) or goats; but shooting a dog "in self defense"???? I am not saying that it can't happen with a truely AWESOME dog; but with most overly aggressive dogs a good whack with a baseball bat or axe handle is more than enough to break him from THAT habit. If you are in the cow business and have a good whip handy....there is no reason to fear ANY dog. I would feel really foolish to pull a pistol on a dog (and it is highly likely that I have killed more dogs than anyone here).
 
Brandonm2:226292 said:
I have shot and killed numerous dogs and coyotes usually from serious distance over the years that were chasing our cows (a dog can run cows to death easily) or goats; but shooting a dog "in self defense"???? I am not saying that it can't happen with a truely AWESOME dog; but with most overly aggressive dogs a good whack with a baseball bat or axe handle is more than enough to break him from THAT habit. If you are in the cow business and have a good whip handy....there is no reason to fear ANY dog. I would feel really foolish to pull a pistol on a dog (and it is highly likely that I have killed more dogs than anyone here).
what about pit bulls, they need more than a good whack!
 
Pitt bulls and rottweilers are why I said "axe handle or baseball bat" and not "broom stick or switch". Maybe it is all the years in the livestock biz that makes me a little more comfortable in close quarters "combat" with animals; because "shooting" the $2000 bull is not an option even when he really really wants to plant his skull into your rib cage......and if he was easy to load on a trailer his rancher owner likely would never have called me to come do it for him. Still I think for an adult shooting a dog "in self defense" is silly 99% of the time. Now if I had kids and a Pitt Bull was REALLY after one of them in my yard........I am putting the dog down whether it is "legal too" or not.
 
I had an instance in my front yard of two roaming dogs turning to attack me. I had nothing on me, in my hands or any other way of defending my self other than fists and feet and I am not Chuck Norris. lol I just went into the house rather quickly and the dogs moved on. A few minutes later I was running an errand and a cop drove by my house as I left, I caught up to him at a stop sign and flagged him down. I told him what happened and he put it very simply, "If the are attacking you in your yard, shoot them. You are defending yourself on your property." He was in fact, in the neighborhood trying to track those dogs and find out who owned them. I haven't seen either dog since. I have battled a dog or two that was intent on attacking me. One dog is not too bad, two of them....you may be in trouble. It is all dependent on the situation. The point is, I was in my legal right to defend myself on my property from whatever danger it may be.
 
I called my local PD today and spoke to an officer in regards to the many times posted question about using your CCW to shoot a dog in defense of yourself. He told me that there will still be an investigation as if it were a person you shot ie: confiscation of your weapon and many interviews etc. He also informed me that the "no duty to retreat" under castle doctrine would not apply as it would to a person because the dog has no way of knowing what it is doing is wrong. Therefore you must use other means or attempt to do so before firing. He said to definitely defend yourself at all costs, but expect a GIANT pain in the ass if this happens. Hope this finally clears up some confusion on the subject.12/5

Well, it would certainly clear up the confusion if everyone lived in your town and that local cop agrees with the rest of the department...
 
Well, like most people on here, I carry a pistol...not an axe handle. @pax here in Indiana we have some of the most "user friendly" carry/self defense laws around so if it's going to be that big of a pain for us here then it surely would be elsewhere. Also he clarified it based on the law, not his personal opinion.
 
They could give a rats ass about shooting coyotes to protect livestock. I guess I should have clarified that I was inquiring about this due to the fact that I live within city limits and wanted to see if I had to shoot a dog for whatever reason of there would still be repercussions for discharging the weapon in the city limits. That was the response I got.
 
Glad I live where I am. I had to shoot two dogs threatening life and property and I got a pat on the back and a hardy "Well done!" by local LE and I offer absolutely no apologies to anyone in doing so. My sympathies to those of you living in areas where you have to jump through hoops and play that idiotic political correctness game to justify defending your hearth, home, and possessions (including animals). (and I say the hell with anyone who doesn't like it)
 
I really am not willing to risk even one bite. Not my responsibility to be a chew toy. And I think some people are underestimating the damage possible from most any dog in a very short time. Bad luck in the encounter could scar, disable, kill. I have seen too many pictures of the results of dog attacks to allow the possibility. And around here people are absolutely bananas for dogs. They would view it as murder.
 
Same here Brandonm2. I live on my farm and had to put down numerous dogs that were chasing my cattle or attacking calves. I've lost a few $$$ from manily dogs that either people drop off because we are far out in the counrty or people in town just don't feed their dogs. I don't have a problem with anyone using a firearm on a dog that's attacking because if you don't stop the threat then what if it's your child or someone elses child that comes face to face with it the next time!!!! IMHO
 
Yep and when it happens it is usually 5 or 6 dogs. By the time you realize what is happening they have got 50-120 cows running as fast as they can possibly run usually around the fences that keep the cows in.....but aren't good enough to keep dogs out. I would drive to 50-60 yards away (if I can). That is close enough usually to get the dog's attention but too far for them to bolt (coyotes are gone long before then and they target one animal....not everything in the pasture). Any of them that stop chasing the cows to bark and snarl at me long enough for me to get a rifle up and aimed just made their last mistake. Sometimes you get dogs who are so into the hunt (this is more true with goats) that you can drive all the way up to where they are to get the truck between them and the livestock and then get a short range shot with a shotgun. The really stupid will actually charge you (the 16 gauge shotgun was MADE for that moment).
 
A possibility, at least if you are on your own property, would be to use an air gun (pellet/BB). Not a "firearm" (at least in a lot of jurisdictions), very likely not to kill but rather scare. I guess it's on the same line of thinking as the .22 post. idk.
 

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