"Duane Bozarth" wrote in message
...
Dave Hinz wrote:

On Thu, 17 Nov 2005 12:38:27 -0700, Charles Spitzer
wrote:

"Paul Brumman" wrote in message
...

We had some high profile dog incidents in the neighboring county. I
have two kids, 6 and 2, and am wondering. If, let's say, a neighbor's
dog wanders in our yard and starts growling at my children, in a
threatening manner, would it be legal to just take my trusty SKS and
shoot the dog wile it is trespassing on my property?

call your local police and ask them. we're not there.

That's strange advice. If an animal threatens my kids, legality and
whatever else doesn't enter into it. You stop the threat, period. It
keeps coming up here, but "The 3 S's" apply in this case - shoot,
shovel, and shutup. There can be no legality or subtle whatever going
on here, my kids outweigh the neighbor's dog, period.

Besides - he's in Texas. If he were in California or some new-england
state, people might get ****y about bang-bang noises. But, regardless
of where you are, it's never ethically wrong to value your kids over a
threatening dog.

OP didn't ask about a perceived ethical problem and from the tone I have
no doubt he'll take action as seems appropriate. He asked about the
legality of that action (albeit in a funny place to ask for ng topic and
that as Charley says, "we ain't there" so he would be better advised to
ask in his local jurisdiction what rules he's playing under...

If he *did* cap the dog, it would make me very happy and I'd congratulate
him. But, in terms of aggravation and paperwork, he'd be better off calling
animal control and *telling* them he's just about mad enough to shoot a
habitual stray. That tends to motivate the dog non-catchers. If that doesn't
work, he should call the cops and repeat the threat. They cannot bother you
for simply saying you're going to do it. But, they may be personally
acquainted with the dog non-cathcer and be able to better motivate him to
get off his fat ass and enforce the dog laws.