Dog in the alley

[jdub]

I think this is the best forum for a question like this. Recently a dog has decided to start hanging out in my alley. It appears aggresive but has not made a move in my direction yet. I have my lifetime permit and usually carry a Kel Tec P32 or my XD 40. What reprecussions would I face if the dog does get aggressive and I have to finish him? How aggressive doe the dog have to get before I within my rights to defend myself? Does the dog have to be gnawing on my leg? Keep in mind I live in the metro area, and I am sure the 5.0 would be on me in a hurry. I assume they would tell me to bury the dog and life would go on? Or would they confiscate my pistol and investigate, possibly take my permit away? Sorry, a lot of questions, but I figure I should ask people with this kind of knowledge.

Another answer would be to call animal control, but here in Indy I hear the response time is in the weeks to months.

 

[LPMan59]

i would report it to animal control now or to the police if the animal belongs to a neighbor.

if it charges you, i would think you could what was necessary. however, IANAL.

 

[CountryBoy19]

I think this is the best forum for a question like this. Recently a Pitbull has decided to start hanging out in my alley. I know some Pitbull's make good pets, but I will never trust one myself. It appears aggresive but has not made a move in my direction yet. I have my lifetime permit and usually carry a Kel Tec P32 or my XD 40. What reprecussions would I face if the dog does get aggressive and I have to finish him? How aggressive doe the dog have to get before I within my rights to defend myself? Does the dog have to be gnawing on my leg? Keep in mind I live in the metro area, and I am sure the 5.0 would be on me in a hurry. I assume they would tell me to bury the dog and life would go on? Or would they confiscate my pistol and investigate, possibly take my permit away? Sorry, a lot of questions, but I figure I should ask people with this kind of knowledge.

Another answer would be to call animal control, but here in Indy I hear the response time is in the weeks to months.

As far as I know, if its on your property and is the least bit aggressive, you should be ok shooting it. Don't chase it, and try to give it a chance to back down, but if you're in fear of bodily harm, you have to do what you have to do, and you can worry about the consequences later, at least you'll still have your well-being. I don't think you'd ever face much criticism (other than maybe from the owner) if you shot a pitbull in self-defense because of their known aggressiveness.

To add to the above post, if you report the dog to animal control, you also have proof that you attempted to take care of the problem via non-violent means or the proper channels first.

 

[public servant]

It appears aggresive but has not made a move in my direction yet.

How does it appear aggressive?

 

[LPMan59]

there's an important difference, pits are an aggressive breed. Carry permit holders are the least likely population to commit a crime. i dont worry about getting shot by a LTCH holder. but i would worry about a pit bull not on a leash.

 

[jdub]

Maybe I am a little sensitive about the aggresion. It appears to be a collarless, 110 lbs. of unneuttered muscle. He seems to really pay attention to me when I am getting out of my vehicle, but at the same time I am giving him a great deal of my attention. Just unfamilar with this particular dog, trust me, I love dogs so I am not out to do anything stupid. Just wanted to learn about my rights with the LT.

 

[Drbrok]

dog on the loose

I would call the police, at least you would have a report on file. I am pretty sure there is a leash law in IN. If its on your property or you fear for your safety you can protect yourself.

 

[redneckmedic]

I would call everyday until they come, leave your info, if they don't come before you are afraid for your life than at least its on record that you reported it on multiple occasions. I would be careful with the whole discharging a firearm with in the 465 loop also. I'm not exactly how the law in Marion Co. is worded, and I'm not saying that to protect yourself its not OK, I'm just say'n be careful!

BTW So I have heard............. PM me for what a bird has told me

 

[Redskinsfan]

I speak from experience too

...and I have the scar to prove it. I was attacked by a Pit Bull this June. It was on a chain and broke its choker collar to attack me while I was on my bicycle in my own drive way. Conversely, my brother owns a Pit Bull that is sweet as honey and he adores her, she wouldn't harm anyone. The dog that bit me, did so without any warning or provocation and once it saw that I was bleeding, it became more aggressive. That really alarmed me.

I suggest that you follow the advice that others have offered and call the animal control people. That is a good idea.

Terry

 

[LPMan59]

i do agree that pits can be sweet as honey, as can any dog. my god, my mother-in-law had an American Eskie that was meaner than hell. i do believe though that some dogs, whether inherent in the breed, or by inbreeding/crossbredding, are more aggressive. pits, chows and german shepards. even small dogs like chihuauas and poms bite quite a bit. but if my 4lb pom bites you, thats much different than a pit or chow. and any animal roaming freely is probably more likely to be aggressive.

i absolutely deplore animal cruelty. and i almost cry when i see those commercials on tv. i strongly urge the OP to pursue other avenues, but one must do what is necessary.

 

[Comp]

kill it and save it. Meat is meat when the zombies want'cha

 

[public servant]

Maybe I am a little sensitive about the aggresion. It appears to be a collarless, 110 lbs. of unneuttered muscle. He seems to really pay attention to me when I am getting out of my vehicle, but at the same time I am giving him a great deal of my attention. Just unfamilar with this particular dog, trust me, I love dogs so I am not out to do anything stupid. Just wanted to learn about my rights with the LT.

To answer your question then...no...you can't shoot it just because it's looking at you. Call animal control.

Next time you get out of the car...ask it...

 

[Jack Ryan]

I think this is the best forum for a question like this. Recently a dog has decided to start hanging out in my alley. It appears aggresive but has not made a move in my direction yet. I have my lifetime permit and usually carry a Kel Tec P32 or my XD 40. What reprecussions would I face if the dog does get aggressive and I have to finish him? How aggressive doe the dog have to get before I within my rights to defend myself? Does the dog have to be gnawing on my leg? Keep in mind I live in the metro area, and I am sure the 5.0 would be on me in a hurry. I assume they would tell me to bury the dog and life would go on? Or would they confiscate my pistol and investigate, possibly take my permit away? Sorry, a lot of questions, but I figure I should ask people with this kind of knowledge.

Another answer would be to call animal control, but here in Indy I hear the response time is in the weeks to months.

I have my lifetime permit and usually carry a Kel Tec P32 or my XD 40. Wrong tools for the job, you've got to get off the one track mind of looking for an excuse to use your gun that will make a good story to tell here. What you really need if this is a real concern to you is a baseball bat, a shovel, and a lonely quiet morning a little before sunrise. I'd dig the hole now in a quiet low visability area. A garbage bag and a trip to a nearby dumpster will do if you can't dig a hole unobserved.

 

[TripleL]

A couple of years ago, I was jumped on by a huge German Shepherd that bolted out of a neighbor's door as I was nearing my own front door. I said "jumped on" because I'm not sure now that it was attacking to maul me. The dog was all over me with its mouth wide open and barking loudly and all the while the owner's young daughter desperately trying to pull it away.

At the time, I had my carry pistol in a small backpack slung over one shoulder. I tried to reach for it but trying to shield myself from the dog with one arm and reaching for my gun with the other in a very fast moving situation was very difficult. I escaped into my apartment with only a slightly torn jacket sleeve and shaking like a leaf.

In retrospect, I'm glad I did not get to my gun. I could have shot the dog, sure. But, I could also have accidentally hit the girl or someone in the vicinity. What a legal nightmare that would have been. I reported the incident to the police and the complex manager. The police came to investigate, found out from the other neighbors that they were all afraid of the dog for its vicious behavior and left with a warning to the dog owners. Eventually, management made the owners get rid of the dog because it was a menace to the residents.

I guess, the point of my story is that there just isn't enough time to defend yourself when an attack occurs that suddenly...by man or beast. Call animal control before it's too late.

 

[Trujillo107]

.[/quote] What you really need if this is a real concern to you is a baseball bat, a shovel, and a lonely quiet morning a little before sunrise. I'd dig the hole now in a quiet low visability area. A garbage bag and a trip to a nearby dumpster will do if you can't dig a hole unobserved.[/quote]

Wow, this guy sounds like he did this for fun as a kid...
Listen, If the dog charges at you then you obviously have the right to protect yourself but if you wanna play it safe without any trouble with the law or you don't want to shoot lassie then get yourself a little thing of pepper spray that has at least a 10 feet reach. And for godsake don't listen to freaks that suggest an early morning gravedigging or dumpster trips, jesus what is this the sopranos?

 

[mrman740]

To the OP:

I would have called animal control the minute I saw the stray/loose dog, not just for my sake, but for the dogs' too. Be safe.....

 

[Bill of Rights]

Jack, you had me at "wrong tool for the job"; they say when your only tool is a hammer, every problem begins to look like a nail.
You lost me with the automatic knee-jerk of killing the dog for looking at him. They say there was a case in Texas of a man shot for snoring too loudly, and IMHO, the dog looking at him is about the same threat level as a snoring man.

I'd call animal control or (better option) a rescue. If the response time for them is too long (i.e. days to weeks or longer), pepper spray is an option, too, IF the dog starts to come at you as a threat.

I recently got called to a home of an 11 year old who had been bitten by a dog. He had a small tooth(?) scrape on his butt, another on his back, and a one-tooth puncture mark on one arm. The kid might have weighed 110#, dripping wet and with his pockets full of rocks. He was talking about how the dog ran up at him, barking, how it was always running loose... and when asked by my partner if he had been teasing the dog, the immediate, indignant response was "NO!"... which probably tells everyone reading this exactly what it told us. The kid was telling us how he hoped the dog got put down, right up until I told him I have dogs, too.

Oh, by the way.. the dog that got him is a mastiff. They were bred to guard kings. If he'd been trying to attack, this kid would have been mauled beyond recognition. The kid's tune changed very quickly and to his credit, without prompting, he said he hoped the dog got trained. As for me... I hope the dog's people get trained... the dog isn't doing anything wrong, he just lacks discipline.

Blessings,
Bill

 

[Trujillo107]

yeah I'm all about what bill said..