What Are Your Opinions On This?

[finn's mom]

My opinion on this is that the whole thing is sad and unfortunate. I hope they take it as a lesson learned, though. I don't understand putting the dog into a bag and tossing it into the truck, that seems especially heartless. And, I don't think I could personally shoot a dog for trespassing, but, I don't know. If I had livestock, especially if the livestock was part of my livelihood, I might protect it in that way if I had to. Jack Russells do have a really high prey drive, so, it's perfectly reasonable to think the dog posed an immediate threat to the man's chickens. And, the dog's family moved there because of the "simpler" lifestyle. Unfortunately, that kind of swift, fatal action seems to be a part of that simple lifestyle. I would love to live out in the country, further away from suburbia, but, I can guarantee you I'd have a fence that would keep pets and children in and other animals and people out. There are too many things that can happen out in the country. They may be completely different threats than what you face living in the city, but, they are still present. And, until they change their law about people being able to shoot dogs that trespass and pose a threat to livestock, that man had every right to do that, whether it's morally right or not. And, whether they deem it a very unmodern, "colonial," thing to do, he was not breaking the law.

I'm sorry for the family and for Penny. I really hope that, if they get another dog, they put a fence up.

[IRescue452]

The owner's need to take responsibility for their animal. I hate it when people let their animals wander. There's been more than enough occasions where I've wanted to take the collar off a dog and bring them to the shelter to teach the owner's a lesson in letting their dog roam. Our neighbor's skye terrier mix has been out in the middle of the road before and lucky for them the cars coming by stopped for it. The dog deserves an owner who cares. And, this guy lives across the road. If the dog had been hit by a car, the owner's would be out a dog just the same and they wouldn't have anybody to prosecute. At least the dog died quickly this way, imagine all the possible ways of a roaming dog dying. Hell, I bet they don't even know if the neighbor's use rodent poison, dog could've eaten that and died painfully.

[Vela]

I am really sorry that the family lost their dog, that is sad, but they should have kept the dog in their yard. I wouldn't shoot a dog unless it posed a threat, but if he had already complained, and he has livestock that could be harmed, he was within his right. They had been warned previously. As sad as it is for Penny, and the family, it's their responsibility to keep the dog contained =/.

[elizabethann]

I agree with you.

Those owners need a swift kick in the a$$. It's an honor & a privalage to own a pet and I think they took it for granted.

I think the whole situation is sad and the only one who truly suffered is poor Penny.

RIP Penny.

[Suki Wingy]

Sometimes the law is not always morally correct. He killed a family's dog. Dogs escape sometimes, mine does all the time. My oppinion is that he should have been charged with a felony at most. At the very least, the police could have treated the family with more sensitivity.

[Twisterdog]

I agree with most of the other responses to this ... it is sad and unfortunate for the dog. But the owners should have kept the dog contained on their own property. It IS certainly possible. I own eight dogs, I have a boarding kennel and grooming shop, and I have had untold numbers of foster and rescue dogs in my house over the years ... and NONE of them ever ran loose. Build a secure fence. It's not that difficult.

We have the same law where I live ... if an animal is on your property and you perceive it to be a threat to you, your family, your pets or your livestock you can shoot and kill it. I do believe this is an important law in agricultural areas, especially. Roaming dogs, especially in a pack, can do serious damage to livestock.

Terribly sad for the dogs who pay the ultimate price, of course.

[Sophist]

I don't understand how the police were insensitive... they called them to collect the body, but why conduct interviews and collect evidence when they really don't have any legal standing to do so, and are even legally prohibited from doing so? Maybe the shooter is using it as an excuse, but if my neighbors allowed their dog in the yard to threaten and attack my animals, especially more than once, I would protect my pets by any means necessary.

If the family is that sure that they can win the felony animal cruelty case, then they should sign the citizen's arrest form and take the chance themselves. Odds are, they really aren't so confident that they want to risk the wrongful arrest lawsuit they expect the cops to take on out of 'sensitivity'.

If they want to see real insensitivity, the cops could slap them with a leash law fine, especially if they'd already recieved at least one complaint.