Can you shoot a dog on your property?

Townhallsavoy · « **on:** March 24, 2014, 03:35:49 PM »

Location: Alabaster, AL

Quick summary: Two pit bulls got out of a guy's house and ran to a neighbor's backyard. The neighbor has a goat, which I believe is illegal to own in city limits but I'm not sure, and he also has two dogs he keeps on long chains. The neighbor used a shotgun and shot the two pit bulls to death.

Is it legal to use a gun on your property in a residential neighborhood to shoot an animal that may be harming your pets?

Buzz Killington · « **Reply #1 on:** March 24, 2014, 03:47:19 PM »

I am not a lawyer that really cares about your problems, but I believe you can.

Vandy Vol · « **Reply #2 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:01:36 PM »

You might want to check to see if there are any applicable county or city laws, but statewide, you can not shoot a dog solely for being on your property. Section 13A-11-241 makes it illegal to inflict any injury on a cat or dog, which would include shooting it. The exceptions to this rule are in Section 13A-11-246, which states that a person won't be charged with animal cruelty for shooting an animal if:

1.) They kill a dog or cat found outside of the property of the owner of the dog or cat when the dog or cat threatens immediate physical injury or is causing physical injury to any person, animal, bird, or silvicultural or agricultural industry.

2.) They shoot a dog or cat with a BB gun not capable of inflicting serious injury when the dog or cat is defecating or urinating on the person's property.

There are other exceptions, but those are the only two that would apply to shooting a dog or cat.

Godfather · « **Reply #3 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:03:21 PM »

but is it considered cheating?

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #4 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:05:21 PM »

You've just been waiting for the opportunity to work "silvicultural" into a conversation, haven't you?

Vandy Vol · « **Reply #5 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:06:49 PM »

Quote from: Godfather on March 24, 2014, 04:03:21 PM

but is it considered cheating?

No...Alabama and all of its municipalities acknowledge that it is not cheating if it's your dog. You can shoot your own dog with your love gun to your heart's desire.

Vandy Vol · « **Reply #6 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:08:46 PM »

Quote from: Snaggletiger on March 24, 2014, 04:05:21 PM

You've just been waiting for the opportunity to work "silvicultural" into a conversation, haven't you?

I love talking about wood.

Token · « **Reply #7 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:10:25 PM »

Snaggletiger · « **Reply #8 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:20:15 PM »

They're pit bulls. They're loose. Fire away.

Buzz Killington · « **Reply #9 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:28:19 PM »

Quote

when the dog or cat threatens immediate physical injury or is causing physical injury to any person, animal, bird, or silvicultural or agricultural industry.

A goat is an animal, right? I mean...unless the owner is a bammer, in which case it may be a common law spouse.

dallaswareagle · « **Reply #10 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:30:26 PM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on March 24, 2014, 03:35:49 PM

Location: Alabaster, AL

Quick summary: Two pit bulls got out of a guy's house.

The neighbor has a goat,

and he also has two dogs he keeps on long chains.

The neighbor used a shotgun

Is it legal to use a gun on your property in a residential neighborhood

This only makes sense cause it's on the X and its in Alabama.

Godfather · « **Reply #11 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:31:40 PM »

Quote from: dallaswareagle on March 24, 2014, 04:30:26 PM

This only makes sense cause it's on the X and its in Alabama.

That's the beauty of it. I grab a dog, and I choke him, and I kick the shit out of him. All day long, my foot up a dog's ass. Just bang-bang-bang up his ass.

Buzz Killington · « **Reply #12 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:36:21 PM »

Quote from: Godfather on March 24, 2014, 04:31:40 PM

That's the beauty of it. I grab a dog, and I choke him, and I kick the shit out of him. All day long, my foot up a dog's ass. Just bang-bang-bang up his ass.

That's my pleasure

AU_Tiger_2000 · « **Reply #13 on:** March 24, 2014, 04:57:35 PM »

You can shoot anything at anytime anywhere as long as there are no witnesses and you know Joe from Monster Joe's Truck and Tow.

GH2001 · « **Reply #14 on:** March 24, 2014, 07:33:08 PM »

Quote from: Vandy Vol on March 24, 2014, 04:01:36 PM

You might want to check to see if there are any applicable county or city laws, but statewide, you can not shoot a dog solely for being on your property. Section 13A-11-241 makes it illegal to inflict any injury on a cat or dog, which would include shooting it. The exceptions to this rule are in Section 13A-11-246, which states that a person won't be charged with animal cruelty for shooting an animal if:

1.) They kill a dog or cat found outside of the property of the owner of the dog or cat when the dog or cat threatens immediate physical injury or is causing physical injury to any person, animal, bird, or silvicultural or agricultural industry.

2.) They shoot a dog or cat with a BB gun not capable of inflicting serious injury when the dog or cat is defecating or urinating on the person's property.

There are other exceptions, but those are the only two that would apply to shooting a dog or cat.

I have found myself in situation number 1 in the last year. Neighbors dogs got into my yard, tried to attack my dog (he outran them), then turned their sites on me when I went outside to see what the fuss was all about. I ran straight back inside since there were 5 of them, they were snarling and I had no weapon on me. I went inside and got my 12 gauge and went back out there. I had it loaded and ready to shoot if they did it again....they came within seconds of being dead. Luckily for them, the neighbor/owner also heard the ruckus and came out before I was about to unload on them, and rounded them back up into his yard.

I have a freaking privacy fence and they somehow knocked 2 boards off my fence to get into my backyard. Then decided they wanted blood from me and my dog. SO yeah, I was thinking I was pretty justified coming within seconds of firing.

Townhallsavoy · « **Reply #15 on:** March 24, 2014, 08:47:41 PM »

If it had been any other person in my neighborhood to do the shooting, I would have made a post lauding the effort to enforce leash laws, which many residents around here seem to think do not exist.

But this guy and his family are fairly horrible. Just trashy redneck horrible. I mean, they have a damn goat tied to a trampoline in their backyard, and the father leaves mounds of garbage and debris from whatever bumfuck job he uses his creepy white van for.

Buzz Killington · « **Reply #16 on:** March 24, 2014, 10:17:39 PM »

ssgaufan · « **Reply #17 on:** March 24, 2014, 10:23:16 PM »

Quote from: Buzz Killington on March 24, 2014, 10:17:39 PM

We painted this on the side of a white van in Cuba, and our higher headquarters didn't find it as funny as we did. We had to paint over it.

RWS · « **Reply #18 on:** March 24, 2014, 10:33:36 PM »

Just for the record, I don't live in Alabaster.

GH2001 · « **Reply #19 on:** March 25, 2014, 07:17:56 AM »

Quote from: Townhallsavoy on March 24, 2014, 08:47:41 PM

If it had been any other person in my neighborhood to do the shooting, I would have made a post lauding the effort to enforce leash laws, which many residents around here seem to think do not exist.

But this guy and his family are fairly horrible. Just trashy redneck horrible. I mean, they have a damn goat tied to a trampoline in their backyard, and the father leaves mounds of garbage and debris from whatever bumfuck job he uses his creepy white van for.

That has no bearing on his right to defend his property against a threat. What would you have done in the same situation? I've had an encounter with a pitbull. That's usually the only way to deal with them when they are pissed. When mad they are seriously effing crazy.