# Dog shot by game warden **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 13, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089 "2018-05-13T15:37:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/1 "2018-05-13T15:37:28Z")
So there’s been a [story on the news](https://www.necn.com/news/new-england/VT-Family-After-Dog-Shot-Killed-by-Game-Warden-482324961.html)\* about a hound dog in Vermont that was shot by a game warden for chasing deer – and the owners are sobbing about how wrong it was, how the dog was just “playing” with the deer. Screw them. They’d been warned repeatedly, including in writing, that they had to stop their dog from doing that. Neighbors had complained multiple times. It’s [against the law in Vermont](https://law.justia.com/codes/vermont/2016/title-10/chapter-113/section-4748) to let your dog chase wildlife, especially in the spring, when the animals are recovering from the stresses of winter and bearing young. The law explicitly allows game wardens to shoot dogs doing that. The dog wasn’t at fault; she was just doing what came naturally. The warden wasn’t at fault – he was following the law after repeated attempts to resolve the problem less drastically. The owners are the ones at fault, and I have no sympathy for them – only for the poor dog who had to pay for their irresponsible carelessness, and the animals she’d chased and frightened. - Note: autoplay video. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/2 "2018-05-13T15:56:56Z")
Assholes. Deer can’t tell “dog playing” from “Canine coming to murder us!” ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/3 "2018-05-13T16:13:34Z")
**ETF** - I agree with every line of your post. I’m a dog lover, and the dog here was a victim, but not of the game warden, but the stupid owners. StG ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/4 "2018-05-13T16:32:42Z")
Not just Vermont, harassing wildlife is treated with severity in most places I know of. And you often don’t need to call a warden or other LEO first. Keep your pets on leash or supervised. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![GaryM](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garym/32/241_2.png) [@GaryM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GaryM)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/5 "2018-05-13T17:19:18Z")
In many Midwest states, landowners will shoot dogs chasing game on their property. No game warden required. ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/6 "2018-05-13T17:23:52Z")
If they’d been warned on previous occasions and still allowed it, then it’s entirely on the owners. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/7 "2018-05-13T17:26:37Z")
My dog used to love chasing flocks of pigeons in Chicago. I didn’t know that could have gotten her shot. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2018, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/8 "2018-05-13T17:41:43Z")
In Arkansas, land owners can shoot unattended dogs. Chasing deer is frowned upon, except during the right deer season. Fox hunters have a bit more freedom to run their hounds. But it is considered good form to tell landowners of your intent. We are.next to a huge state owned property so we get a lot of fox hunters. Generally it doesn’t bother us. Personally I would rather let the dog be. I don’t like killing animals of any kind. As stated the dog owner is at fault. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 10:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/9 "2018-05-14T10:28:48Z")
> [@GaryM](#): > > In many Midwest states, landowners will shoot dogs chasing game on their property. No game warden required. In Texas, it’s called “Shoot, Shovel, Shut-up”. Wild game is just a subsset of justifications. It’s not allowed to shoot the dog’s owners, so there aren’t many options left. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 10:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/10 "2018-05-14T10:34:55Z")
Granted that they obviously couldn’t shoot the dog-owners, but couldn’t they have fined them or something? ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 2:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/11 "2018-05-14T14:02:36Z")
> [@jtur88](#): > > In Texas, it’s called “Shoot, Shovel, Shut-up”. Wild game is just a subsset of justifications. > > It’s not allowed to shoot the dog’s owners, so there aren’t many options left. Sounds like it’s missing the “shut up” stage because they don’t have to. Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/12 "2018-05-14T14:18:58Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Granted that they obviously couldn’t shoot the dog-owners, but couldn’t they have fined them or something? The law does allow fines. But it appears from the story that there had been multiple attempts to get them to comply already; also, and this isn’t in the story, I suspect that the warden caught the dog in midchase yet again and knowing the history felt he had to put a stop to it by the only means guaranteed to work. Heck, if I’m going to speculate, perhaps the warden came upon the dog when it had cornered or pulled down a deer – or its fawn – and was about to kill it. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/13 "2018-05-14T14:41:51Z")
I sympathize with the doggie, who was doing what doggies do. I sympathize with the game warden, who had to shoot the dog. > [@](#): > > Emma Labadie said her family had been good about not letting Pearl out unattended ever since Sgt. Keith Gallant issued them a written warning in mid-February. Gosh, two whole months. That has to count for something, right? > [@](#): > > Pearl’s owners said they do not believe the dog was any serious threat to the deer, theorizing she was just doing what curious dogs do: looking to run, explore, and play. Said every stupid dog owner right before the dog bites. The owners can stick a deer antler up their noses. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/14 "2018-05-14T15:35:13Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > My dog used to love chasing flocks of pigeons in Chicago. > > I didn’t know that could have gotten her shot. I think there’s a useful distinction between “wildlife” and “vermin.”😃 ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 3:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/15 "2018-05-14T15:55:38Z")
It’s an occupational hazard of owning a dog, I guess. It’s unreasonable to keep an active dog on a leash all the time, and sometimes, deer just break cover out of nowhere - it’s happened to me and my dog several times - I’m fairly sure my dumb little mutt (no bigger than a cat, but deeply fond of running, and will try to run along with anything else that is running) genuinely just wants to run with the tree-head doggos, but that makes it no less frightening and dangerous for the deer. In short, I try really hard to do my very best to keep my dog under control because it’s not in my interest to lose her either because she runs into trouble (or runs so far as to become lost), or gets shot by a farmer or gamekeeper (admittedly probably a smaller risk here in the UK than in the USA, but still a nonzero risk). If it happens, I’ll certainly be sobbing about it (but not on the TV news) - I feel like I’m being as responsible as I possibly can, under the circumstances. You can’t control everything. ---
**Author:** ![Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Uosdwis\_R.Dewoh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uosdwis_R.Dewoh)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/16 "2018-05-14T16:43:58Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Deer can’t tell “dog playing” from “Canine coming to murder us!” Sounds like being a deer fulfills all the requirements of becoming a police officer. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 4:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/17 "2018-05-14T16:46:58Z")
It’s a shame that our ultimate response to every problem is “shoot.” You know the authorities are going to shoot the deer too when they decide there’s an overpopulation. This case got to where it did partly as a consequence of dogs being considered property. Animal Control _could_ have taken the dog in response to repeated infractions if the dog’s well-being was a principle concern of the law. Instead, the law finds it easier to destroy the “property” if “it” is misused rather than try to seize “it.” I am a dog person through-and-through but do not want to see wildlife (even pigeons) harassed by anyone, but it seems like this situation could have been resolved some other way. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/18 "2018-05-14T16:51:12Z")
> [@EddyTeddyFreddy](#): > > The law does allow fines. But it appears from the story that there had been multiple attempts to get them to comply already; also, and this isn’t in the story, I suspect that the warden caught the dog in midchase yet again and knowing the history felt he had to put a stop to it by the only means guaranteed to work. Heck, if I’m going to speculate, perhaps the warden came upon the dog when it had cornered or pulled down a deer – or its fawn – and was about to kill it. The relevant Vermont law states: “A State game warden, deputy warden, sheriff, deputy sheriff, constable, police officer, or State Police may kill by shooting with firearms, dogs, whether licensed or unlicensed, when in such close pursuit as to endanger the life of a deer or moose or found in the act of wounding, maiming, or killing deer or moose." So the warden couldn’t legally have just shot the dog because it was in the woods, it had to have been chasing or already caught a deer. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/19 "2018-05-14T17:00:59Z")
Sympathy all around but the warden did what had to be done. Least sympathy for the owners but I’ll let just a hint that direction as well. Just because you can afford and love a pet doesn’t mean you are a person who should have one but that is just how it is. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2018, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089/20 "2018-05-14T17:12:38Z")
> [@thelurkinghorror](#): > > Not just Vermont, harassing wildlife is treated with severity in most places I know of. And you often don’t need to call a warden or other LEO first. Keep your pets on leash or supervised. Good luck with that and cats going after birds. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dog-shot-by-game-warden/814089.md?page=2)