I have a bat. If I treat my neighbor's dog's head like a baseball, am I in troubl

This is one of those things that almost certainly varies from location to location, but here goes:

My across-the-street neighbor has a rather large dog (easily 50 lbs, maybe as much as 70). This dog normally stays in the neighbor’s back yard, although sometimes he does come thru the neighbor’s garage door and into the front yard.

I have a cat (actually two). Several times, I’ve noticed when I’ve been in the yard at the same time the dog has gotten out, he races across the street meaning ill will toward my cat.

That does not make me happy. I prefer to keep the cats in one piece for some time to come, and they’ve always been able to make it to the safety of my back yard. However. . .

If I happened to place myself between the dog and my cat, just waiting for just the right moment go Gallagher on this dog’s head, would I likely be in trouble? I would be very unhappy if he ripped one of my cats apart.

It’s not something I’m likely to do (even getting a bat), but just curious in general if I might end up in trouble for defending my property against a vicious animal. (Yeah, that’s it.)

And, no, I am not someone who is mean to animals. If I even see a beetle or spider in my house, I let them outside instead of reaching for the Raid.

A 50-70 lb dog isn’t large. A 100-110 lb dog is large :slight_smile:

Sorry, that’s all I had to say.

Unless the dog was looking like it was going to attack you AND someone else saw it happen, I wouldn’t do it. I think a better idea would be to call animal or the police as soon as it gets out and let them deal with it. If you do it enough the owner will probably start doing a better job keeping it fenced in.

If it is legal in your area, how about one of those Tazer guns? The ones that shoot out the attached electrical cords. You would stop the immediate threat without any serious physical injury to the dog. Maybe it would also condition him to not come onto your property?

But I do agree that the first step is to talk to the owner, then the proper authorties.

Yikes. Are these legal anywhere for non-law-enforcement people?

Anyway, my guess is that you’d definitely be in trouble; you can’t go around whacking dogs, even if there’s “probabe cause.”

Most places have leash laws, so if the dog gets out regularly you can certainly report it (and the owner) to the local Humane Society.

Now, in the heat of the moment, you have to make some kind of decision - you can’t just let the dog beat the crap out of your cats (although most cats can easily outrun a dog). But as pissed off as you might be when he comes over, you can’t allow yourself to become the aggressor. First priority - get the cats out of there. Failing that (meaning he’s reached them and is attacking), second priority is to grab the dog’s collar and move him away from the cats so they can escape.

In short, interception of the dog is better than beating the holy hell out of him (or killing him).

I suggest you find a song called “I’m going to kill the dog next door” from the album “C’est Cheese” by the Arrogant Worms.

Just a suggestion and I don’t know if it would work. Try a hose or squirtgun full of really cold water. I’d think a facefull every time he comes near your yard ought slow him down a little. 'Course some dogs like water.

lol water…maybe that would scare a cat away…I’ve said it once and i’ll say it again people a capgun is where its at.

Try an air horn. As soon as the dog gets onto your property blast the horn. I would thing that he would quickly associate the scare he gets with going onto your property and steer clear.

How likely is it that the dog could actually catch your cat?

I mean, if your cat’s old and slow, then, yeah, I guess you could justify attacking the dog. If your cat was already 20 feet up a tree when you start swinging, then I’d say you’d be in trouble.

Maybe I shouldn’t say “in trouble.” If someone called the cops on you, you could always claim the dog turned on you. I’m thinking more in terms of “morally defensible.” And this is all just my opinion. We’re talking hypotheticals here, so I’m not criticising you.

But you should report it to the police each time the dog comes onto your property. It’s not the dog’s fault, of course. Maybe your neighbor would begin to understand his responsibility as a pet owner after a few visits from the police and a couple hefty fines. And you won’t have to crack any skulls.

Interesting. So if a human threatens me with bodily harm I’m allowed to defend myself, but if a dog threatens me I am not?

If a dog threatened me or any of my family members, I’d unload a few rounds of .40 S&W into it. But that’s just me.

I think you’d really be able to make a case against the dog if you know it’s been over-aggressive in the past. Right now, you haven’t told us anything specific that makes this dog any different than any other dog that gets loose.

I think an anonymous call to the humane society would be better for neighborhood relations, too. :wink:

Not sure how much this may help, but I have firsthand experience with a devil dog, my wife’s.

Now, to begin with, forget the size, it’s more important we know the breed. Is it a natural prey-freak? Is it a generally playful breed? Etc. Now to my anecdotal evidence.

First, not one suggestion above would help. Especially the one about interfering. The dog may be in such an instinctual rage it won’t care what it bites, and you WILL get hurt.

My wife had a West Highland Terrier when we got married. I have 2 Pugs. The Pugs that own us wouldn’t harm a living thing unless they were under serious attack. This is proven by the younger, as a pup, actually causing blood-stained cheeks on the older as she played. The older would just take it, knowing somehow it was part of living with a punk kid.

Now the Westie. This dog is Satan incarnate with anything that sets off the prey drive. My wife always wanted a Siamese cat. So one day I found a kitten and brought it home. Not 20 minutes after bringing it in, while holding it in my lap, he (neutered) decided to have a snack. Problem was, my right nipple was the snack. After “The Lunge” my shirt was torn, I had 9 teeth puntures, a HUGE bruise for 6 weeks, and a Westie-size dent in the drywall. Cat went back to the breeder that afternoon.

In the 2 years since, We’ve replaced 3 screens he’s clawed through trying to get to other dogs and cats in the yard, and had his leg put in a cast when he actually got out once. From a second story window.

Now to your problem in the OP. (Sorry to be longwinded) First, tell your neighbor that you will defend your property and pets. Then call the animal warden, police, and a lawyer about filing what would amount to a doggie-restraining order. Insist they tell the neighbor to follow the leash laws for the protection of his dog. After that, you’re allowed to protect your property (and pets) against physical harm. Just don’t beat the shit out of the dog if it’s carrying your t.v. across the street. May get into trouble there.

Again, IANAL, hence the above about talking to a lawyer. Most will answer stuff like this over the phone for free. Good luck to you and the damn cats. (Dog guy)

Actually a 50 - 70 pound dog is large, or at least would be described as a large breed dog. Dogs in the 100 - 200 pound range (like Great Danes for instance) are considered giant breeds.

I have nothing more useful to the OP however.

Animals don’t have rights - check the various pit threads (I forget by whom) about a cat being beaten all to hell by a dog. The owner had essentially no recourse. I imagine the same is true of dogs, and if the fucker IS clearly going after your cats, please beat it senseless. If he’s on your property, chasing your possession (in legal terms) and threatening to tear it up, you are perfectly morally justified in bashing his head in.

That sounds like a really good way to get your face bitten off. I’d rather use the bat. I can’t stand stray dogs, and neighborhood dogs that get away from their owners are usually worse. (Wanna see the scars on my leg?)

What happens to the cats while you’re phoning the police?

Not to mention the fact that nobody is standing up for the song birds killed by cats, a non-native species.

Legally, the OP is going to have to check w/ the state laws in which he lives. However, a frisky dog chasing a cat and getting beaned is not going to make the OP look very sympathetic, especially if the prosecutor is facing re-election and there is a strong animal-rights presence in the community—IMO, of course. Morally, the OP shouldn’t let the cats outside in the first place: Keep your zebra mussles in the fish tank, mister. :stuck_out_tongue:

Pepper Spray.

The anti-mugger/anti-bear strength.

I was kind of being ironic, hence the quotes. A dog that’s attacking you or your family members (or, really, any human) will be viewed more as an attacker than would a dog that’s going after another animal, even a pet. That’s all I meant.

And by “viewed” I mean more like “in the eyes of the law or the public.”