Actually, we have a recent thread on that.
Also, in some jurisdictions you may have to report to officials that you hit the animal and/or report to officials damage to your vehicle or other property, so you’d best either check with your local DMV to see what the law is where you drive, or failing that cover your bases by reporting any collision you have.
This morning I caught the little guy walking off with a glass plant watering bulb. Glad he didn’t chew on it. Time for a broader applicaton of cayenne pepper.
So I went outside to put some cayenne pepper on the watering bulbs. The puppy tried to pull my bathrobe off of me. I draw the line at peppering myself.
Take it to a pound in a different county. So long as the dog isn’t chipped, the lazy and negligent owner will probably never find it.
Sheesh, some of you are harsh. Take the dog to a pound in another county? That’s just mean.
Some of us love our dogs. Some of us have repeat offenders (we needed two weeks to dog proof our fence and we dose our dog with drugs every day). He got out about 5 times before then, once overnight. Apparently he’d been doing it a while but also knew how to get back in (leaving us none the wiser); it was only when we began our first real search, our neighbors told us, “oh yeah, he’s been getting out all week,” and that he’d caught him once and put him back inside the fence. After that, no one could catch him, including Animal Control, although he slipped his collar and the NICE PERSON called me instead of going into a rage about the dog roaming free. She even helped me look for him, and was in contact with another subdivision who let her know they’d spotted him too and took a picture, and put it up on facebook. Those also NICE PEOPLE (except for the bitch who thought my dog was emaciated; see pit thread) didn’t have heart attacks over the now-collarless dog roaming around, and helped us find him.
We can’t lock him inside; he destroys the house and his paws. Big vet bill last month.
And yes, we keep the signs up, precisely because he may figure out another way out. And it’s come in handy, because after we caught him he figured out other ways out. But they will call me first instead of being asses. So far it’s been a week we’ve kept him in.
I’m not saying that the OPs particular neighbors are saints, but every time you see a dog (even one without a collar) roaming free, don’t automatically think of your gun, or kidnapping the dog and sending it to some other county where it will never be found. Thank God my dog is chipped.
What about a kennel and a thundershirt?
Sister Vigilante, I understand that you’re trying, and it is difficult, but you are ultimately responsible for your dog and everything it does - if your dog hurts someone while it’s roaming free, that’s completely on you. If a dog that’s roaming free in my neighbourhood attacks me, I’m not going to care in the slightest how hard the dog’s owners tried to keep it in the yard - all I’m going to care about is not getting hurt.
Honestly, I have well trained dogs that do their business on my lawn and go back into the house. Putting three leashes on three dogs for a five minute sniff around my front lawn seems like a waste of time. That being said, they are never alone, come when called and don’t bother anyone. Beagles are runners so I don’t blame you. My three guys have gotten out of the back patio by accident and stood by the front door in horror until someone let them back in. Yes, they could get spooked or fly off the handle and I always scan outside before I allow them out for other unleashed dogs wandering around that may attack them. But sometimes I feel like I would have better odds protecting one should he be attacked than having three leashes to content with.
AH! I see your point. Fair enough! 
My gate needs more work, they slide underneath it. “Grizzly” the neighbour dog gets out through his gate, she needs to do a little more work. Not usually a problem but Grizzly is now on my dogs lead in my yard so my dog - who’s in heat - can stretch her legs a little and relieve herself. Later I will release him and put her back inside. How long does this heat thing last?
I mean, how responsible am I? I’ve got the neighbours dog on a lead!
I guess I don’t get the last few posts. Are people actually saying not to get worked up over a snarly angered dog that chases and corners you because not every dog is mean?
Spay her. Now. It prevents the roaming problems, benefits the dog’s health, and prevents the massive pet over-population.
Are you a dog breeder? If not, why isn’t your dog fixed? All the boy dogs in the neighborhood wont be breaking into your yard to fuck your dog if you got her fixed.
Some people just have a knee jerk reaction.
All the boy dogs? Only one, I got him under control. Waiting for the heat to end, I’ve finally got the finance to get her fixed but it’s half the price if she’s not in heat so I’ve got to juggle for a few more days.
I would try to catch the dog in the OP and take it to the pound, after having warned the owner that I would, or maybe I’d just tell them after the deed was done.
I carefully pick up after my own dogs and pick up any other leavings I spot. I run my dogs off-leash every morning at a town park that dogs aren’t allowed in. The town guys and the cops all know me and know I (and the two dog people I usually meet with) pick up after our animals.
I find it very uncivic of people who let their animals poop off their own property and not pick up.
I’ve been going to that park for 19 years now and only one person has complained about dogs.
Turns out that guy was stealing ladies unmentionables and hanging them up in trees in the park. Once he was caught he stayed out of the park to everyone’s joy.
IMO, because of insurance, the town is forced to have a no dogs allowed policy, but they really don’t care as long as the dogs aren’t causing problems, which they are not. In fact, in the spring, they chase geese away keeping the ball fields cleaner for the guys who play there at night.
No snark here, really. It does seem like you have the situation under control. I’m not a dog owner, but what sort of area are you in that it costs TWICE as much to fix an in heat dog than one that isn’t in heat? Out here, weight is the important factor, being in heat is only $10-$15 more. Do you have a Humane Society or a low cost spay neutor clinic around?
I’ve run hundreds of animals through them and have never had a bad outcome. Its cheaper to wait, but in heat cats make me crazy, so I have them done as soon as possible.
We do have Humane Society, I’m in the Caribbean. They did have cheap spaying, or rather they subsidized the vets but the grant ran out, so I’m looking at around USD$65 now or USD$47.00 later. They didn’t ask anything about the weight. Ok, it’s not quite twice as much but it’s still worth the wait.
Just opened the front door and he’s not there, so either his peeps have tied him or my dog is no longer of interest.
And for the “that’s not much” crowd, I’m only working part time - I wish I had not just converted my wages into US - it looks much worse - $186.00 per week.
Well, leashing is the law here, but we still have violators. And it’s not just un-leashed dogs for whom you should scan. Our dogs, who are always walked leashed, have been rushed by dogs that people “just let out on their lawn” “after scanning outside” who did not “come when called.” It’s a worry to us even if the offending dog is small – what if my dogs injure a little dog who ran up to them? My dogs would take the rap even though they were legally leashed and the other dog was not, and charged us.
I saw a lady walking an elderly Basset hound yesterday without a leash. She was using a cane, and I expect she doesn’t use a leash because of her balance issues. But still, watching her call and then scream for him as he stubbornly walked toward the busy road was pretty nerve-wracking.
My wife’s parents, when they were alive, let dogs out the door unaccompanied because they lived “in the country.” During the time I knew them, four of those dogs were killed by cars (including one they were “watching” for someone else!) and one disappeared during hunting season.
People have way too much confidence in their “control” over an unleashed dog, generally.