Paintballs or BB's?

[Difdi]

Ice cubes are not a bad idea, but the problem is that you really do need something close to round.

Well, round ice (can't call them cubes, heh) balls do exist.

http://www.japantrendshop.com/product_info.php?products_id=244{16}271

http://www.eye4art.net/margarita-gif...ce-cube-trays/

[aurelemsrealm]

My parents live out in the country, and my dad used to string up electric fences as a deterrent to stray animals and trespassers. He was notorious for constantly stringing up random electric fences in places you wouldn't expect to find them. We raised hogs for a while when I was a teenager, so we had electric fences to contain the pigs. You just learned to always watch your step lest you receive a nasty surprise.

I'm guessing this wouldn't be a likely option in RK's situation, but it's the only other solution I could come up with that hasn't already been explored to keep out unwanted visitors.

[Mishi]

At that velocity and ice cube will hit with the same force as a marble, it'll kill just as easily.

Yeah, that's the problem. The paintballs also let the owner know that the animal has been hit, and if they care (which they probably don't, seeing as they let the dogs/cats wander) then they know to take it to a vet if it's acting sick/injured.

Depends on the dog though, I know of a ridgeback mix that had to be put down because she was killing off the neighbourhood dogs. Rural area, so she ended up taken out of town for a walk and then shot.

Warning, pretty sad:

She survived a .303 round to the chest, just kept walking, so the bloke had to put one between her ears.

[HYHYBT]

He was notorious for constantly stringing up random electric fences in places you wouldn't expect to find them.

Now THAT seems pointlessly mean.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

If you are going to compare an animal to a human, it SHOULD be a toddler-aged human, I don't think animals are much smarter than that.

Well, that's true if you're going for mentality. I'm going for impact. A little toddler is pretty much low impact on your property and safety. Sure, he might actually leave a log in your flowerbed, but he's unlikely to be any sort of serious threat. I have rabbits hopping all over my property. They are not detrimental to my property or safety. As such, I'm not trying to get rid of the rabbits (one was out there with a baby earlier. All I could think was that I didn't want to see it. I didn't want to see it because with all this other shit going on, I know what's probably already happened to the poor thing and I just don't even want to think about it.) So lets' compare the toddler with a rabbit.

Hell, if I had a toddler repeatedly out wandering off my property, I would hope someone would shoot ME with a paintball. And then call the cops on me for child endangerment.

It's not the same thing. Animals are not children, and to anthropomorphize them in that way does no one, including the animals, any favors. You cannot compare a squishy, rabies-free, clueless toddler with an adult cat or dog.

I made the comparison to an older child because that's the only way to even the playing field in terms of impact.

So here's a "what if" for you all. What if I had a cat that stayed inside the fence and was being attacked, chased, and threatened with unlicensed animals inside his yard? This actually happened to my friends (who loaned me a cat trap at music practice a couple hours ago, which rocks). They had this very same exact problem, which they combatted with bb guns and cat traps. Would it still be wrong to make life hard for the trespassing cat, and if so, what about the pet cat that is being good and staying in his own yard?

And as an aside, why was the Ridgeback put down? Ridgebacks were bred to hunt lions, I'm pretty sure they're not the most animal friendly dog out there (although they are wonderful dogs). I"m assuming the dog was roaming? On what planet is it easier to put down your pet by your own hand than it is to keep the dog from roaming and being a nuisance?

[Mishi]

You're right, the owner (one of our neighbours) was neglectful and let her wander. She tore up a fluffy little maltese in front of its owners in its own fenced yard and they raised hell (as well they should!). He wasn't the one to put her down, he got his best mate to do it while he stayed home and got shit-faced. He couldn't see anything wrong with leaving the gate open for her to wander even though she was an intact female, in fact he thought it funny when she bailed up human males. She loved children though, she would have been a wonderful dog if she'd been trained/treated properly. It wasn't the first time she'd done it, but it was the first time anyone had called him out on it and threatened him with the police.

Edited to add: The prevailing attitude towards pets in that town was "Meh, it's only an animal, I'll just buy a new one." If there were any problems, people just dumped them or had them put down. Living there sucked.

[Nyoibo]

And as an aside, why was the Ridgeback put down? Ridgebacks were bred to hunt lions, I'm pretty sure they're not the most animal friendly dog out there (although they are wonderful dogs). I"m assuming the dog was roaming? On what planet is it easier to put down your pet by your own hand than it is to keep the dog from roaming and being a nuisance?

That's so far out of their systems it isn't an issue, it also has to do with the deed, not the breed, it was killing other animals. We've had 2 pure ridgebacks, both of them have been best friends with the cats and love other animals from other dogs and cats to horses and livestock. BTW, seeing a 90+ lbs ridgeback playing with a 5-6lbs cat is one of the funniest things you'll see.

[Sarah Valentine]

Hey Kink I have a question for ya, if the jackass owner knows that the dog keeps getting out and biting you can't you just call animal control with a full description saying that there's a vicious dog running around and you're scared for your child's safety?

[Andara Bledin]

Unfortunately, it takes time for animal control to come out, and if the dog gets back to its own property before they come out, you're SOL.

When I was in Anaheim, in the middle of the urban sprawl, we had a white trash family across the street who refused to believe that their malnourished and under-exercised rotties could get out through the 8" square missing window in their front door. Which they did, regularly. The male just wanted some attention, but the female was a cat-killer and we couldn't be certain she wouldn't also attack people.

It took six different calls before we could manage to keep both of them from getting back in the house before animal control could arrive, and that was the male. The problem finally resolved itself after the police had to visit because the thug boyfriend attacked the 20-ish daughter that lived there and made her miscarry 'cause he didn't want to have to deal with being a father.

While there, they had words about the layer of shit that was found in the back room where the dogs were forced to stay while the family was actually home. I'm not sure, but I think the dogs got taken away from them for neglect and being unlicensed. Cause, you know, drugs are more important than taking care of your pets that you ignore anyway.

^-.-^

[HYHYBT]

This whole thread is horribly depressing.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Hey Kink I have a question for ya, if the jackass owner knows that the dog keeps getting out and biting you can't you just call animal control with a full description saying that there's a vicious dog running around and you're scared for your child's safety?

Well, the problem is that there are a total of at least three dogs (not even including the one from the front yard, which is not fenced.) and at least two cats that I know of.

Yes, animal control has been over here talking to some of my neighbors. I was able to identify where one of the dogs lives and the AC officer went over there (not surprisingly, it's the same fuckhead that set the neighborhood on fire last winter. I posted about that either here or over on CS, I don't remember) and I have not seen the dog since. The others I have, and the AC officer is coming back on Monday to bring me a trap. He can't take the dogs into custody unless he sees in on my property, and the dogs can escape before he gets there. The other dogs I don't know where they live. He did put the word out, but neither of us know if he in fact spoke to the other owners. So far, nobody is copping to owning the other dogs.

My fence is all fucked up, it's like a sieve at this point. I can't secure an entire fenced acre if all they're going to do is keep digging under. So my only option at this point is to eliminate the dogs. Which AC is trying to help me do.

What really sucks is how incredibly busy AC is. Here we have an entire public service sucking up our tax dollars that exists pretty much solely because we have an epidemic of incredibly incompetent and irresponsible people who have no business owning animals. And everyone suffers because of it, and animals suffer most of all.

I HATE THIS. I mean, I hate that this is happening, but you know what I REALLY hate? I hate having to do things that I have to force myself to be a coldhearted bitch to do. I hate thinking about it. I hate doing it. I hate the people who have made it necessary.

[Sarah Valentine]

What I've suggested to someone on CS is that you create an underground wall along your fence about 2 feet deep with cement to keep them out.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

My yard is a wooded acre. I would need a trench digger and a work crew to do such an extensive job and it would cost quite a bit of money. That's not a job I can do myself over a weekend with a shovel and a wheelbarrow.I live in a neighborhood, but my large backyard is mostly natural, except for a nice manicured garden and play area.

[Sarah Valentine]

Oh, I didn't realize that.

[MaggieTheCat]

And really, it's not Kink's responsibility to keep these dogs from destroying her property. If she had dogs and she was trying to keep them in her yard, and they were getting out by digging under the fence, then yeah, I'd say she should consider investing in such a project. But you shouldn't have to build a fortress around your house to keep other peoples' animals at bay. It comes back down to irresponsible pet owners and how they wreck things for everyone around them.