Travis is out of town, first thing in the morning, as I was making a pot of oatmeal, Selah comes running in from feeding the birds. Between her sobs, she tries to speak> “Mama! Something is wrong with Big Bird! He’s out of the coop and laying on his side! And Quasimodo, too. Something is REALLY wrong!”
I ordered her to stay inside with the others and “trade places with me”. I figured she could regroup and focus on oatmeal, not realizing that in the next 60 seconds I, too, would lose my appetite.
In the back yard I found a mess. A disaster. A Massacre. A large hole was ripped in the chicken wire of our coop where our 12 hens and 1 duck spend their nights. And through the yard were several of our birds. Some of them in pieces.
We all cried.
The wild dog issue in our neighborhood became really serious this summer. There’s a pack of them that roams around, with completely unpredictable timing. They’ve been seen in packs of 2-8 at a time. Fulton County Animal Services has known about it since July and it has been a constant struggle to get traps set, baited, checked or even available for use at all.
Neighbors have lost several cats to the roaming dogs. One even watched helplessly as the dogs ran off with their pet to devour it. These are not small dogs and we are a neighborhood heavily populated with young families who often take walks with our children or play with them at the park up the street. Sadly I’ve watched as less happy families walk by. Less of my neighbors are out on their daily runs for exercise, as the thread of being attacked takes over.
Fulton County Animal Services only has a few traps at their disposal and they’re just not effective. Since July they have caught two dogs in the traps, the second of which they actually accidentally let go while transferring it to their truck!! Neighbors have threatened to buy guns and take things into their own hands, out of desperation to protect their animals and our small children.
As of today the wild dog killing has totaled 12 cats and 9 chickens……The dogs get into fenced yards, easily jumping one neighbor’s 4 foot fence right in front of him. They are able to avoid the traps that we, as a neighborhood association, purchased from our own funds for our protection. They show open aggression to people and other dogs. Several of us have seen them. Fulton County Animal Services keeps telling us that what we really have is a coyote problem. Uhhh…not ONE neighbor has seen a coyote, people. Not only that, my birds were torn apart and left. Coyotes EAT.
I’m not sure where this ends. I don’t know what the answer is, because that’s not my job description. I just know that I’m afraid of letting my birds out, not to mention my four children!
Thankfully, we do have some of our girls safe and the kids are watching over them carefully today. I doubt much schoolwork will be done as the mourning and the desire to protect their pets has taken over their focus, and I’m going to let that be. It’s today’s lesson, and it’s a hard one that deserves the time to process. For me, I’m not sure how to process the reality that there is nothing I can do about this, to protect those I love. And, while I don’t agree with it, I’m starting to relate to those threatening to take this into their own hands with firearms. What’s left?
WARNING: This is graphic . Because Travis wasn’t home and I felt that we needed proof to show what is going on, I took a video of what poor Selah saw as she went out to feed this morning. I don’t speak. I had no words.
Yep, I’d probably buy a gun, but that’s just me. If they ignore the traps, then shooting them works just as well. What happens to the trapped dogs? It’s not like they’re sent to an animal shelter to be adopted (I hope), not if they’re aggressive and mean and dangerous? I know some rescued dogs can make dramatic changes, but if they’re feral and scary, then hopefully they’d be put down. Sad, but true. So, shooting them would save everyone the trouble, especially if your county animal control isn’t really that motivated to solve the problem. That sucks!
So traumatizing to lose dear pet friends, but hardly comforting to know the dogs also could attack people. 🙁
Yep, I’d probably buy a gun, but that’s just me. If they ignore the traps, then shooting them works just as well. What happens to the trapped dogs? It’s not like they’re sent to an animal shelter to be adopted (I hope), not if they’re aggressive and mean and dangerous? I know some rescued dogs can make dramatic changes, but if they’re feral and scary, then hopefully they’d be put down. Sad, but true. So, shooting them would save everyone the trouble, especially if your county animal control isn’t really that motivated to solve the problem. That sucks!
So traumatizing to lose dear pet friends, but hardly comforting to know the dogs also could attack people. 🙁
There’s certainly that to think of. But we have 4 small children, one of which has Asperger Syndrome and not much impulse control. Weapons of any kind aren’t a good idea around here, for at least a few years when he’s ready to grasp the concept of proper care.
There’s certainly that to think of. But we have 4 small children, one of which has Asperger Syndrome and not much impulse control. Weapons of any kind aren’t a good idea around here, for at least a few years when he’s ready to grasp the concept of proper care.
Oh Talitha. My heart aches for you and your kids. I know the chickens were loved.
As to the question of the dogs being adoptable…I doubt it. They would very likely be put down, no second thoughts.
Oh Talitha. My heart aches for you and your kids. I know the chickens were loved.
As to the question of the dogs being adoptable…I doubt it. They would very likely be put down, no second thoughts.