Don’t Let Your Dogs Kill Livestock or You Could Be Charged

Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:

Dog vs. Livestock 3.2016On Wednesday, March 2, 2016, Sheriff Mike Downey, Undersheriff William Honsal, and Captain Kym Thompson met with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife Services and local ranchers to discuss livestock concerns. This meeting is a result of numerous incidents of livestock being attacked and killed by dogs in the rural areas of Humboldt County. Property owners have the right to protect their livestock from attacks and by law can dispatch dogs that are chasing or in the act of killing or injuring livestock. The Sheriff’s Office has seen a spike in number of dog attacks against livestock. Dog owners may be charged with a criminal offense if it is discovered their dog was responsible for killing livestock.

The Sheriff’s Office will step up enforcement in these areas to make sure dogs are licensed and to make sure dogs cannot leave their respective property without complete control by their owners. If the dogs are not licensed, vaccinated, or they are deemed vicious, they will be impounded by Animal Control Officers and/or Livestock Deputies.

Anyone with information for the Sheriff’s Office regarding this case or related criminal activity is encouraged to call the Sheriff’s Office at 707-445-7251 or the Sheriff’s Office Crime Tip line at 707-268-2539.

Mike Downey
Sheriff

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clearlake fool
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clearlake fool
8 years ago

they can only protect them against nice puppy dogs that went wild . and shoot and kill them puppy dogs . but if a mountain lion kills half or most of their cattle , they can only shoot them with a camera

Lost Croat Outburst
Guest
Lost Croat Outburst
8 years ago
Reply to  clearlake fool

Dog packs are fed and sheltered by people (I assume) and not part of the ecosystem. I was personally never threatened by a coyote or cougar or bear but I have been threatened by a neighbor’s dogs. How am I supposed to feel?

Anon Forrest
Guest
8 years ago
Reply to  clearlake fool

Not so; Fish and Wildlife folks send in government trappers. af

wow
Guest
wow
8 years ago

Yes, mountain lions are wild animals that eat what they kill and have huge home ranges.

Packs of three or more domesticated dogs gone wild will kill multiple animals or maim them to the point of having to be put down. They are the biggest threat to livestock all over the country. Wolves were getting blamed even tho they eat their kill, until wildlife cameras caught the domesticated dogs in the act.
Before you say not true do some research.

Beyond the economic loss, any animal being tortured is awful. The dog owners outta be punished by having a dog chew on them for awhile. Dogs that learn to attack together will attack children&even adults as they get in the pack attack mentality that has nothing to do with acquiring food, just killing.

I hope the sheriffs will be visiting the folks from other countries who could give a crap about livestock or neighbors
With the amount of strong arming of locals to leave their land by these creeps, it wouldn’t surprise me if they were setting their dogs in livestock fields in hopes the rancher will leave. Anything we can do to get those people out will be good, they make the mexican cartel look like wimps. Scary.

Food for thought
Guest
Food for thought
8 years ago

And what does a humans family get if they’re killed by a black cow in the middle of a county road?

Anon Forrest
Guest
8 years ago

A good lesson in driving country roads: Slowly, and on High Alert. af

tugboat
Guest
8 years ago

I have cows and what dogs do to them is terrible, they kill for sport, first , if it is a adult cow they will rip off the milk bag or tear off the penis and sack if a bull. then they go for the ears ,tail. a lot of times they never eat the cow just leave it for the owner to shoot.

Anon Forrest
Guest
8 years ago

One problem stands out: There are people who think that dogs kept under control will not enjoy Freedom.
These are the same people who do not castrate their male dogs, or spay their females, because the owners confuse their own testicles with the testicles of their dogs; and owners of unsprayed females have actually told me that a bitch who has not had a litter of puppies is not “fulfilled.”
In the US, ten THOUSAND puppies are euthanized DAILY are a result of these citified cretins and their abysmal treatment of their pets. Really.
Unfortunately for everyone, dogs allowed to run “free” are rarely vaccinated or licensed. Why? Because the tags, if worn, can be traced to their owners. And if the dog(s) are caught, they are not claimed because the owner can be charged with huge fines to cover the livestock losses. (Last time we had a nut-case like that in our neighborhood, the restitution for a weaner pig was $1200… ) The fine was paid, and THEN the dog was shot. The kids got a hamster instead . Good call. af

hmmm
Guest
hmmm
8 years ago
Reply to  Anon Forrest

Great comment!

hmmm
Guest
hmmm
8 years ago

It is immoral to allow your dogs to roam freely. It is also immoral to fail to protect your livestock from native predators. Ranchers should have dogs themselves that serve to protect their herd, at times when a predator has been around, it may be appropriate to actually be a rancher and spend some nights outside. Good fences, dogs, barns and diligence can help eliminate the need for “depredation”.

the misadventures of bunjee
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the misadventures of bunjee
8 years ago
Reply to  hmmm

Get a llama. Or two. They make great protectors of penned livestock against predators when humans can’t be around to do it.

Eastside
Guest
Eastside
8 years ago
Reply to  hmmm

its impossible for a large ranch to fence out dogs . Their barns are used for hay storage, not housing cows. When you have a large herd they don’t all stick together, they break up into little roaming groups, so having watch dogs isn’t feasible. Spending the night outside might be good if you have identified a problem, but dogs could be on the other side of the ranch wreaking havoc. The problem is the dogs and their owners, not the ranchers lack of due diligence .

hum kid
Guest
hum kid
8 years ago

everyone loves pit bulls ,three pits killed a 12 year old child in Redding a mouth or so ago.he was left alone with the three family pets so sweet.Why are all the animal shelters 80 percent full of this breed.When dumb people let these dogs run free they kill anything in sight especially when they roam in packs.And i don’t care if my spelling is correct.

fiveyearsaheadofmytime
Guest
fiveyearsaheadofmytime
8 years ago

Most people suck! Unfortunately for the dogs, livestock, and the rest of the animal kingdom we are the invasive species.