This disturbing story ran in my local newspaper a while back, front page. Here’s the gist of it:
A family let their dogs out of the house one day last October. Meantime, on the adjoining property two guys were sitting in tree stands with their bows, hunting deer. The dog owners called for their dogs to come back, but one animal did not return. That 5-year-old German Shepard had walked under one of the hunters’ stands.
According to reports, for some odd reason, the hunters exchanged texts about what to do about the dog. Allegedly one of the men, a 47-year-old chiropractor, said he would handle it, and he shot the dog twice.
When asked by authorities why he did it, the shooter said it was fear because he had been “cornered by dogs when he was younger and didn’t want to take that chance again” even though he was 15 feet up in a tree.
It should be noted that according to some reports, the dog shooter’s 10-year-old son was also along on the hunt, apparently up in a stand also. I truly hope the kid did not see the shots.
The dog’s owner, who admits the German Shepard was running loose off his land, is quoted as saying, “She was chasing a deer. Even then, their noses are to the ground following a deer. That man was not in danger. That man was not fearful for himself. That man was pissed off that quote unquote they ruined his hunting day.”
While not entirely clear, it appears one of the bow hunters called the Fauquier County Sheriff’s Office and reported what had happened. The shooter was charged with cruelty to animals and destruction of personal property greater than $1,000.
Our semi-rural community is typical of many around the country these days—a good number of deer hunters and more pet owners/lovers who are not necessarily anti-deer hunting, but are up on the fence about it. One event like this and boom, many if not most of them jump right off the fence and into the anti-hunting crowd, at least for a while until they forget about it.
Worse, a salacious event like this in a small community soon goes viral; this story has been picked up by online news sites in Houston, Colorado and even in the United Kingdom. One bone-headed act by this “hunter,” and I use that term very loosely, blows up into terrible publicity for hunters across the country and the world.
Ironically, just about the time of this unfortunate event last October, I posted this blog about dogs chasing deer and the volatile circumstance it can create. I wrote: I fall into a small group of people who say they could not and would not shoot a dog UNLESS they were still-hunting or walking to or from a stand, and ran into a barking, snarling dog that was running wild and chasing deer and generally causing havoc… We blogged and discussed how bad it would be to shoot somebody’s pet dog, and the damage it would do to our image. Little did I know it was happening less than 20 miles down the road.
So what will happen to the dog-shooting chiropractor from Va.? Reports say an initial plea bargain was denied, and he was indicted in March. The case now moves to a jury trial. If this does indeed go to trial, I do not like his chances. What do you think the punishment should be?
Nothing should happen him. Why isn’t the dog owner being charged? I am sure he violated a leash law. Isn’t wildlife harassment a crime?
I for one and sick of these people who let their dogs run wild, usually all over my expensive lease that I spend time and money on. As far as I am concerned the dog is fair game if he is on my property chasing my deer.
You want your dog to live a long happy life, keep him penned the fuck up or keep him on a leash or keep him in your house.
I have neighborhood kids walk thru my yard, people litter in my yard here and there, some people park on part of my yard, people walk their dog and don’t pick up their poop, some people honk their horn, etc. I don’t whine, cry or shoot things. I hope the guy goes to prison.
Awful…but I understand! Two years ago I had a week of hunting ruined by dogs. 13 seconds of deer…4 hours of dogs. That’s not a ratio you want in the treestand.
That said, even though I was mad as could be, I didn’t shoot a dog. I could never as I consider my dog part of the family.
Yes, it sucks. Yes, you want to shoot. No, you shouldn’t shoot!
Deer are more used to dogs than you think. Last morning of the previously mentioned hunt, shot a nice dark-antlered 10 point not 100 yards from a stand previously destroyed by dog action…
P.S. My dog/best friend wanders off about once a year (1 hour max)…if that one hour aligned perfectly with a bow hunter on a neighboring property I would lose my s***! Especially considering it’s a breed impossible to confuse with coyotes. Just pray people would take a second glance before doing something undeniably stupid and irreversible.
I hunt here in VA and this is more common than people understand. While I too love dogs, I respect others property and would NEVER allow my dog to run free on others property. Dog Owners who let their dogs run lose and on others property should be charged with tresspassing, PERIOD NO EXCEPTIONS!!
Why should I care about the neighbors dogs or their feelings if they do not have the decency and respect for others proeprty?? I do not care about the tree huggers, the anti hunters, or their warped ideas, I WILL HUNT, I WILL BEAR ARMS – even if they are successful in getting hunting banned. I’m GOING TO HUNT!
I spend thousands upon thousands of dollars annually to groom MY property, i have asked the neighbors nicely to please keep their dogs off my property, only to be told “dogs do not understand proeprty lines”, typical answer. I responded with – No problem, I know my boundaries and I do not have dogs on my property, therefore ALL are considered a nuisance animal.
Be SMART about it, we have snare traps and other traps that catch dogs just as well as coyotes, the traps don’t know boundaries either. Certainly keep it to yourself so the public is not made aware, but I fully support protecting your land, your property and your rights, it’s a shame a few knuckleheaded DOG OWNERS do not care about their so called “family pet”.
The very same neighbors dogs ran off a Big ol Struttin Tom on youth Day this year, ruined my hunt, my childs hunt and I could have easily shot those dogs, but I had a child with me and that is not right to subject ANY child to witness killing a dog.
Why is it the Yuppies of rural America whom allow their dogs to run free whenever wherever they wish garner sympathy? I have been on my own property and watched the neighbor’a dogs be left out the back door of their home and make a bee line for my meadow to hunt. I have spoken with the owners. Approached them nicely requesting they keep their dogs off my property and have been told to get off their property or they will call the police on me. Time after time the dogs are left out with no supervision to roam my land while I am deer hunting. Do I not have a rights also? I have called the police to report free roaming dogs from my tree stand only to have my calls ignored. What is reasonable for me…shoot the dogs? Sue their owner at my expense?
I had a situation several years ago where a neighbor’s dogs were commonly coming into the woods like this. I once was walking to a stand during our gun season and they both were out sunning near one of my stands. When I approached the stand they both got up and began growling and barking at me. If my memory serves me correctly, one of the two began to approach my position. I remember yelling at them and eventually they ran up to the house. My hunt was ruined. I talked to the guy who owned the dogs and he told me that if it happened again to go ahead and shoot them. (Note: he was in the middle of a divorce, and the dogs belonged to his wife at the time. I told him that I didn’t want to shoot them and I’d appreciate it if he’d chain them up during deer season especially.)
Well stated Tucker.
I hunt in Fauquier County. Last year one of our landowners had a talk with me about this story. This story had her rattled. They have 4 dogs that roam the farm all the time. The yellow lab loves some swamp donkey. The cam pics are hilarous his nose is caked. Anyway I talked with her for about an hour about the range of what we do (bowhunting only). At that point last year this whole deal was still a mistake. She was still leary. To the point when I would see her at the barn I would get the watch out for the dogs. Or you did’t see any dogs today did you. Also don’t shoot anymore coyotes we don’t want any mistaken identities. You can already see that the ground work has already been set keeping this farm is going to be hard. Thanks to a Yahoo having flash backs of fluffy humping his leg. Most of you on here are like me. You can hear roads more now. Or are closer to houses and all the sounds that creates. The hunting in most cases is even better the more suburban we get. I have had alot of dogs run deer and over all wreck the woods. It feels like he end of the hunt but it is not. These deer live that life they know what houses to skirt and what yards to stay in. Let the dogs go,let everything calm back down. You will see more deer. It is the evolving occupational hazard of suburban hunting.
that dog is dead because of the owner, pure and simple. The hunter shouldn’t be charged with anything while protecting his private property rights.
This is so obviously wrong, I can’t believe there is a discussion on it. Were the dogs in the wrong place….yes, they are dogs. They don’t know any better. If the hunter was being threatened, that’s one thing. Newsflash….dogs can’t climb trees! Sometimes as hunters things happen that may mess up a hunt. If another hunter walks in and sets by a tree, do you shoot him? No. People get caught up in what they are doing and don’t think of the consequences of how their actions affect other people. I am a hunter and don’t appreciate being lumped into the thoughtless acts of some that are grouped into the “hunter” category. I hope that non hunters don’t consider all of us thoughtless, self centered killers. We are not! nuff said.
I’m a dog lover, but hope the dog owners get charged with wildlife harassment and trespassing since they couldn’t keep their dog on thei property……I deal with this all the time …..when will hunters have rights on private ground?????
That is a shame what he did to that dog. The way the article reads, the dog was no threat to him. So, you go bowhunting, see a dog in your hunt area, and kill the dog because the dog is chasing deer? Of course dogs chase deer. Some chase the mailman, that does not give someone the right to kill the dog.
I’m a hunter and a strong supporter of hunting rights. But, my goodness, we do have some “knotheads”( I use that term very loosely) in our ranks. The individual that killed that dog is a gold medal wearing knothead. I think that he should be charged to the full extent of the law for cruelty to animals and property destruction. I also think that he should have his hunting priviledges revoked in the state of Virgina until he completes a certified training course in hunter safety and ethics, in my opinion.
Story like this bother me.