When we first moved to rural Chatham Co in 1998 we enjoyed keeping chickens in a closed pen, rabbits in cages and within a fenced enclosure. We got our little homestead all setup and were very proud, regularly entertaining our old city friends.
Around 2001 a pack of feral dogs showed up, killed our chickens, killed our rabbits and seriously wounded our beloved aged cattle dog so bad he required expensive surgery to repair his anus and left hind quarter. We were still driving into the city everyday for work and when we got home that afternoon there was guts and feathers and blood and our poor dog bleeding on the front porch. Laying around the yard were about 6 or 7 of these feral dogs that had gorged themselves. I had recently had open heart surgery and could not reasonably defend my wife, my dog or myself. I could not fire a shotgun without fear of damaging the healing ribs that had to be seperated to accommodate the surgery. These dogs remained in the area for the next several months. They attacked and killed two calves belonging to neighbors.
I healed.
They came back to my house again and I killed them, all of them, with my newly acquired semi automatic rifle. I would do it again and have no regrets. I was and am, at least for the present, within my rights to defend myself, my family, and my livestock.
Notice: if you allow your dog to run free and your dog threatens me or my pets I will kill your dog. period. If your dog hurts or kills one of my pets before I kill it, you will get to meet me in person in a court of law. Get a good lawyer, I will have one. For the rest of us, we will see you at the next neighborhood pig pickin, I’ll buy you a beer.
From: David Higginbotham
Sent: Thursday, August 18, 2022 at 08:58:58 AM EDT
Subject: you are responsible for your animals.