Vermont: Dogkiller sued for emotional costs. New precedent?

[surprise_i'm_armed]

http://www.komonews.com/news/national/79534707.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

A Maryland couple visiting in Vermont let their dog Shadow out.
The link has a pic of Shadow.

The 76 year old man shot the dog with an air pellet rifle,
aiming for the dog's butt, but hitting Shadow in the chest, severing
its aorta, and killing it.

The couple is now suing for the emotional distress caused by
the loss of their beloved dog.

This case may possibly set a new precedent for the costs of
emotional loss of a beloved dog.

Questions raised here: What about the loss of a cat or a horse?

Would this grant the owners of dogs more rights than grandparents
of a human child?

Mr. Scheele is 50 and continues to work as a plumber.
Sarah Scheele is 56 and has quit her job as a meeting planner in
order to work on animal welfare issues.

SIA

[Oldgringo]

http://www.komonews.com/news/national/79534707.html

A Maryland couple visiting in Vermont let their dog Shadow out.
The link has a pic of Shadow.

The 76 year old man shot the dog with an air pellet rifle,
aiming for the dog's butt, but hitting Shadow in the chest, severing
its aorta, and killing it.

The couple is now suing for the emotional distress caused by
the loss of their beloved dog.

This case may possibly set a new precedent for the costs of
emotional loss of a beloved dog.

Questions raised here: What about the loss of a cat or a horse?

Would this grant the owners of dogs more rights than grandparents
of a human child?

Mr. Scheele is 50 and continues to work as a plumber.
Sarah Scheele is 56 and has quit her job as a meeting planner in
order to work on animal welfare issues.

SIA

As has been mentioned many times in this Forum, one can sue or get sued anytime for anything. Winning, or losing, the suit is another issue.

In many households, the pets are very real members of the family and their loss is quite sorrowful and distressing. Personally, I don't have much use for anyone who abuses animals or kids or the elderly, etc. Similarly, I don't have much use for folks who do not manage their animals and/or kids.

[ES4Me]

I am with you Oldgringo. People who fail to properly restrict the wandering of their dogs are ignorant and irresponsible owners. They think they love their dogs by allowing them to roam at will. Nothing could be further from the truth and more dangerous!

[budroux2w]

I agree with the above. Would it have been too hard to put the dog on a leash if the fence was not secure?

I probably would have picked a different way to run the dog off other than a pellet gun, but depending on the physical ability of Mr Dustin and what exactly the dog was doing could play a factor.

It's similar to children getting hurt/killed on someone else's property and the property owner is a fault (i.e. swimming pool). - Hear say, no articles, case studies, etc to back this up at all -

Keep an eye on your pets and kids.

[StewNTexas]

I am really tired of finding these piles in my yard. I am considering getting a BB gun, low powered, just to chase dogs away. There are two that seem to make a daily treck to my yard to leave me a present. As I know where one of them lives, I have gotten into the habit of placing their deposit into an empty Wal-Mart sack. After accumulating these presents for a few days, I simply walk down the street, leave the bag on the hood of the owners car.

So far, this has not done any good.

Suggestions ???

[Oldgringo]

I am really tired of finding these piles in my yard. I am considering getting a BB gun, low powered, just to chase dogs away. There are two that seem to make a daily treck to my yard to leave me a present. As I know where one of them lives, I have gotten into the habit of placing their deposit into an empty Wal-Mart sack. After accumulating these presents for a few days, I simply walk down the street, leave the bag on the hood of the owners car.

So far, this has not done any good.

Suggestions ???

Call the law and/or file a complaint if you live in a city/incorporated area. What you're currently doing is an invitation for unpleasant things happening...to you.

[budroux2w]

I am really tired of finding these piles in my yard. I am considering getting a BB gun, low powered, just to chase dogs away. There are two that seem to make a daily treck to my yard to leave me a present. As I know where one of them lives, I have gotten into the habit of placing their deposit into an empty Wal-Mart sack. After accumulating these presents for a few days, I simply walk down the street, leave the bag on the hood of the owners car.

So far, this has not done any good.

Suggestions ???

Animals tend to form habits, if the dogs come around close to the same time every day, try to get animal patrol out around that time of day. Hopefully the owners will learn their lesson after that.

If not, low voltage electric fence

[casingpoint]

I simply walk down the street, leave the bag on the hood of the owners car.
So far, this has not done any good. Suggestions ???

Leave it on the inside.

[The Annoyed Man]

Suggestions ???

Don't use a bag anymore.

If he complains, tell him his dog didn't bag it before depositing it. You're just returning it in the same condition you found it.... .....but do keep leaving it on the hood of his car.

[Tamie]

Trap the wild dog and call aminal control.

[C-dub]

If you were around to shoot it with a pellet gun, but would rather not shoot it how about one of those little air horns? Push that button right when the dog squats and depending on the reaction, he might not want to squat anywhere for a while.

[flb_78]

When 1 of my former managers moved to an area where a few let their animals run loose, he bought a paintball gun. He'd tag every animal in his yard with bright green and orange paintballs.

[Oldgringo]

When 1 of my former managers moved to an area where a few let their animals run loose, he bought a paintball gun. He'd tag every animal in his yard with bright green and orange paintballs.

Now this is a great idea!

[marksiwel]

A Pump Paintball gun isnt that bad, but you could get charged with Animal Cruelty, a Metal BB gun or a Pellet gun is enough to kill a dog.
Now an Airsoft gun shoots Plastic Bbs, and its almost impossible to kill an animal with it

That dog didnt look like a killer, the old fool shouldnt have shot it, the owners shouldnt have let it out too

[Keith B]

Here is another option. A blowgun.



I have one I bought years ago. We used to have stray cats and dogs that would come into the yard and try to bother our animals. I used the push-pins like these



that fit the caliber (think it is a .40 cal) and they would shoot perfect.

The spike is only about a half inch long and the animal would pull it out by grabbing it with their teeth or rubbing against something, but only AFTER they had skedaddled. A couple of times and they stopped coming into our yard and made a WIDE path around our property. I never saw any ill effects from the push-pin hits.