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Pet Protection

VApatriot

Regular Member
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
998
Location
Burke/Blacksburg, Virginia, USA
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I just thought I would post this story from Florida.

http://www.worldmag.com/articles/11915

Dog's best friend
Memo from the State of Florida to its residents: Sure, alligator attacks have become shockingly common in the last month. But don't even think about defending your pets or loved ones. After a week of brutal alligator attacks in Florida that left three women dead and many dogs maimed and killed, Candy Frey knew just what to do when one of the killer reptiles tussled with her golden retriever: The East Manatee, Fla., woman got her handgun and put several rounds into the reptile, killing it. State authorities gave her a warning citation for hunting without a permit.
 

ilbob

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
778
Location
, Illinois, USA
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an old story.

the citation was retracted, probably after all the bad publicity it generated.

IIRC, the alligator actually went into her house, and than back outside where she shot it, hitting it several times without seemingly causing it much damage.
 

VAopencarry

Regular Member
Joined
May 9, 2006
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Location
Berryville-ish, VA
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Yes, I also read the citation was retracted and the gator was seemingly not significantly injured, the wildlife officer returned to the water.
 

TaosGlock

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Joined
May 20, 2006
Messages
74
Location
Mesilla/Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
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Our Golden Retriever is like a family member. I would not hesitate to defend her against another animal attack. Unfortunately, only in the most extreme situation can I legally shoot to defend her against a human attacker.
 

jackal1209

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Jun 12, 2006
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A couple years ago a less than desireable neighbors dog jumped the fence into my back yard and attacked my collie. His was a german sheppard mix. I heard the ruckus and retrieved my 45 putting two into the beast that had ripped into my collie. Afterwards, I called the local police, (Ft. Worth Texas) and advised them of the situation. About an hour later they sent animal controll out to pick up the carcass of the dead animal, and issued a citation to the owner of the other dog for allowing it to run loose. Justice done.
 

GlockMan

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Joined
Jun 15, 2006
Messages
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Location
Reston, Virginia, USA
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I can't even believe they even gave that lady a citation in the first place!

I mean, who hunts IN THEIR OWN HOME? And, really, isn't it the alligator who should've received the citation for hunting on private property without permission?!
 

ProguninTN

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Joined
May 26, 2006
Messages
416
Location
, Tennessee, USA
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GlockMan wrote:
I can't even believe they even gave that lady a citation in the first place!

I mean, who hunts IN THEIR OWN HOME? And, really, isn't it the alligator who should've received the citation for hunting on private property without permission?!

Yes, the alligator is trespassing. Seems to me that its actions would be justification for force to be used so that it may be captured or euthanized.

ProguninTN
 

ilbob

Campaign Veteran
Joined
May 9, 2006
Messages
778
Location
, Illinois, USA
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By the way, June 23 is bring your pet to work day.

Not sure what that has to do with guns, but my wife just pointed it out to me.

Maybe instead of arming bears, we should arm beagles and bring them to work.

:)
 

apjonas

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Jun 11, 2006
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Except that in no jurisdiction may you use deadly force against a person to protect an animal, pet or not.

TaosGlock wrote:
Our Golden Retriever is like a family member. I would not hesitate to defend her against another animal attack. Unfortunately, only in the most extreme situation can I legally shoot to defend her against a human attacker.
 

jackal1209

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In Texas a Police officer may use deadly force against a human attacker of a police working dog!
 

TaosGlock

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May 20, 2006
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Mesilla/Las Cruces, New Mexico, USA
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apjonas wrote:
Except that in no jurisdiction may you use deadly force against a person to protect an animal, pet or not.

TaosGlock wrote:
Our Golden Retriever is like a family member. I would not hesitate to defend her against another animal attack. Unfortunately, only in the most extreme situation can I legally shoot to defend her against a human attacker.
Unless he has a gun in his hand, on your property, is within 21 feet and you yourself are in reasonable "fear of your life". This would be the extreme situation I mentioned.
Other than that I would not shoot.
 

eBratt

Regular Member
Joined
Jun 4, 2006
Messages
271
Location
Fort Collins Area, CO
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If you want to get really technical, there has been a push to make animal cruelty here in Utah a felony (I'll refrain from making any political comments here). Utah's laws permit use of force likely or intended to cause death to preven the commission of "forcible felony." I wonder if violent animal cruelty would qualify...
 

jackal1209

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I'm glad I live in Texas, even though we have no open carry.

You just don't mess with a mans dog, horse, and wife... in that order.:X
 

GlockMan

Regular Member
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Jun 15, 2006
Messages
54
Location
Reston, Virginia, USA
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jackal1209 wrote:
I'm glad I live in Texas, even though we have no open carry.

You just don't mess with a mans dog, horse, and wife... in that order.:X

I can't believe Texas doesn't have an open carry law. Common thought is Texas is the most liberal of all the states with gun laws. Apparently not.
 

jackal1209

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Jun 12, 2006
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You would think so, but not. The only reason Texas passed the concealed carry thing about ten years ago was that everyone had, and carried anyway. I spend a lot of time in Arizona with the company I work for, and I think they are about the best state for open or concealed carry.
 

hirundo82

Regular Member
Joined
May 10, 2006
Messages
180
Location
Houston, Texas, USA
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The main things I don't like about the Texas carry laws are the lack of open carry and the number of places prohibited by the CHL statute, although the latter has been decreasing since the law was passed. Texas law is so specific about requirements for posting that almost nowhere complies with the law. And there seems to be a little movement toward getting at least licensed OC. It would be nice to not have to wear a cover garment with how hellaciously hot it gets in summer.

But overall there are much worse states to be a gun owner in than Texas. I still dream of moving to Alaska or one of the states in the upper Rockies though.

To bring this back to the original subject of the thread, it seems to me that it is certainly justifiable to use deadly force to prevent your pet from being injured or killed. Pets are legally property, and Texas Penal Code Section 9.42 justifies the use of deadly force if (paraphrasing) you believe the property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means. The death of the pet would certainly qualify.

Besides, I would much more readily use deadly force to protect pets I have had than many people I have known.
 
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