I live in a pretty nice neighborhood (250-500K) homes.  However, we have a thug that somehow has managed to use a disability trust to move in next to us (cars steadily in and out of his home, different group every couple months etc..).  He currently has 2 pit bulls that are pinned up in his backyard.  On Friday, 1 of the 2 got out and made its way through the neighborhood to my home.  As soon as it saw me outside, it pretty much ran directly at me.  At this time, I see the neighbor out of his house and I holler for him to come get his dog.  The dog continues to come towards me and I holler for it to "get on" but it does not slow it down.  It starts to bark, show its teeth and basically chases me into my garage where I put a ladder between it and me.  At this time, the neighbor finally makes it over, picks the dog up and leaves.

I have had one other problem with this same dog, basically the same incident but not quite as aggressive.  I called animal control and their answer to me on Friday was that they called and spoke with owner, told them that if the dog gets out again we will go to court over it.

What else can legally be done?  Basically they are saying until that dogs mauls me or my family (3 year old and 8 year old) that they are not willing to do anything.  There has to be re-course.  Any advise would be appreciated.  

Thanks

Shoot it in the head. Then pick it up and beat the owners ass with it. I would then she him for emotional distress and the cost of a round. I don't have any particular hate for the breed of piece, I've been chased by more small dogs than large ones. Any dog that shows aggression to a person needs to be put down. This is just my opinion and I welcome yours.  

FPNI.  Well, the first sentence at least...  I would have no problem putting a dog down that showed unwarranted aggression towards me or my family.

You gotta sell the emotional distress part of it.  Nothing screams distress like beating someone with their dead dog who tried to kill you!  

 

I agree that it needs to be put down...However, if I were to shoot the dog within City Limits, I would imagine I then have a case against me for discharging a firearm...I think that happened recently in our town and it went before the judge and was dropped.  Not 100% sure on that one.  

I feel like I am in a damned if you do, damned if you don't situation.

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If you are in Metro Atlanta, there is most likely a leash law and/or other laws that have been violated. The neighbor needs a ticket or a summons for that. Also you should check your county and/or city ordinances, if you are inside the city limits, in regards to dogs and owners responsibilities.

I don't know about you, but I open carry on my own property (if not already carrying concealed) so if I have a dog that looks like it is going to attack me on my property, I think you can figure out what I would do. This is not legal advice and I am a dog lover, but aggressive Pit Bulls should be illegal and if one endangers me or my family on my property (especially if I had young children) said dog will never be coming back on my property!.

My son's dog is half Pit Bull half Boxer and is the sweetest dog anybody could have around. And let it be said that I don't think Pit Bulls are vicious dogs in general, but I do believe they are easy to make aggressive and that most aggressive Pit Bulls are that way because of their owners.

Lastly, if your neighbor is renting/leasing for less then 91 days, report him as a way to get rid of him/reform him. He is required to have a Sales and Use Tax Number, and collect and pay Sales/Occupancy Tax, and in some counties required to have a license. I am in the short term rental business and all rentals under 91 days require taxes paid to the State and most counties. Additionally if there are multiple vehicles arriving at all times during the day and night, there could easily be other ordinance violations in zoning, occupancy, business, or illegal activity.

Shoot it, you are allowed to protect yourself from bodily harm or death. If the neighbor doesn't want a dead dog he needs to ensure that it cannot escape. I guarantee you if a dog came after me in my own garage it will be killed.

This here.

Its sucks that you have to be armed at your house, tho.  It's not limited to town, I live out in the county where even Hank Williams, Jr wouldn't go, and there's a rental house 1 mile down the road that always has a bullshit dog, no matter the occupant.  I PT by that place every day, and now there's a pit bull that can just about get over the fence.  So, now I have to PT with a pistol.  I wish the thing would finally get out so I could Regulate it and stop running with the extra gear.  But dude would probably just get another one.

I know it's unrealistic in a neighborhood, but I'd provoke and escalate.  Show of force.  Can't you open carry on your own place there?

double tap

Hee hee, now we have  Arkansas folks telling us the laws?

IANAL!

But wouldn't the Georgia preemption law cover you?



Georgia packing reference


*of course while that will probably work as a defense that doesn't mean you won't be arrested and maybe even go to court.... I just hope you will sue him after it's fine.


In any case best advice : SSS

Well the good thing for you is, you've already called animal control and let them know you feared for you life.   It makes a claim of self defense from a dangerous dog far easier to believe once you shoot it on your back porch.  After you kill it, sue your neighbor for "loss of quality of life" due to the emotional stress you now live under.  I've heard of people winning cases against their neighbor whose dogs constantly bark, let alone chase them into their houses snarling and barking.

Careful now! Hank Jr goes wherever he damn well pleases!  Don't disrespect the man, especially on his birthday!!

 

Attain same net result...







 

Shoot it, just make sure you hit it as I imagine you don't want that 9/45 traveling through the neighbors house, etc.



Sucks, but chances are you are going to have to put it down.

I had a neighbor go through something similar a while back. He shot the dog as it charged but only wounded it. It turned into a legal nightmare for him. He ended up getting fined and probation/community service. I recommend if it comes to shooting the dog, make it disappear. YMMV, I'm no attorney

More details please. Was there a history of aggression? Documented?

Where was this?

I can plow a field all day long
I can catch catfish from dusk till dawn
We make our own whiskey and our own smoke too
Ain’t too many things these ole boys cain’t do
We grow good ole tomatoes and homemade wine
And a country boy can survive
Country folks can survive

Because you cain’t starve us out
And you caint makes us run
Cuz we're them old boys raised on shotgun
And we say grace and we say Ma’am
And if you ain’t into that we don’t give a damn



Hell, yeah son

you ran from a dog that probably weighs less than 50lbs?

OP i have been going through the same thing, the neighbor across street has a ghetto trash daughter that brings the hood to our neighbor hood. the retired army fellow across the street, had to kick out his daughter and keep he kids, that's a whole different story full of neighbor hood drama. she left her pitbull and that POS dog gets out and chases kids on bikes, etc...........the Pitbull got out and bit my female GSD on the next while being walked by one of my boys, my male GSD went to her aid, it was horrible trying to break this up, luckily my dogs were not hurt bad. i walked from the street to the neighbors front door and beat on it until he came out, he was VERY sorry this happened and told me his sob story about his garbage daughter, etc........ i explained to him as nicely as i could i would kill the dog if it charged my dogs or kids again, and then talked with a sheriff.

i have had a lot of hate on Facebook over my hate for Pits, but this is been my experience with them. OP i was told by a Columbia county sheriff that lives about 6 houses down, to defend myself, family and pets, IF the Pit was being aggressive in the street again, or on my property. he went over and talked with the neighbor, he has kids also that ride their bikes around, along with other children. hope this helps

I share your hate.  Since 1993, with the random dogs that get loose in a neighborhood, the ONLY dog to ever try to chew its way through my chain link fence to get at my dogs was a Pit.  I was about to get my gun when the owner who was slowly driving through the neighborhood looking for her dog heard me yelling at it.  She stopped and ran down with a leash.  I asked what the hell was wrong with her dog and she frantically apologized and said her dog hates other dogs......  Good thing some little kids wasn't playing in their front yard with their pup.  The most common Pit owners are either white trash or ghetto trash, that has been my experience.  Normal people are the minority.  If anyone here owns a Pit, you decide what category you fit into, I'm afraid I probably don't know you well enough to make that call.  A good buddy at work owns a Pit, he's part of the minority.

I concur with your observations. The only dog I have had trouble with at my place was a pit owned by some POS white trash that moved into a rental at the end of my road. It tried several times to get at my dog which was in his pen and ran at me one day when I got home and stepped out of my truck. That dog disappeared.

Funny how that works. Dogs give residents problems, people might or might not complain and its like "BANG" they just dissappear.

 

Dogs love hot sauce!

Only dogs I've ever had trouble with were Chow or Daschund

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I prefer a hotter permanent Solution over Hot Sauce! Overly aggressive dogs are like wife beating husbands, if you don't put them down, innocent people end up getting hurt or killed!

While you are 100% accurate, the legal system doesn't always agree

....and any other small dog. I've had as many Germans take a go at me as I have pits, usually their owners were alright though most pits that have came after me have had real winners as owners. The most bites taken at me from dogs other than minis were from chows, and healers. Could have a lot to do with location and frequency of contact with each particular breed.

The only solution I know of is to move to the boonies, plant yourself in the middle of 20+ acres, then buy all the adjoining properties that come up for sale.

Any dogs visiting my property, that don't behave, get dumped in the creek.

Carp and turtles need food too!

At the garage I would have shot the dog .Years ago I was attacked by a neighbors dog , Not the breed of peace but a doberman . The dog is missing .

Ya'll shoot more dogs than the fuzz!

I've shot one dog. It was a mercy shooting. He had been hit by a big truck and his head was crooked. He actually came up to me like he was asking for help. I'm no vet, but I had a 1911. It wasn't enough

What do you mean it wasn't enough? It took more than one shot?  

 

I've seen farmers try to put down long snouted animals and hit the wrong spot. Draw a line from left ear to right eye, do the same from right ear to left eye. Where they cross is the sweet spot. Most people shot behind the ear, that doesn't work too well.

Yep! That is the exact way a vet taught me about 30 years ago.

It's NEVER fun, but if you're gonna have critters, you're gonna have to put them down WAY too often. Even once, is WAY too often.

As for shooting destructive, or vicious critters, well that's no fun either, but, as a responsible adult, it's sometimes necessary!

I don't think City Limits applies for self defense situations.

I can't explain it, but I shot him three times with 230gr FMJ (Santa Barbara- really hot 45ACP) from a Colt Officer's Model. Muzzle was less than three feet from his head. After the third shot, he yelped and walked off. It was the last three rounds I had (I was 19 and broke, and hadn't learned yet to keep at least a full mag). It may have succumbed to the shots, but it was not instantaneous. Due to circumstances, I could not stay to find out. Conversely, I put down a large white tail with one shot from a 9mm- a 147gr XTP and he was DRT. Again, he'd been hit by a truck and left to suffer. His back was broken and he had apparently been there for a couple hours struggling to get up.

It all depends on where you live. In my town you would be fine popping it.
Call the police/sheriffs department and have them do a report about all of the issues you have had so there is a paper trail, as many times animal control does not document very well.