So angry

 Truly nobody is upset with the OP and nobody is blaming the OP. It's just another way of seeing things. We ALL feel bad that the rabbits got killed and all agree that the husky owner should take responsibility. However, this is the same debate as an underground fence. Some people have no problems with them while others warn that they do not keep other animals out of your yard and your dogs may get hurt. The idea here is the same. There is a certain amount of risk that you have to accept when you keep animals outside. The risk decreases according to the security system you have in place, be it an electric fence, a chain link fence, privacy fence or electric wire.

emsels

spiritdogs

Owners of small pets have a duty not to leave them with inadequate protection against predators and owners of predatory pets have an obligation to keep them contained so that they don't access the small pets.  Shooting the predators is not the answer to a human problem.

 

 I am horrible for having my rabbits in a  cage (for about two hours)that a dog ripped to shreds, I get it.I dont want to shoot the dog, and it wont happen if the owner does what she needs to do and keeps her dog home.

Ok now that i am done with that.Your right it is a human problem but I shouldnt have to have my rabbits fenced in with 8 foot fence because some  idiot cant keep her dog in.She cant even get within 10 feet of the dog when it gets out.I will shoot the dog the next time it is on my property, whether that is with the paintball gun, pellet rifle, or other depends on the dog and how it reacts.

Sorry if you think I was berating you, really I wasn't, and I'm sorry for your loss.  But, your situation would be virtually the same had the perpetrator been a coyote or a fox instead of a loose dog.  That's basically what I meant.  Those of us who keep farm type animals, livestock, poultry, etc. need to understand that dogs get loose and predators exist in the wild, and the fact that your bunnies were pets rather than farm animals does not change the dynamic between them as prey animals, and predators, which even the nicest dogs sometimes are.  Granted, the owner should contain her dog (without making excuses) but, honestly, it's very hard to keep small pets outdoors without encountering predation eventually.  Coyotes foxes, fisher cats, and other animals, are very good at getting in to inadequate enclosures, so your rabbits were never really safe where they were.

Well said, Julie.

I used to have guinea pigs that enjoyed being outdoors all summer when I was home.  I always worried about wandering dogs and cats, and HAWKS.  We usually kept them in a covered enclosure so they could eat grass but not have a predator swoop down.  One time I had one out and my neighbor's dog got out, luckily he didn't know what to do so he just slobbered on my guinea pig and she was fine.  If any larger animal had enough prey drive they could easily destroy the covered cage.  Like the others have said, it was a balance of predator risk vs. enriching the lives of the guinea pigs.

 If you get to the point of going to court, preparation is everything.  Photos, witnesses, notarized statements, police report.  Have your ducks in a row.  You have to prove everything-even the value of the rabbits.  The judge will assume nothing.  You have to prove the event occured, that you know which dog did it. Possibly that you were not at fault.  With a little luck, the dogs owner won't show, which is a default judgement in your favor.  Then there is the problem of collecting.  Sometimes the judge will help.

Regarding indoor rabbits, I may have led a protected life, but I have never seen a rabbit as an indoor pet.  I've read about it, but never seen it.  The rabbits I've seen as pets or projects or food on the hoof, were raised in outdoor cages or cages in sheds (except for the neighbor who let them free in his back yard-never could find his).  You can make a cage heavy enough to be secure, with a strong secure nest box and a doubled bottom.  Probably pretty expensive, and needs one fence cover to keep the rabbits in, another to keep the big predators out.

The traditional human response to any predator has historically been to destroy the predator-or, in MN, protect the predator with fines and jail, reimburse the owner of the dead pet.  I think we have some predators quickly shot and buried.  I don't like the thought of shooting dogs, but a loose uncontrolled dog is a violation of the law.  Why should I have to suffer a loss because someone else ignores the law.

One of my brothers used a .22 rifle with really fine birdshot to keep strays away.  Didn't kill, but did get their attention.  Very short range to hurt a dog.  It usually just stings a lot.