Lillie was attacked.(Kle1986)

 We just moved into this house in the middle of January. It took all our money but it was worth it to get out of a trailer that was falling apart. We was going to put up a fence when we got taxes and that government check. But all 3 cars freakin broke down, JJ chipped a tooth that had to be pulled, I had to pay 400 bucks for some stupid chickens, then Jayde needed her broken foot fixed,and JJ wrecked his mom's truck. So there went all our money for the fence. We wanted to fence in the whole 2 acres here not just a little section.

BUT we will be getting a little section fenced off this weekend.

My dogs werent doing anything but minding their own business in their own yard. I was outside with them. Cheyanne was up my butt watching me clean their room and Lillie was 50 feet away playing with the drop off kitty. I sorry I didnt protect my dogs.

I dont let the dogs outside and let them do as they please. I dont let them go wandering into other peoples yards and doing their business on their plants or stuff they have sitting in their yards. I dont let them go terrorize other people's animals.

But like I said a little section will be fenced off this weekend so that Lillie wont be running loose in the yard even when I'm out there.
 

I am the Queen of the Obvious but Hey I will say this anyway !!!        NO ONE offering advice  who read your OP and any other  FINDS you at fault!!!

You take great care of your pups and child , you and the hubs are improving your lives and following my favorite religion TCB !!    You have a gun toting moron with animals who are barely legal.  THEY came onto your property !!!   You did Nothing wrong, Nada, zip  NOTHING.

Your well trained ,well loved dogs were on your property, they were not eating kittens or kids and not causing problems of ANY  kind. The suggestions and advice offered often comes tongue in cheek because that is the only way we can deal with life.  

Please know we all understand and back you up 100% ....

Bonita of Bwana

 I know I didnt do anything wrong. Just wanted to reassure everyone on here that a fence is in the future and would have already been up but problems got in the way.

Anyways Lillie is back to her old self. She was always a submissive dog to other dogs so the fight made her worse. But with Cheyanne and me at her side she knows she is safe. She is fine with male dogs but is very submissive to females now. When we go for walks and we come across a dog she looks at me and I tell her " keep walking" and it seems to do the trick.

Cheyanne ignores other dogs on walks except the ones that she fought off. She will go running up to them grumbles like crazy until we pass their yard. She doesnt go in the yard or go after them. She just walks between us and the dogs grumbling at them. After we pass their yard she is fine.  

I agree you didn't do anything wrong.  Now if a kid comes into my yard or your yard (mine isn't fenced either) and our dogs bite, then it's still our fault, but when someone else's dog charges onto our property and picks a fight, it's THEIR fault.  I watched Judge Judy today b/c it was about dogs.  An Akita went into the neighbor's yard and attacked their Jack Russel.  The JRT was not leashed and they had no physical fence, but an e-fence.  The judge made the Akita's owners pay for all the damage and said it was their fault.  They argued it was "just an accident" and that the JRT may have instigated it, but since the Akita broke loose and went on the JRT's property to attack him, the Akita owners had to pay all the damages (over $2000 and this was the second attack, but they could not prove the Akita was responsible for the first attack on the JRT).

Since I don't have a fence and can't put one up (I rent and share this property), I basically have eyes in the back of my head as far as the other dogs.  The neighbor's pittie has charged over many times, but he is harmless and just wants to play.  The other neighbor's have a huge dog, like a Pointer x Great Dane, who is on a tie-out but I fear one day it will snap b/c when he sees me or my dogs he charges over and over.  He's up on a hill, which makes it worse b/c he can see everything in my yard and it probably encourages his dominance/aggression.  With this in mind, I'm always conscious of him when we are out and if he ever does snap his line and charge, I will beat him with the small rake I use for cleaning up poop.  I figured if I have a game plan and commit to it, I hopefully won't freeze if I ever need it. 

Liesje

I will beat him with the small rake I use for cleaning up poop.  I figured if I have a game plan and commit to it, I hopefully won't freeze if I ever need it. 

I can almost guarantee you wouldn't freeze.  You are likely like most of us Mama Bears here and will just react.  Especially, since you have a game plan already written out.

Kle, so happy to hear that you and your DH will be fencing this weekend.  Good luck with the rest of the neighborly chaos.

I've been reading through the posts and I just want to say how sorry I am that Lillie got attacked, and that you have to deal with these people.

If I were you I'd keep a close eye whenever I had my dogs out, but keep and even closer eye out if you have your daughter out. Install a good 6ft or higher fence as soon as you can. Call 911 if you see them on your property, ASAP. The police keep records of all the calls. Carry mase, carry a cell phone, try to carry a camera, at all times and don't let your guard down. Have you tried nicely talking to your neighbors, even though being nice to them is probably going to be hard? Even though they sound like real winners, they might be willing to listen (didn't read if you've already tried that though).

Also, I can't believe how many on here are so quick to jump to guns, poison, kills shelters, or the "3 S's"...wow. None of these things crossed my mind, and I wouldn't give that type of advice to anyone on any day. Sorry, that's just me.

BlackLabbie

Also, I can't believe how many on here are so quick to jump to guns, poison, kills shelters, or the "3 S's"...wow. None of these things crossed my mind, and I wouldn't give that type of advice to anyone on any day. Sorry, that's just me.

I have a young daughter. If I believed my daughter was in danger because of loose dogs that no one would do anything about, I would do what I had to do to protect her. I wouldn't be happy about it. I wouldn't take pleasure in it. None of us were there, or know what kind of danger the OP's daughter may be in. If she is at risk, well. I don't apologize for looking for solutions.  I place a high value on life, but I will pick and choose which life to protect if I think I have to,

I totally understand what you're saying here. I'm just saying that I wouldn't give violent ideas to anyone.
You never know, you could end up hurting yourself, your family, or your own dogs. I just wouldn't want that hanging over my head if, doG forbid, something goes wrong.  

Sorry to hear what happened. I could not find ordinances for LaRue County but I did for Kentucky.

http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stuskyst258_005_991.htm

258.235 Authority to kill or seize dog; return by court to owner of vicious dog; liability for damage; proceeding by person attacked by dog; disposition of dog after seizure; powers of animal control officer; vicious dog not to run at large

(1) Any person, without liability, may kill or seize any dog which is observed attacking any person.

(2) Any livestock owner or his agent, without liability, may kill any dog trespassing on that owner's property and observed in the act of pursuing or wounding his livestock.

(3) Any dog determined to be vicious by a court and allowed to be returned to an owner shall be confined in a locked enclosure at least seven (7) feet high or a locked kennel run with a secured top. The dog may leave the enclosure only to visit the veterinarian or to be turned in to an animal shelter. The dog shall be muzzled if leaving the enclosure for either of these purposes.

(4) Any owner whose dog is found to have caused damage to a person, livestock, or other property shall be responsible for that damage.

(5) (a) Any person who has been attacked by a dog, or anyone acting on behalf of that person, may make a complaint before the district court, charging the owner or keeper of the dog with harboring a vicious dog. A copy of the complaint shall be served upon the person so charged in the same manner and subject to the laws regulating the service of summons in civil actions directing him to appear for a hearing of the complaint at a time fixed in the complaint. If the person fails to appear at the time fixed, or if upon a hearing of the parties and their witnesses, the court finds the person so charged is the owner or keeper of the dog in question, and that the dog has viciously and without cause, attacked a human being when off the premises of the owner or keeper, the person shall be subject to the penalties set forth in KRS 258.990(3)(b), and the court shall further order the owner or keeper to keep the dog securely confined as provided by subsection (3) of this section, or the court may order the dog to be destroyed.

This means that the owners of the other dogs are liable according to Kentucky law and there is a description of how to file charges.

2) Any peace officer or animal control officer may seize or destroy any dog found running at large between the hours of sunset and sunrise and unaccompanied and not under the control of its owner or handler. A peace officer or animal control officer shall be under a duty to make a fair and reasonable effort to determine whether any dog found at large between sunset and sunrise is a hound or other hunting dog which has become lost temporarily from a pack or wandered from immediate control of its owner, or handler, and if he is reasonably sure that the dog is a hunting dog, then he shall not destroy the dog, unless it is found in the act of pursuing or wounding livestock, or wounding or killing poultry, or attacking human beings.

This law requires local police to do something about it. Also, it implies that a dog must be under control of it's owner. That means the other owner is either not in control of the dogs and is liable for damages, or is in control of the dogs and is liable for aggravated assault.

(1) Any person who violates KRS 258.015, 258.035, 258.055, 258.065, or 258.085 shall be fined not less than ten dollars ($10) nor more than one hundred dollars ($100). Each day of violation shall constitute a separate offense.

(2) The owner of any dog, cat, or ferret which bites a human being shall be liable to pay all damages for personal injuries resulting from the bite of the dog, cat, or ferret.

Specific liability.

Also, you can sue on their homeowner's insurance. Pets are property and if their property damages you or your property in any way, you can file a claim on their insurance, if they have any.

You can call the police and animal control every time and while you are at it, call the state police and explain that the local police are not helping. Also, call the state attorney general and explain that the police and animal control are not doing their job. And spread this story around to every newspaper and news program you can think of. One of them will bite the hook and before you know it, it's on 60 Minutes or Nightline.

You need to get your back and repeat this mantra (thanks Tommy Lee Jones) - "I am the wrong dog to jack with."

BlackLabbie

Also, I can't believe how many on here are so quick to jump to guns, poison, kills shelters, or the "3 S's"...wow. None of these things crossed my mind, and I wouldn't give that type of advice to anyone on any day. Sorry, that's just me.

Have you ever lived in an area where the law does not protect your rights?  Have you ever felt that your child or pets might be hurt if you filed a legal complaint?

Fighting a broken legal system takes time and the OP is already frustrated with that fight.  She had a BB gun ready to defend her family and pets due to a "good old boys" club that is not enforcing the laws.

The OP needs a discussion of the full range of her options.  I don't think anyone really wants her to hurt the dogs or to do anything illegal, but mentioning an option gives her a chance to think it through - the pros and the cons.

A fence and the Scarecrow sprinkler are the best options right now, but if the OP needs to escalate beyond that she can choose between her BB gun, a taser, pepper spray, and mace (depending on what is available in her area).  Trapping the dogs, taking them to the local pound, and notifying the owners might be the next step.  The owners could choose if they wanted the dogs bad enough to pick them up.  [Outdoor traps should never be baited with poison because you can poison the wrong animal.]

Escalating to a lethal (or potentially lethal) option would be very regretable, BUT sometimes it is a choice between which life will be lost - not if a life will be lost. 

Not sure if you read my second post...
...but, again, I understand what you're saying. I just wouldn't give violent ideas to anyone because of the potential for something to go horribly wrong. And I don't want that hanging over my head.

Kle, I'm so sorry this happened to Lillie and you. I hope this never happens again. Give Lillie a lot of get-well-kisses from me.