Dog update.
The Animal Control Officer who came last night was incorrect on some info. He said photographing the dog on our property was not enough, would not incur a fine for them, and that we had to catch it. He *recommended* us trying to catch it ourselves with treats and a leash. (This seemed a bad plan to me, but if it was the only solution... *shrugs*)
The Dog Ranger came to visit just now and said the dog next door was a sharpei, possibly would bite, that we should NOT try to catch it or touch it ourselves, and should not use treats and a leash. She said that dated photographs of the dog on our property *were* enough for a fine and that she had a farmer with a farm-cam set-up who gleefully sent her dated photos all the time.
And then she left a giant dog trap in our driveway for us to take down to the coop and set up for the weekend. Gotta go get bait now. Will get a photo of the giant dog trap later today. Bets on whether we catch our cat? We are so getting a farm-cam.
I <3 the Dog Ranger.
Oh also- our chicken pen *is* dog-proof, but the chickens were getting killed when I let them out of the pen to free-range in our yard. They don't range far from their pen. Free-ranging chickens on one's own property is allowed. Dogs off leash and uncontrolled are not allowed and are actually very rarely seen- maybe because this is farm country or the fines are so high and dogs are the main predator of the native kiwi bird. I have never seen an uncontrolled dog here until these neighbors. I suppose we could attempt to entirely fence our land, but our property is SO steep and SO awkwardly-shaped that buying the farm-cams would be cheaper. Nothing like endless fines to make a dog way too expensive to keep.
Edit: photo of Dog trap. Still have to go get proper bait.
The Dog Ranger came to visit just now and said the dog next door was a sharpei, possibly would bite, that we should NOT try to catch it or touch it ourselves, and should not use treats and a leash. She said that dated photographs of the dog on our property *were* enough for a fine and that she had a farmer with a farm-cam set-up who gleefully sent her dated photos all the time.
And then she left a giant dog trap in our driveway for us to take down to the coop and set up for the weekend. Gotta go get bait now. Will get a photo of the giant dog trap later today. Bets on whether we catch our cat? We are so getting a farm-cam.
I <3 the Dog Ranger.
Oh also- our chicken pen *is* dog-proof, but the chickens were getting killed when I let them out of the pen to free-range in our yard. They don't range far from their pen. Free-ranging chickens on one's own property is allowed. Dogs off leash and uncontrolled are not allowed and are actually very rarely seen- maybe because this is farm country or the fines are so high and dogs are the main predator of the native kiwi bird. I have never seen an uncontrolled dog here until these neighbors. I suppose we could attempt to entirely fence our land, but our property is SO steep and SO awkwardly-shaped that buying the farm-cams would be cheaper. Nothing like endless fines to make a dog way too expensive to keep.
Edit: photo of Dog trap. Still have to go get proper bait.