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Need prayers, I did everything I could not to shoot them, but they were completely out of the owners control for the second time, and visiously attacking my brothers dog Tucker. Tucker will be alright, but he several spots with stitches, don't know about the other dogs. I didn't want to shoot them, but didn't feel I had choice. I'm not dealing with any aspect of it very well. The police only filed an incident report, because they said there was no criminal activity. The 3 officers that talked to me said I had to do it. I did have an independent witness neighbor that saw the second attack and he said I waited a lot longer than he would have. Praise God for another witness. He said he's called the police about those dogs several times.

Anyway, thank you for the prayers.

skip62 wrote:Need prayers, I did everything I could not to shoot them, but they were completely out of the owners control for the second time, and visiously attacking my brothers dog Tucker. Tucker will be alright, but he several spots with stitches, don't know about the other dogs. I didn't want to shoot them, but didn't feel I had choice. I'm not dealing with any aspect of it very well. The police only filed an incident report, because they said there was no criminal activity. The 3 officers that talked to me said I had to do it. I did have an independent witness neighbor that saw the second attack and he said I waited a lot longer than he would have. Praise God for another witness. He said he's called the police about those dogs several times.

Anyway, thank you for the prayers.

Consider how you would have felt if you hadn't acted and instead you had watched your brother's dog killed when you knew you had the power to stop it.

Some situations, like this one, offer choices only between really bad and much worse.

Given the information provided, you did the right thing and took the best course of action available to you at the time.

Only good people who are forced to use violence in defense of themselves or others feel badly about it.

The emotional aftermath of a shooting can be rough, but understanding what is happening and why can help you get through it much more quickly and emerge stronger and wiser at the end. If you'd like to get a better handle on why you feel as you do even though you did what was right, you might want to pick up a copy of Col. Dave Grossman's outstanding book "On Combat."

My thoughts and prayers are with you as you work your way through this experience.

I am currently reading his other book "On Killing". While not my fastest read as it is a bit "textbookish" for me to fly through, it is incredible inciteful and educational, and helping me to look at my choice to carry a lethal weapon as a tool in the fight against only being a "defenseless victim".

OP - don't try to process something like this all on your own. You are asking for prayer, consider them sent - I suggest you hand this over to the Lord - Something I learned from one of my children's summer camps that comes to mind is "Let go and let God"

Blessings

skip62 wrote:Need prayers, I did everything I could not to shoot them, but they were completely out of the owners control for the second time, and visiously attacking my brothers dog Tucker. Tucker will be alright, but he several spots with stitches, don't know about the other dogs. I didn't want to shoot them, but didn't feel I had choice. I'm not dealing with any aspect of it very well. The police only filed an incident report, because they said there was no criminal activity. The 3 officers that talked to me said I had to do it. I did have an independent witness neighbor that saw the second attack and he said I waited a lot longer than he would have. Praise God for another witness. He said he's called the police about those dogs several times.

Anyway, thank you for the prayers.

I love dogs and don't ever want to kill one. I'd go out of my way not to. But if a dog, or dogs, was attacking my dog, I'd defend him, and if that meant shooting the attacking dogs, that's what I'd do --and I can't even stand to read a news article about an abused dog.

VMI77 wrote: I love dogs and don't ever want to kill one. I'd go out of my way not to. But if a dog, or dogs, was attacking my dog, I'd defend him, and if that meant shooting the attacking dogs, that's what I'd do --and I can't even stand to read a news article about an abused dog.

I also am a dog person, so would hate to be placed in that situation, but it sounds like you did what you had to do.

Sorry this had to be your first post to the forum, but welcome. Will keep you in the prayers for finding peace over this incident.

Thank you all so much. God is good. He gives me strength through you. I'll get the book, I'm sure that will help. Let go and let God will be my motto. I love dogs, but rotwilers and mastif's are scary animals. My brothers dog, golden-doodle has no defensive skills, he doens't even know to run. They brought him back and butt is all chewed up, I feel so bad for him. I feel bad for the neighbors and their dogs too. I'm not a hunter because I don't want to kill. I never carried for defense, but for political reasons. When I tell anti-gunners that know me, and know how unaggresive I am, they may not still like guns, but it eases their opinion of them when they know I carry everywhere.

Thanks again, and God Bless you all

You will be in our prayers.

When you consider dealing with the issue of being "at fault", please remember that it is the dog owner's fault. As a dog owner, I have the responsibility to keep my dogs safe and well-cared for. Part of keeping them safe means keeping them under control. You being forced to shoot the dogs is simply a natural consequence of the owner's negligent care of the dogs.

Prayers sent.

Jumping Frog wrote:When you consider dealing with the issue of being "at fault", please remember that it is the dog owner's fault. As a dog owner, I have the responsibility to keep my dogs safe and well-cared for. Part of keeping them safe means keeping them under control. You being forced to shoot the dogs is simply a natural consequence of the owner's negligent care of the dogs.

Yes, and we've have seen them have problems controllfing the dogs before, but I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt, so I never said anything. There is a leash law in my city, and I've never seen these dogs on a leash. The mastif didn't have a collar on to grab hold of, and he was slippery when trying to get him under control during the first attack. It was just bad.

I would do again, I know I did the right thing, but it still sucks. I've never lived in fear, but now I worry about going outside. The others live 2 doors down. I fear retaliation, at least as a civil suite, so if you know of any lawyers for this type of thing, I welcome the recommendations.

I know this my first post, but i've learked quite awhile.

Thank you again.

skip62 wrote:

Jumping Frog wrote:When you consider dealing with the issue of being "at fault", please remember that it is the dog owner's fault. As a dog owner, I have the responsibility to keep my dogs safe and well-cared for. Part of keeping them safe means keeping them under control. You being forced to shoot the dogs is simply a natural consequence of the owner's negligent care of the dogs.

Yes, and we've have seen them have problems controllfing the dogs before, but I always try to give people the benefit of the doubt, so I never said anything. There is a leash law in my city, and I've never seen these dogs on a leash. The mastif didn't have a collar on to grab hold of, and he was slippery when trying to get him under control during the first attack. It was just bad.

I would do again, I know I did the right thing, but it still sucks. I've never lived in fear, but now I worry about going outside. The others live 2 doors down. I fear retaliation, at least as a civil suite, so if you know of any lawyers for this type of thing, I welcome the recommendations.

I know this my first post, but i've learked quite awhile.

Thank you again.

I'm not a lawyer, but I don't think you have much to worry about regarding a civil suit. If the investigating police said you did the right thing which is clearly covered in Texas law, I doubt any lawyer would take a case like the one you described, especially with its neighborhood history, on contingency.

Very few people will pay lots of their own money for a case they would most likely lose.

Wow, to the OP, so sad you had to do that. But you did what you had to do. I own 3 dogs and know how I feel about them. If someone or something, human or animal, tried to injure my dogs I would go Terminator on the offending party and quick. Of course every situation is different and I would take circumstances into account. For example, if another dog attacked two of my smaller dogs as I was walking them, I would have a much shorter threshold on when and how much force to use. Those two small things don't stand a chance in a fight and would be killed within a matter of seconds. My bigger dog, while she doesn't have a fighting bone in her body, could probably take a bite or two and still live, so I would be slightly more judicious in my use of force (but not much). I don't appreciate aggressive dogs being off leash. I actually don't mind benign dogs that are just curious, but the owner has to know if his dogs are aggressive, and if they are, take precautions with them. This is one of the reasons I stopped taking my dogs to the dog park. Last time I went, there were these 2 obviously aggressive pitbulls that were almost fighting with each other, growling, hair standing up and everything, and I just thought why in the world are these 2 dogs here off leash with all the other dogs (peaceful labs, some smaller dogs, my dog). I put a leash on my dog and never went back there.

I would not give it a second thought, next time would be a child, or like the poor woman found dead in Houston walking to the bus early for work.

Sorry you were put in this circumstance, but you did the right thing. Try not to let it get to you, I know harder done than said.

...here's the law...if the situation and your actions match this, then you're not only justified in shooting them, but safe from civil suit...

http://codes.lp.findlaw.com/txstatutes/ ... /B/822.013" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;