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Dog attack in my yard

15K views 94 replies 56 participants last post by  Madmike34744 
#1 ·
We live in a small, rural town. This morning our old mama dog was barking and throwing a fit. I went out to see what was going on. I knew there was an animal in the field behind us, but didn't think too much about it. Figured it was the neighbor's cat. She loves to terrorize my dog. I went around to the clothesline and took down the clothes. I got to the steps of the front porch and here come two beautiful dogs. My cat is there at my feet and those dogs start after him even with me screaming like a banshee trying to scare them off. I threw the clothes at them, my shoes, rocks from the flower bed etc and they still killed him. My husband comes out in his skivies and I yell at him to get a gun. They take off as he comes back outside. He says they were starting to circle me when he got out there, I don't know.

Lots of people worry about the 2 legged animals that may cause us harm in a SHTF situation. I think cats & dogs that are left to go wild and vermin may be as big or even a bigger problem to survival in such a situation.

These dogs belong to a family in town, and like I said, are beautiful. However, the killer instinct seems to be very strong in them.
 
#2 ·
We operate a ranch and on one end is a small housing development. The people think that since they now live in the country, they can let their dogs run loose. Due to several different and varied incidents, we have learned to shoot every dog seen in our pasture that is not ours. If our dogs get to roaming and don't stay home, they too get shot. A ranch and loose dogs don't often mix well.


Tex
 
#25 ·
Sorry to hear about your cat :( I would get another cat then go outside with a 12 gauge and go dog hunting. Call them to pick up the carcass, that typically makes your point.

Tex
My family ranches in NM, we follow the same policy. Any dog that chases livestock is shot on sight. More then one tourist has stopped "O look at the pretty horses" and let their dog out when they got out. Dog chases the horses/sheep/goats and gets a .243 through the vitals. Completely legal, at least one has called the sheriff, they were not happy with what the sheriff told them :thumb:
 
#13 ·
This topic has come up a number of times here. It is a valid concern that people in the suburbs especially should take seriously. There will very likely be roaming packs of dogs and they will be a dangerous threat to anyone they come across.

As for cats, they will be more of a nuisance. Beneficial for keeping the rodent population in check but other than that... Unless you want to eat them.





Prairie dog, really?
 

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#6 ·
Pellet rifle does wonders to animals that attack/kill my pets...quiet too... Pepper/Bear Spray also works if you can get a clear shot in their face while you are upwind.

But you raise a good point.

When the SHTF, when owners of pets that can no longer feed them will either kill/eat them or let them go. Those that are let go to fend for themselves will gravitate towards their killer instincts and will go feral and:

1. Kill any competing predators (i.e. other dogs/cats/etc.)
2. Kill/Attack any kids that can be viewed as easy targets.
3. Kill/Attack any adult that they view that a pack of dogs might be able to take down.
4. Kill/Attack any live animal you may need as a food source.

My solution is to kill any predatory animal you see when the SHTF that could later pose a threat to you/your family/your pets/your livestocks, etc.

You also have to consider for your pets when SHTF. Do you have enough food for them. Do your pets have their rabies shots? Are they indoor/outdoor, what about pests like fleas/ticks, etc.

One other thing...Rabies will go rampant during SHTF...so to my point above, kill any predatory animal you see that can pose as a threat to you/your family/your pets/your livestocks, etc.
 
#7 ·
If a animal is attacking your pets/livestock , its perfectly legal in Texas to kill them, as long as they are inside the fenced in area. Do follow up with local city ordinances on how to handle those situations. Depending on where you live, you may have no other choice but to call animal control and let them handle the situation. If you are living in the boondocks, you are animal control...You may not make great neighbors, but if you have warned your neighbors about having their dogs running loose and that you will shoot them onsite if found within your fenced in area, then they have been warned and it would be their fault, not yours.

I would not risk my pets/livestocks to a pack of feral dogs that could potentially be a neighbors dog. Once a dog goes feral, its very difficult to break their instinctive habits to kill. And I have seen first hand that once a dog gets the taste of fresh blood from say a cow/calf being slaughtered, they start to kill calves themselves and they must be destroyed.

Its sad to have to take such drastic measures, but that is life on the farm/ranch.
 
#10 ·
When I first bought this house, (10 years ago), I bought cattle as well, within the first week my cows got chased by someone's dogs. I visited every house within a half mile and told them I would NOT tolerate any dog chasing my cows ( and explained the consequences if it happened again) and to please keep their dogs under control.

A week later a large black dog failed to return home, a few days later his buddy suffered the same fate, haven't had to shoot another since.

Yes it's legal, and encouraged here.
 
#14 ·
I always say any roaming primate I see will be dead shortly after it gets within range. That's right now, not just when SHTF. When SHTF, there won't be a lot of roaming former pets because I think a lot of people will either just shoot them asap or shoot them and consume them. In fact, if SHTF I would imagine all species on the planet will take a hit except for some of the ocean creatures that are harder to get at. Land species will be decimated.
 
#15 ·
I always say any roaming primate I see will be dead shortly after it gets within range. That's right now, not just when SHTF.

Your statement leads me to consider 3 possibilities, either:

1 - The "stand your ground" laws in Florida are a lot more encompassing than generally reported,

2 - The zoos in your state are more plentiful but less secure than anywhere else in the world, or

3- you just meant to say dog.

Personally I'm hoping it's number 2. Because that would be the most amusing visual.;)
 
#16 ·
Actually that was in reference to the chimp vs human attacks you see once and a while when someone's pet goes "off the chain" literally. Like that lady in CT.

Chimps rip off hands, noses, lips, ears, eyelids and then attack the eyes/groin. Domesticated chimps display no pre-attack indicators. I will centerpunch any chimp I see out of the wire.
 
#17 ·
if you think dogs will be an issue during a major SHTF think about all those zoo animals that will probably be set free by well meaning zoo keepers.

all of a sudden man will not be at the top of the food chain.
 
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#18 ·
My solution for it after SHTF is the same solution ive got now: If scaring them doesnt work kill them. Instead of throwing rocks at them, take one and smash its skull. Its self defense, and dogs arent quite as capable as we are, even if our brains somehow manage to occassionally convince us that the little quadrupeds are a match for 5-6" tool wielding adrenalized brutes (i.e., us).

Gun works too. Whatevers handy. All i know is, my dog is more important to me than someone elses dog who tries to attack it. Their owners can learn to keep a better handle on their new pets. Or not, probably.
 
#20 ·
I have been involved with many dog attack issues .
Both against my self and defending others, from single dog attacks, to mutiple farrel dog attacks .
Like the pretty boy in school that is actually a bulley ,dogs are no different .We tend to think of them as a companion and our first reaction is our own disarming,and that is where the trouble begins.
Pay close attention to how a dog reacts to another dog, at the very first moment of detection dogs act ,ie become restless , growl,yip, bark,and the bark becomes more agressive .
They act as soon as posable because it is understood limits are being drawn.
If you don't act the moment you see or hear the threat you are approving of it.
Your pets reading your approval, and will be confused being corrected for such behavior barking against a threat they sense.
Invading dogs not being warned early, inturpret this silence like a fawn hiding in fear ,it gets their adrenelen flowing .Deer in headlights .
Several other factors fall into place .
Once fear has struck the pharmones emit their aroma exciting the dogs all the more AND
the visual you provide them proves your a prey not a preditor.
Throwing like a girl is about as scarry as a marsh-mellow, it's not.

Animals read body language .Wild or domestic , the language is still the same .
And people do it with out thinking.
If I widen my eyes , that expresion is fear .
If I narrow my eyes , that means agression.
A hi squeaky sound is fear,
a deep growl and fearce anger is a preditor.
You have to convince the agressor, You are the agressor.
If you expiriment with your own pets ,you will only confuse them .
They are your friends , do not lie to them.
There is a youtube about a cyote attack ,and this moron is lucky that there as only one and not a group.
He's walking in snow with rubber boots that squeek . At first he trys to befriend it, then he trys to shoo it away, and it starts to leave but the moron keeps squeeking his boots reexciting the critter all over again.
It frustrated me, I wanted to shoot him.
I have chased off many an agressor ,simply convincing it that I was going to kill it and eat it.
Some I have even chased after for a ways just to make shure they understood my resolve ,dogs, bear, and mountain lion.
If an animal threat is on the aproach, I don't wait for it, If I have a tool in my hand capable , I am after that threat like a duck on a june bug. I am almost never out side the house, with out a knife or a gun or both.
To the OP,
It's up to you to take your security seriously .
Training helps and tooling helps, but leaving them behind for a breif vulnerable moment can be that one moment you really needed them.
 
#21 ·
No one loves dogs more than I do. However in this situation I would select the weapon of my choice (shotgun with 00 buck or a good rifle) and have it ready 24/7 and simply wait for them to appear on my property again. If its later the same day or 5 years from now I would put them down in a new york second. Then go have a nice tall glass of beer in memory of your pet.
 
#22 ·
I am firmly in the kill camp. Town libs don't live here and don't know life here. Last thread about this subject I took a lot of flack. Don't care. I live here. You don't. If you want to keep your dogs, keep control. I don't make it a point to kill every dog or cat around. If they are well behaved I don't mind watching over them for a while. I have kept more than a few dogs and cats that came up or city folks dumped nearby. One was the best cow dog I ever saw. Gave him to a neighbor when we sold out and moved on the boat. Some were good animals. Likely better than their previous owners. But if they are aggressive or attack my animals, they are DRT.
 
#24 ·
We live just outside a large town. New subdivisions are popping up within a mile of our place.

As the suburbians move in, we have more and more dog problems. Folks think their 1/8-acre lot that backs up to a wheat field is "country" and they can let their dogs roam free.

We find dogs on our property pretty frequently. If they are tagged and friendly, I will typically tie them up somewhere, call the vet's number on the tag and try to locate the owner.

Problem is, most of the time, I don't realize they're on the property until they're chasing after my chickens. Chickens FREAK OUT when a dog is near, they start flapping their wings and running all over the place, and this only feeds into the dog's predatory instinct to chase them down and kill them. If it gets to this point, there is no hope in chasing the dog down and getting them tied up to find the owner. They get shot.
 
#26 ·
There's usually a noticeable difference between dump offs, strays and a loose pet. Dump offs usually don't have a collar and appear hungry, thirsty and somewhat friendly. We don't feed or pet and will try to re home for 3 to 4 days. Strays usually keep their distance and appear dirty and unkempt. They usually get a bb or rock in the rear once or twice. If they wont leave or appear aggressive, no free pass. Loose pets are usually recognizable with collars, tags, no or few ticks etc. We usually tie up or pen up til the owner picks up.

Btw, we've got 2 kids, twenty something chickens, and our neighbors chocolate lab. They lost their house in the may tornado. We like animals, but our policy is "if we wanted more animals, we'd already have them"
 
#29 ·
Sorry for your loss. Even one of this kind of act is one too many.
I cannot understand how you can write so calm about that happening and even call those dogs beautiful.
I would be hunting those dogs down myself and killing them and leaving their corpses to owners front yard.

I have been middle of my cat and random dog once... My cat was in leash outside of our house (cannot escape) and someone was walking with her dog released and her dog ran straight toward my cat and tried to kill it.
Dog owner didn't do anything and was only cooing to her dog with soft voice like "bad puppy hih no."
And i was trying to bash dog head break... That lucky dog escaped. And lucky owner didn't realise how close i was to success... That was my first experience with dogs.

After that i have seen over my short life too many mad dogs. Now i don't talk anything about their instincts and killing small animals... I talk about dogs what have been kept badly and when owners don't care how dog feel and what their dogs do.
I talk about dogs what attack toward humans. Some of them are even trained to do that. Others are just crazy because bad handling.
I don't blame dogs for that, i blame owners. I believe every dog can be raised well. But some miraculous way people manage to turn even peaceful and calm dogs to be totally mad killing machines...

I take dog attacks very seriously myself because i have been in few. It isn't nice place to be! And when there is top of that dog owner who just don't care or do anything to stop attacking, or when he even blame you, it make me feel something very dark inside of me.
Where i'm living i cannot carry firearms, but i do have small and handy thing what can be used to break skull. If dog attack human, there isn't too much what you can do to release it. Game with dogs are played mainly before dogs are attacking you. Make it scare you and not dare to attack you.
But if it end that far where dog bite me, i make sure even if i get cuts that dog who attacked me don't wake up anymore. Brutal talk but i just have seen too many crazy dogs and i don't care what happen to dog, i just want to end attack and fast.

Where i'm living this can be counted as self defence. If i stop hitting the dog when it don't bite me anymore (attacker don't attack) it be counted as self defence. When dog attacks are so serious, i can use more serious defence too.
But in the end i don't really care if it is counted as self defence. Because there is chance that dog owner even don't lose his dog if it attack someone. I just want to make sure it don't attack again.
 
#30 ·
Dog Attack

Two Pit Bull type dogs tried to kill my English Pointer (worth several thousand dollars) the other day. A wind storm recently caused a tree to fall down on his kennel. The dog was unharmed. I moved him and his house under a shade tree in my yard. Tied him there until I could replace the kennel. Having a cup of tea at 6 am the other day. There arose a huge commotion, whelps, screams, etc.etc. outside I looked out the window and 2 pit bull type dogs were killing Gunner.

I grabbed a pistol and ran out on the deck. I couldn't fire as the dogs were on top of him. I shouted/screamed NO!! Turned my back to go off the deck. Intending to move in close and shoot them off of him. As I came off the steps they ceased the attack and left.

The Police and Animal Warden, when I telephoned, said they would meet me at the Vets. They photographed the damage and took my story. They both told me that if it happened again. Or if any dog attacked my dog. Or menaced, threatened, growled at me. You have the legal right to kill them right there. All that turned out useless as they (or me), can not find the dogs or owners. Though we have driven through the neighborhood looking many times. As have law enforcement. So I get to eat the vet bill (tad less than $200).

So what did I learn? I learned that a child or average person would not have stood a chance against those dogs. I learned you need a larger caliber firearm for defense against a dog attack. After seeing how vicious an attack really is, I'd want something MUCH bigger than a .22 plinking arm (I had a .40 cal. pistol). I learned that next time I or my animals are threatened. The threat dies right there if it's humanly possible. I learned the police are as useless as I am at finding the owners of these dangerous dogs. And it took
30 minuets or longer for them to get to the vets. We live in a fairly nice modern subdivision and even there some have dangerous dogs inside their homes. That they let out some times.
 
#31 ·
So what did I learn? I learned that a child or average person would not have stood a chance against those dogs. I learned you need a larger caliber firearm for defense against a dog attack. After seeing how vicious an attack really is, I'd want something MUCH bigger than a .22 plinking arm (I had a .40 cal. pistol). I learned that next time I or my animals are threatened. The threat dies right there if it's humanly possible. I learned the police are as useless as I am at finding the owners of these dangerous dogs. And it took
30 minuets or longer for them to get to the vets. We live in a fairly nice modern subdivision and even there some have dangerous dogs inside their homes. That they let out some times.
Thatd definitely be the safest way to do it.

It didnt occur to me to recount stories. Ive had a dog head height with my groin charge at me after slipping its leash, so i kicked it in the head with a safety cap. That works, but id have preferred it if a gun had been an option.

EDIT: For added detail, thats kick singular. It lost a bit of blood and it took it about five seconds to stand back up.

Just dont forget that were the ones who can pick up a big dog with one arm and not break a sweat. :)
 
#36 ·
As a child growing up in the north woods of Minnesota, I was under standing orders to shoot any dog we saw on site in the woods. No if and or buts. Never had to do that, but I was told that they would chase deer.

My wife grew up in Wisconsin and had a very scarey incident with a large pack of wild dogs when she was young.

If you are a responsible dog owner, you don't let them loose like that.

AA
 
#37 ·
When we talk small caliber firearms you have to know where you are aiming at. I know case where somebody didn't even notice few shots to stomach from close range. Yeah he was in adrenaline ofcourse, but stopping power are minimalistic too when talking about small caliber pistols.
Where i'm living we do have some poachers who use 0.22 caliber rifle even to kill bears! They just wait until bear is very close and then shoot to the head.

But when we talk about dogs and dog fights, there is alot of movements around. Or if dogs is chasing somebody or rushing toward you. You don't have time to aim and it might just be impossible. If you are fast enough to shoot the dog, it is good trick already! But you must always worry where you are hitting when you are shooting... When dog is top of your kid or dog, do you want to miss the dog and hit your kid? That make shooting once again more trickier in some cases.
Still probably larger caliber is more nice in this situations.

My gameplay is in hand to hand. Not so good option, but when you cannot carry pretty much anything, it is what you must to do. Your chances really are pretty small here. But there is few trick when we talk about untrained dogs and wild animals.
These tricks are only for situations when to be calm isn't an option anymore.
Like i said before, gameplay is before dog attacks you. Try to read it's body language. Are it scared, are it defencing his area and so on... What you can do to calm situation down? Those are main options. Do not escalate situation any further and do not be threat to the animal.
But some times dog just are crazy and those peaceful tricks don't work. If dog are trained to attack, it probably just rush toward you and attack. If it is untrained you can try some of these tricks:

Do not turn your back to them. Do not run away. Try to be as big as possible. Shout alot and make alot of noise. Be aggressive!

Tactic is to make animal doupt his chance against you and make animal escape rather than fight. This can work even against bears (but remember, This should be used only when normal tactics are failing and you are dead anyway.)
I have been using these things against dogs and even attacking toward dogs and chasing them away...
Usually (my experience) dogs start to circle you and try to find "open spot." they try to get behind or side of you and attack you from there, more safer spot!
If there is only one dog, do not let it go behind you. It probably keep some distance and make larger circle around of you. You can just turn your body frontline and don't have to move from your spot at all... So you have time to turn even when dogs are fasts! You can stay in one spot easily... Unless your plan is to get inside of your house or to inside something else. Then you ofcourse are moving a little bit time at time when you have opportunity. But still remember, do not run away or turn your back to the dog! You are slower than dog, you don't win that race!
Your movements toward your home/car or whatever your safeplace is, are probably very slowly movements because your main goal still is not to get bitten.

If there is multiple dogs i cannot tell you straight away any kind of tactics. Dogs aren't wolves, but wolves are hunting with pack. they can circle larger animals longer period of time and biting it to legs and so on... They don't want to attack when their prey is defencing himself. They want to attack when their prey are trying to escape and running away... because it is safest possible place to attack when your prey is escaping and you can attack from the behind.
I just can quess dogs might work pretty similar way. I would try to get somewhere safe if safe place is near. Just remember, you must be threat enough even if you are moving around! So no running around and hoping you are faster than dogs! Your main goal is still not to get attacked.
If there isn't safe place near of me, i would just pray every gods what i know and hope i'm too hard target with my acting for that pack and they leave me alone after some time. :D:

In reality your chances are very small against the dogs. Specially if you are planning to stay completely unhurted! But what else you can do than try to survive how impossible your situation ever are? I'm here talking about never give up attitude! You should have one already because you are reading preppers site! :D:
But just don't forget what reality is. Dogs are strong and fast and full of teeth! If any of them manage to attack you, you will get bitten and hurted. If you cannot do anything else, try to cover your head, face, neck and throat atleast. It is better if it bite you to the legs or arms than more important parts... Yeah not sound so nice.
That why i said gameplay is before dog is even attacking you! Try to get away of the situation, try to stay calm, do whatever it take to stop the situation nicely. If the dog is attacking you and you cannot end situation nicely, then be aggressively and hope attack never happen!
If dog is attacking your own pets, try to command that strange dog or make it go away... Now i add pepper spray to trick list. I would like to have one in that kind of situation and i surely would be using one if my own pet is in danger. Pepper spray probably would go over the firearms in my list... because even if pepper hurt my own pet, it don't make holes on my pet even if i miss the aggressive dog. ;)

If dog is attacking you, there is couple things what you can try to do even without firearms, sticks and so on.
Dogs snout is very sensitive area. I have seen this to be done couple times with success. Dogs eyes are also very sensitives... You aren't there to play nicely. If you can attack to the eyes, attack. yeah eyes are very small target and probably hard to attack and not in top of your list, but if there is chance to attack there, why not?
It really is what situation is and what you can do there! I have heard how boxer knocked out couple dogs once... I read about case when some kid chocke dog out of the game! And myself... I'm always trying to hit back of the neck/base of the head. Old hunters kill that way their dogs here. yeah it is illegal but it is old tradition when somebody don't want to shoot their hunting dog. They take dog to the forest, give it some treats and then pick any log what they see and hit the dog base of the head/neck and kill the dog at once. that is where i lay my trust.

there is other tricks too! Other peaceful tricks. You can google them and find from youtube. Those are tricks what dog handlers are using when they cannot hurt the dogs (or want.) Ofcourse usually situations aren't that serious that you must try to do some serious damage... Also that why those tricks are nice to know. :D:
From those kind of videos, you also can find more tricks how to read dogs and what there is in their mind. :thumb: Those are very important skills! because like i said, if dog attack you, game is already over. this game is easier to play before dog is even attacking you. many situations can just be avoided.
I believe usually people are causing most of the problems themselfs. Firstly dog owners don't know how to raise their dogs and secondly peoples don't know how to read the strange dogs and how to behave around them. Dogs have been among us so long time and still people have all kind of misbeliefs...

I listed those more serious acts here because those are something what usually don't be talked at all! It is good if they can be found somewhere.
In the end i would like to remind of that pepper spray atleast once again. Not everything must be solved with firearms and stopping power. I would say pepper spray might be very first thing in "todo" list and easiest tool against the dogs. Aiming not be so exactly and you don't have to wory too much even if your own pet or kid are in the fireline. :thumb:
Pepper spray might be very good indeed but once again... Where i'm living it is out of our list what we can carry around. :D:

Edit: I started to think about this issue little bit more and realised how weird it might sound when somebody talk hand to hand against dogs because it is pure foolness! Why in the he** somebody would do that? Please try to remember it is reality where i'm living because you cannot carry firearms, pepper spray or even knife with you! That why i leave those advice here even if they sound weird for some folks. If those hints help even one guy who read them, it is more than enough for me.
Those are mainly hints what are given against all wild animals and how to avoid attacks... And those tricks where to attack are more my own experiences and what others have been telling.

I just thought what i would do in that kind of situations if i would have a gun... And i find me shooting that dam dog what is trying to circling me. It make whole issue so much easier! If i would have pepper spray i would be using that instead of firearm in some cases. Forexample if missfire would be too dangerous to happen.
In many countries guys are carrying pepper spray or certain kind of clubs because of loose dogs. Those are good tools and even if you cannot carry firearms, they are better than nothing! pepper spray i see in some cases even better than firearms like i said. But with clubs you need to let dog very close to you... Something what i would not recommend!
I surely would be using those tools if i could be carrying them! Bare hands are just foolness! But there have chance that in some cases you don't have anything at all... And that chance grow when you leave Usa.
 
#39 ·
This is indeed the 20th+ time I've seen this topic come up. Honestly, who cares how/if/why you are going to "kill 'dem dogs"? It's not that impressive man, dogs weigh 80lb wow how cool to "shoot it with my caliber of choice a 30-30 or some 00 buck". It's not impressive and you don't have to be so smug about it. Hell I've probably killed more animals (hunting legitimately/with respectful kills) than most people in this thread. I just don't get the point of half the replies like "I can't wait to kill every single dog I see walk through my property, and then have an ice cold beer on your family pet..." I don't see the point in bragging about how much you hate dogs and/or can't wait to kill every single one you see when/if shtf happens... It's like you are literally excited for it to happen... I honestly don't give a damn about people killing animals as long as it's for legitimate reasons (food, protection etc.).. But again it's not impressive and shouldn't be joked/bragged about... If you find killing animals especially dogs impressive, you have probably never even hunted before, and want to seem 'cool' by saying how you'd kill dogs on your property. Or you just have no respect for the animals you kill.

Again, there may have only been a few posts here that relate to what I said above this time around. I am simply posting in this thread but also in regard to the last 20 similar threads I've seen. One example being the thread where a dog allegedly FOLLOWED a guy while jogging, so the guy made a spiked ball melee weapon thing to carry with him in the future while jogging, and described in at least a 1500 word post how excited he would be to smash the dog's head in or shove the spiked ball down he dog's throat. Idiot/wow you're so cool bro.

To conclude (if you are still reading), if animals enter your property and you have a legitimate reason to kill them, great, do so. Then just go on about the rest of your day. No celebrating/story-telling (or making up) necessary.
 
#84 ·
The ones who do all the braggadocio are not usually the ones to worry about. Usually, they're attempting to cover their cowardice. It's the ones who speak softly, or not at all that you have to worry about.
 
#40 ·
I would try to locate the owners of the dog and seek reparations for damages and I also recommend you destroy the animals next time you see them and then look at the collars if there are any and then file for damages
 
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