[Alpacasite] Re: Dog attack!

A friend breeder of ours also lost some alpacas to a neighbors dog
attack a couple of years ago. The dog dug several feet under the
fencing during the night to get at them! When the breeder found his
poor alpacas, the dog was wandering around an empty pasture trying
to figure out how to get into the next one. The breeder called the
owner of the dog who promptly came over and shot the dog. The owner
said that it was his wife's dog and never liked the thing anyway and
was glad to have shot it!
Around here, we shot first and ask questions later. There are a lot
of dairy farmers and horse ranchers around me that do not think
twice about shooting something they think will threaten their
livestock.
I am always on the look out for strange animals, especially since
there's 350 acres of woods behind us. We own lots of different types
of guns, and I even carry one when I work in the barn, since the DEC
released coyotes into our area this past summer. Unless one can put
up 8' stockade fencing that also goes 3 feet down and electric on
top of that, I don't know what else can be done.
I feel for the people who lost their animals. It is definitely
heartbreaking. It's even harder when compounded with other problems
as well. Please give them my sympathies!

Jeanne
Chaffee, NY

--- In Alpacasite@yahoogroups.com, Tawny Bott <tawny@a...> wrote:
>
> Hi sitters,
>
> I have some sad news to report, and also a reminder how determined
and
> devastating domestic dogs, that are running in a pack, can be.
>
> Last week some dear friends and clients of mine, just had the
terrible
> misfortune of having a pitbull attack on their alpacas and llamas.
>
> The first night all 4 male alpacas, 1 yearling llama and their 2
pygmy
> goats were killed. These were kept in two different fields. They
were
> both at work, during the attack, but got back just in time to
witness
> the aftermath, as the dogs had stayed to eat on the goats. My
friend was
> able to shoot one of the dogs, a lab/shepherd mix, but the pitbull
that
> was with it, got away.
>
> 4 days later, this pitbull returned with another pitbull (perhaps
also
> at the first attack, although they didn't see it) and they killed
the
> only pregnant female alpaca they owned, by cornering her in the
barn.
> Well, she was damaged so badly, she had to be put down. Her almost
6
> month old cria also got bit on one of her back legs, but they were
able
> to scare the dogs away before any more were attacked or killed.
These
> are juvenile dogs, that have not been in the area long. To say
they are
> devastated is and understatement, as they tried to do everything
right
> and fenced for the predators in the area, mostly coyotes.
>
> I now have the only three animals they have left, here for safe
> keeping, the cria and two llamas, until something can be done.
> They had 4"x4" woven fencing, and those dogs actually wiggle
though that
> small hole. If they hadn't seen it themselves, they never would
have
> believed that that was how they got in and out.
>
> They think they finally know who owns the dogs, a neighbor, but
the
> wheels of justice turn slowly, and they have to wait till the
first
> officer that took the first report comes off of vacation before
anything
> can be done. It sounds really strange to me, but that was what
they were
> told.
>
> My friends have been financially struggling for a while as they
suddenly
> became the guardians of their three small grandkids, and then one
was
> out of work for over 4 months. Of course with all that, they just
didn't
> have the money to renew the insurance on their alpacas this year,
when
> the finances went south. So I suspect the only way they will get
> anything back is if they sue the dogs owners, and then who knows
if they
> will ever be able to collect. The irony is he had just gotten a
new job
> two days before the attack or he would have been home. Not that
that
> might have helped as my understanding is pitbulls attack in
silence.
> This is second alpaca attack I know about personally and both
people
> that experienced it, said they never heard a thing till they went
> outside. Even their inside dogs didn't bark.
>
> So of anyone knows of any experienced LGD's that are available,
any
> breed, please let me know. They still want to continue in the
alpaca
> business, but it is going to be tough, maybe even a couple of
years
> before they get financially able again. They want to really
reinforce
> their fencing and you know the price of that will not be cheap.
Plus
> they won't bring their animals back until they can find at least
couple
> of LGD's to help keep them safe.
>
> The cria that was bitten is thankfully doing well, though this is
the
> first day she is walking without a pronounce limp. And she is
stuck to
> her llama companions like glue, even though she is now living with
> several alpaca moms and crias. It's very sad really, to see those
three
> startle at everything.
>
> So please take this to heart. Even those living in the most urban
of
> areas need to put up defenses against domestic dogs. Unlike wild
> predators, they kill for sport, not to eat, and if they get inside
your
> fence, will slaughter and chase until there isn't anything left to
chase.
>
> Hopefully posting this will help someone else from going through
this
> horror.
> Tawny Bott
> Abra-Cadabra Alpacas
> 303-621-9656
> http://www.abra-cadabraalpacas.com
> http://www.alpacanation.com/abra-cadabraalpacas.asp
> <http://www.alpacanation.com/farmsandbreeders/03_viewfarm.asp?
name=10304>
> Kiowa, CO.
> Home of Bay Black, Multi-Blue ribbon winner, SRR's Mikado Rose,
> Mutli-Blue Ribbon and Reserve Color Champion, Royal Peruvian
Montaro,
> Blue Ribbon and Reserve Color Champion, Ala Kazam
> and introducing Blue Ribbon Winner, Full Peruvian, Lt. Rose Grey,
Bandit
> of Grace
>
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
>

------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor --------------------~-->
Help Sudanese refugees rebuild their lives through GlobalGiving.
http://us.click.yahoo.com/V42rFC/EbOLAA/cosFAA/jO1qlB/TM
--------------------------------------------------------------------~->

Opinions and postings on this list are the sole responsibility of the person posting the message. The accuracy and content of each message in no way reflect the opinions of the administrator or Yahoo.

List administrator - Rick Horn - All American Alpacas alpacas@alpacaweb.com
http://aaalpacas.com

TO CHANGE OPTIONS visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Alpacasite/join
Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Alpacasite/

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
Alpacasite-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/