Still shaky

[altivo]

But improving I think. Left the house for the first time in nearly 3 days to get the mail. That's only 50 yards or so up a little hill, but I felt dizzy and winded when I came back in. When Gary got home this afternoon I declined to "band" the little lamb because my hands are too shaky. However, the fever is gone, the headache seems to be gone (thank goodness) and the cough that usually comes with final recovery from a respiratory virus is here. Unfortunately, my chest is still sore and coughing is no fun. I expect to feel quite a bit better by morning, though.

You've probably heard me complaining about our neighbors who let their dogs, chickens, geese, turkeys, and other livestock run loose so it all comes over to our place. Their dogs have been a particular nuisance, marking territory in and around our barns and acting aggressive and territorial toward us and our horses. This afternoon one of their dogs (elderly Skye terrier) was near the bridge at our pasture gate when Gary was exercising Red (on a leash) and acted aggressive toward our dog. He ran up and bit Red's leg, coming away with a mouthful of fur. Gary says Red just looked astonished, no surprise since he weighs at least 10 times what the aggressor does. Gary called the neighbors to complain but as usual got only an answering machine. I don't expect to hear from them. On at least one occasion I know Gary has caught that terrier in a live trap he had set for possums.

I suspect that none of their dogs are licensed or vaccinated. While I don't want to file an official complaint and have them know that we complained (too many opportunities for reprisals) I'm tempted to set that live trap in our arena again, baited with dog treats. I expect we'd catch the terrier again, and I'd just take him over to the county animal shelter and turn him in. About half the time when we see him, he has no collar on and no tags.

Comments

[baphnedia]

That sounds like a plan. It's close to what I was going to suggest, too. :)

[altivo]

It appears that these particular neighbors have gone off somewhere. Their cars are absent, and, notably for them, no lights are on at night. There's usually a television screen visible and glowing 24 hours a day, and it has been dark. They went somewhere, leaving the dogs loose to fend for themselves, and the horses in a fenced field. I assume someone is coming in at least once a day to make sure water and food is available (or I hope that) but otherwise everything is unattended.

We never leave our place that way for more than four or five hours. That highlights our different attitudes and perspectives. On two occasions we have called to notify them that horses or goats were out of a fence and wandering toward the road, and received a rather nonchalant response without even a thank you for the warning.

[baphnedia]

O.o Wow. That's pretty far out there. That would explain the dogs' behavior, among other things. Regardless of the kind of people your neighbors are, I don't know if what you're seeing is what they intended (if they have a pet sitter of some kind).

[altivo]

They're back now, and actually did call to apologize for the dog's behavior, though they still seem oblivious to any responsibility they should take to keep him from roaming at will.

[avon_deer]

Sorry to hear you're still under the weather. It sounds like you've got a real virus there.

[altivo]

Thanks for the concern. It's fading now with no permanent damage. Just some three day cold or flu virus, with the usual progression of symptoms we get from them. It's interesting how each of us responds somewhat differently. I usually get lung symptoms, with cough and chest discomfort, while Gary gets sinus blocking and sore throat from the same infection. Though I'd think his exposure is less than mine, since I see school children and handle their books every day, Gary is more often the first to catch something like this and the first to get over it. Weird.

[schnee]

Sounds like a plan — or perhaps otherwise just call the dog catcher. After all, if the dogs don't have tags, you can't know they're your neighbors', right? They're obviously just random strays.

Beyond that, if your neighbors only have the answering machine on, it might also be an idea to go there in person and give them a good dressing-down.

[altivo]

Being in a rural area, it's very hard to get the animal control people to act on something like this. Stray animals, including large ones like cows, are not uncommon and they expect us to take it in stride. While the law may be on our side, bringing it to focus on the situation takes a lot of effort and time.

These are not the first nearby neighbors to show a lack of responsibility for "their" animals. Years back, Gary returned a rather sweet dog to someone down the road. Their dog had a very dangerous habit of chasing cars. She would wait near the road and charge a passing vehicle, almost as if she were trying to make it swerve, barking and running at full speed. We were really concerned that the dog would be killed or else would cause a serious accident as someone tried to avoid hitting it. The owners were uninterested, and didn't even thank him for bringing her home from almost a mile away. That dog is gone now, though I think the same people still live in that house. I'm afraid she came to a bad end, which is sad considering that she was otherwise friendly and played well with children.

You probably remember the incident of the stray cows that I journaled last year about this time. Six cows that time, and considerable effort to find the owners, keep the cows safe, and make sure they got home. No one really even said thank you, or apologized for the nuisance damage.

America is every bit as self-centered and irresponsible as the rest of the world believes we are. It's a sad fact, but true.