Puppy's death in apparent hunting accident...

[CartBone69]

Puppy's death in apparent hunting accident leaves Berks County family heart-broken


http://www.wfmz.com/news/news-region...j/-/index.html

[archer1214]

I feel for the family but, IF the dog was running a deer, it's legal to dispatch the dog. This will, however, put us hunters in a bad light and give anti-hunters more ammo.

[Daycrawler]

Wow this story has quite a few gaps! Why did the Hunters report that a Dog was shot? Why wasn't the Dog on a Leash? Was the Dog chasing a Deer?

Quote from the story (At around 7:30, Dieter says she received a call from a neighbor who said hunters using his wooded property informed him they shot and killed a dog with an arrow.)

I blame the owner for lack of supervision with the Dog......

[Philbert]

I feel for the family but, IF the dog was running a deer, it's legal to dispatch the dog. This will, however, put us hunters in a bad light and give anti-hunters more ammo.

It is? I mean, I knew it was legal to shoot a dog that threatened your pets, or livestock. But a wild deer?

ETA: Apparently so, here it is

http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/s..._502.htm#s2381

2384. Declaring dogs public nuisances

Any dog pursuing or following upon the track of any big game animal in such close pursuit as to endanger the big game animal or to be in the act of attacking the big game animal at any time is hereby declared to be a public nuisance and may be destroyed as provided in this title.

CREDIT(S)
1986, July 8, P.L. 442, No. 93, § 1, effective July 1, 1987.



§ 2385. Destruction of dogs declared public nuisances

(a) General rule.--A dog declared a public nuisance pursuant to section 2384 (relating to declaring dogs public nuisances) may be killed by any commission officer at any time or by any person when the dog is found to be in the act of attacking a big game animal.

(b) Reports after killing dog.--Any person who kills a licensed dog pursuant to subsection (a) and section 2384 shall notify the owner or a commission officer within 48 hours after the dog was killed. The person who killed the dog or the commission officer who receives the report shall disclose to the owner of the dog the time, place, circumstances relating to the death of the dog and the location of the dog's remains. All equipment found on the dog, including collar, name tag, license tag or any other personal property, shall be returned to the owner of the dog within ten days after conclusion of any prosecution or immediately if no prosecution is contemplated.

(c) Inapplicability of certain laws.--

(1) The provisions of 18 Pa.C.S. § 5511 (relating to cruelty to animals) shall not apply to any person killing any dog pursuant to subsection (a).
(2) The provisions of 42 Pa.C.S. Ch. 85 (relating to matters affecting government units) shall not apply to any agency, commission or department or any officers charged by law with enforcing the provisions of this title.

CREDIT(S)
1986, July 8, P.L. 442, No. 93, § 1, effective July 1, 1987.

[Bang]

Biggest nicest buck I ever got started out as two baying hounds way off but getting louder. Figuring they might be playing a deer, I ran to the next ridge, re-considered, ran back to the ridge I'd been on, ran to the other ridge again and decided this was the place to be. The deer was nonchalantly staying ahead of the nuisance. Bang. Here come the dogs...both with collars and tags. Now I had a problem. They definitely wanted their reward. I gutted the deer, now and then shooing them away, then gave them the liver so they wouldn't chew on the good parts. No way was I going to shoot someone's dogs that probably got out somehow (I'd hunted the area for years, and knew this had to be an accident). I know I sure wasn't mad at 'em.

[Qtrborecrazy]

I wonder how closely it resembled a coyote. The owner should of had CONTROL of her animal.

[Exbiker]

If the dog was running down a deer I want to meet the bow hunter that shot it on the run. Pretty incredible. The story has more holes in it then the dog.

[Bang]

My read on the law as written, a dog merely chasing after a deer does not meet the criteria for dispatching the dog unless the dog actually attacks the deer.

[tollster]

I doubt anyone could shoot a dog with a bow running deer!

Contrary to justifying it one way or another, there are plenty of assholes with a license.

You can bet Dieter's property will no longer be permitted to be hunted as long as he resides there....

[knight0334]

I blame the dog owner..

If they would have followed state law and kept their dog leashed or fenced in this probably wouldn't have happened.