Q: Our dog goes into a neighbors yard and barks at them. Now he's threatened to kill the dog if she does it again. Can he?
She's all bark and no bite just protective. If you ignore her she goes away, the other neighbors know this. But he chases her and goes after her which scares her and causes her to bark even harder. We know she was abused as a puppy and by men so that makes it worse. Today he was shooing her away with a blanket and said the next time he'll have his shot gun ready and looks forward to her being six feet under. He has little kids so I can understand his fear but our other neighbors with kids seem fine with her. What do we do? Does he actually have the right to shoot her if she goes on his property?
A: If he legitimately fears the dog with do serious harm to him or his kids, he can use deadly force to avoid that harm. But, he can't shoot the dog just because he finds it annoying.
Justia Ask a Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask a Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between you and Justia, or between you and any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask a Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
