Texas Town Shoots Stray Dogs

1. Sofar
   January 5th, 2009 at 2:33 am

   Well what else are they going to do with them?

2. Danny
   January 5th, 2009 at 2:39 am

   It's still a horrible way to handle an already horrible problem.

3. johninparis-nothilton
   January 5th, 2009 at 2:44 am

   Humm...

   And once again, Texas gives North America a bad reputation.

4. Wes
   January 5th, 2009 at 3:37 am

   And once again, people misunderstand the situation because they refuse to read all the facts.

   We aren't talking about dog-shooting patrols that go out and look for animals to cap indiscriminately. The city tries to capture them as they always have. They have simply set a policy that *allows* police officers to shoot a wild dog if the animal proves aggressive and potentially dangerous.

   You also have to realize that we aren't just talking about domesticated dogs that have been abandoned. We're talking about the generations of feral offspring that have also quite possibly mated with the wild coyotes in the area.

   FWIW, my parents live in Ferris, so I know of what I speak.

5. Bunk Strutts
   January 5th, 2009 at 3:40 am

   Good God, lighten up! Look how many magazines it sold in 1973!

6. Dani
   January 5th, 2009 at 4:09 am

   @ Wes

   Yeah... I think the title and description can be misleading... It sounds like a bigger problem than just "stray dogs". And they're not just shooting stray dogs... More like "stray, violent, and feral dogs".

7. PK
   January 5th, 2009 at 4:16 am

   In this case, I'd rather eat them. :p :9

8. sirwebster
   January 5th, 2009 at 4:19 am

   So that's what happened to the littlest hobo

9. cs
   January 5th, 2009 at 8:02 am

   About that NL cover... you should also explain that the picture went with the headline, "Buy this magazine or we'll shoot the dog!" or something like that.

   and they prob shoot dogs in Alaska too.

10. zav
    January 5th, 2009 at 8:13 am

    The reality is that we spend tens to hundreds of millions of dollars a year as a country to deal with unwanted pets.

11. shecky
    January 5th, 2009 at 8:28 am

    I say shootin's too good for 'em!

12. LisaL
    January 5th, 2009 at 8:46 am

    Shoot the idiots who abandon their dogs, dogs that should've been fixed to begin with so a problem like this wouldn't have even occured.
    It upsets me so much to even think about people being so heartless as to abandon a pet.

    Anyway... I can see why a policy like this would be in place to get rid of the aggressive feral dogs, still don't like it, but I can understand why it's in place.
    However, my jaded self can only think of how so many people probably abuse a policy like this... *shrugs*

13. Bret Hammond
    January 5th, 2009 at 9:34 am

    This barely qualifies as news. I've known a lot of people who have worked for animal control. This seems to be the standard "back up plan" for stray feral dogs.

14. Gerry
    January 5th, 2009 at 9:57 am

    Gee... that's only been a standard procedure for hundreds of years, kiddies. They didn't have euthanasia shots for animals until the last few decades....

    (You city people make me shake my head.)

15. ~Emma
    January 5th, 2009 at 10:06 am

    Ah yes...there's always some douche dissing on Texas.

    >>johninparis-nothilton

    Humm…

    And once again, Texas gives North America a bad reputation.

16. Goober
    January 5th, 2009 at 11:51 am

    Packs of feral dogs will literally come in to your yard and eat your children, so yeah, it's a very serious problem. Add in a rabies outbreak, and it's even worse. When I was in high school in rural Missouri, it was considered something of a civic duty to shoot feral dogs, for all the same reasons. Anybody who thinks this is horrible should - and I am serious -go out and capture these dogs and give them a home. If you're not willing to do that, you're part of the problem.

17. johninparis-nothilton
    January 5th, 2009 at 1:11 pm

    Yes ~Emma,

    If you'd spend some time outside Texas, or even outside your country, you'd find out what others think of Texas and it's inhuman laws. BTW, I won't even to into the arrogance issue.

    Oh! perhaps you'd like to talk about Texas gun shops?

    Sorry Dear, but you asked for it.

18. ~Emma
    January 5th, 2009 at 3:14 pm

    johninparis-nothilton,

    You know nothing about me, yet you're ignorant enough to generalize.

    If you want to discuss Texas laws, bring it on. I happen to be quite knowledgeable in the subject.

    Or perhaps we can make a deal...you refrain yourself from absorbing Hollywood's idea of my state and country and I'll not assume every Frenchman is an insolent, con

19. ~Emma
    January 5th, 2009 at 3:16 pm

    ....contemptuous windbag.

    Sorry...i submitted too soon.

    ~Peace

20. Justin
    January 5th, 2009 at 3:57 pm

    A pack of starving feral dogs roaming the neighborhood is not a good situation to have in any town. Shooting them is not only good for the safety of children, it will lessen the damage introduced species can bring to an environment.

    However, if you're looking for real killers, check out feral cats. Just a few of them can totally decimate the population of small mammals and birds. That in turn reduces the number of natural predators that depend on them for food.

21. Dan Smith
    January 5th, 2009 at 4:11 pm

    so horrible, my roommate loves dogs

    if he found out he was drive down to texas and kick teeth

22. Halieus
    January 5th, 2009 at 4:19 pm

    One good friend of our family had to save his neighborhood from a pack of stray dogs that were attacking children. Now I love dogs, but I think some people love other people more than dangerous, possibly rabid, dogs. This situation is a bit different and I can relate with both sides, but most people don't have this perspective and just think that evil people are hunting innocent puppies.

23. Noelegy
    January 5th, 2009 at 5:31 pm

    Aaaaaaand, let the anti-Texas bigotry begin. I'm not saying that the shooting of dogs is a good thing, but I'm also too well acquainted with people from the city who drive out to the country (where there are fewer animal shelters and animal-rescue resources) to dump their unwanted animals. It would just be nice if for once a story that takes place in Texas or the South could be discussed without the bigots weighing in on the locale.

24. Adam Stanhope
    January 5th, 2009 at 7:21 pm

    "Buy this magazine or we'll shoot this dog."

    A classic!

25. ted
    January 5th, 2009 at 7:37 pm

    I remember seeing two street dogs fighting in Italy. They're all cute when you see them wandering around the street, but get them in a tussle and you don't wanna be anywhere near em.

26. H Bickers
    January 5th, 2009 at 8:34 pm

    For all of you cranking on Texas and North America, I think you should know in Germany, Switzerland, and Austria a forester can and will shoot your dog dead right in front of you if Fido's off the leash in a game management area, which is pretty much everywhere not paved. Other countries may have similar laws, but I can't speak of my own knowledge to that. As a dog lover I don't approve, but it's not just some yee-haw barefoot weirdos who do this.

27. johninparis-nothilton
    January 6th, 2009 at 7:28 am

    LOL

    Well, finally, a real discussion arises on this subject.

    BTW ~Emma, I do live in Paris, however I'm not French. And yes, I was born and raised on the same continent as you were.
    You're probably now saying contemptuous windbags are not limited to France. Oh! dear, perhaps I'm a democrat then? LOL Sorry, couldn't resist a bit or irony.

    That's it for me on this topic.

    And as you wrote ~Emma, "Peace".

28. Pamie
    January 6th, 2009 at 2:03 pm

    I have six dogs myself. I rescue dogs and I volunteer to try to find dogs good homes. The problem is not the dogs but the irresponsible people that cruely leave these animals to become ferral, they have no choice. You would become ferral to if you were thrown in the wild all the sudden and had to fight for food. Animals of all kinds suffer because of our ignorance and selfishness. People, dont get a pet if you cant treat it like a child or a close member of your family. That is what they are. They have feelings and souls just like us. We shoot them because they cause a problem for us????? I think its the other way around, we cause a problem for them.

29. Idil
    January 6th, 2009 at 2:45 pm

    I completely agree with Pamie, this is ridiculous!

    Plus, the dogs are not dangerous! We have wild dogs roaming around streets in Turkey that have been born and raised on the streets, and they live peacefully with us. We give them leftovers and they eat it, and some people set out water, but otherwise we leave them alone and they leave us alone.
    Some authorities collect them and give them rabies shots and then set them back out into the streets again, with a tag to ensure they have shots. (which is sad, but better than vaccinating them twice by accident). Same with the wild cats. They live with us and give our cities and towns life.

    But this...this is horrible!

30. Idil
    January 6th, 2009 at 2:47 pm

    Although it has been so many centuries that dogs have been in the streets in Turkey that I wouldn't consider them domesticated anymore. I'm not sure if it would make a difference. I think it's worse for the domesticated ones, they can't fend for themselves.

31. Pamie
    January 6th, 2009 at 3:39 pm

    Thanks Idil for the vote of confidence.

    Peoples ignorance and cruelty will be the ruin of society. If something inconveniences us or we dont understand it "by God go get a gun and kill it". If these dogs are attacking people I sure havent heard about it and I live 30 minutes from Ferris. There is a lady that goes out there twice a week and puts dog food down and they come a running for it and havent attacked her yet. She goes to my church and that is how I found out about this tragedy. I plan on helping her now. I wish I had the right to shoot every human that acted ferral.... now wouldnt that be alot of ammunition to go through.

32. Debbie
    March 17th, 2009 at 9:43 am

    We have lived in Texas, for a year and a half.
    You people are rude on the road, You can pull out of church and run cars off the road.
    Now to hear this, I think you are white trash, Hillbillies. Got a GUN SHOOT anything that moves.
    All you people do is drink beer and kill.
    But then you got to go to church on Sunday...

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