Firearms in the city?

[AndersonIN]

Needing a paper trail is absolute CRAP! What if a dog attacks out of the blue the first time you walk down a certain road! Are you to say he wait I have to call a few people and write a couple of letters, but don't worry I will be back for you????

If you feel you life is in danger you shoot the damn thing! Be it human, plant or animal!

Here in Anderson, IN we recently had this exact situation and the police just said "hey you had a permit, the dog attached you in a public street, have a nice day!"

 

[finity]

yeah, I agree that if it was a nuisance I would just call animal control, but say an agressive large dog was attacking me, maybe just starting to gnaw on my leg, would I be within my rights to shoot the gun at the dog (or in the air in attempt to scare it off)? At one point can you use deadly force?

At the point that you are in fear of Significant Bodily Injury (death is included in that definition).

Dog attacks can maim or kill a person easily. Don't worry about the repercussions...if you HAVE TO ACT TO SAVE YOURSELF OR SOMEONE ELSE...DO IT! Notice I said "HAVE TO". Your actions must be reasonable. If I (or someone else) was getting attacked by a dog I would think it would be reasonable to defend myself in whatever way was necessary & I think so would most people.

IOW, don't be a Rambo & you should be OK. If you've got an idiot prosecutor or LEO then you're screwed either way, so do what you have to do to protect yourself & then deal with everything else later.

Jail time!

Replies like this tend to not be helpful &, IMHO, can be dangerous. While I do understasnd the need for caution & ensuring you are acting in a "reasonable" manner, telling someone they WILL GO TO JAIL and/or THE LEGAL fees WILL BANKRUPT them & their families for protecting themselves/others in a real SD scenario may make them hesitate at the worst moment & THEY MAY DIE.

Could the above happen? Sure. But its not a foregone conclusion. It seems in MOST SD stories that you read about the victim IS NOT CHARGED.

 

[finity]

Needing a paper trail is absolute CRAP! What if a dog attacks out of the blue the first time you walk down a certain road! Are you to say he wait I have to call a few people and write a couple of letters, but don't worry I will be back for you????

If you feel you life is in danger you shoot the damn thing! Be it human, plant or animal!

Here in Anderson, IN we recently had this exact situation and the police just said "hey you had a permit, the dog attached you in a public street, have a nice day!"

+1

 

[emsdial911]

This brings me to another question, if discharging a firearm is illegal in city limits what good is our right to self defense?

Had the same problem. Found a stray in my front yard with one of our cats in its mouth. The kids were young at the time and screaming their heads off. I beat the cr*p out of him before he got away. I went in got my gun and called the police. I told him that if the dog comes back I will shoot it. He advised me that discharging a weapon in the city limits was illegal. I said I will protect my children in my own yard. We talked a little more and he reminded me about the potential of stray rounds, even if I hit the dog. His last words to me were to be careful where I aim. I understand why it is illegal the danger is great but defending yourself inside your own home should be covered by your right to defend yourself and your family.

 

[techres]

While it is not necessary to have a papertrail if your life is truly at risk (or another human), why throw away this gift of an opportunity. Call, call as soon as they are open. Be sure to give them both a description and your concerns.

That way one of a few things will happen:

Nothing (and you are out nothing)
They get the dog (and problem solved)
They find dog and warn owners (they might help, at least you tried and have papers)
They find nothing and you shoot the dog in a later confrontation (now you need whatever papers you have as backup to your resonability).

So, why not report it. You only stand to gain. Should you have to call? Nope. Will it fix the dog? Unlikely. Does it give you carte blanche to nuke the dog? No. But could it really help you out down the road? Yep.

Take the time, make the call. Express your very real concerns. And do not mention wanting the dog dead. You simply want a threat stopped.

 

[clt46910]

I have found that pepper spray works good for dogs.

It has also been rumored that a .177 pellet though the heart of said dog will end the problem as well. That is just a rumor I have hear. Seems they just laid down and bleed out in a short time. Does not work during an attack, but gets rid of the problem of a possible attack. At least that is the rumor. Not real sure if it works or not.

Lots of calls to the police and animal control at least gives you the paper trail for the problem. The owners need to be charged for the actions of their dog in my opinion.

 

[Bill B]

Call animal control.

Daily

 

[Bill B]

video the animal acting up, you can show it to animal control and in the worst case scenario you'll have evidence for the lawsuit.

 

[AndersonIN]

video the animal acting up, you can show it to animal control and in the worst case scenario you'll have evidence for the lawsuit.

Yes sir, video tape, take notes, make calls, etc. Then when they ask you about "Well didn't you already know there was a dangerous dog in the area and why did you go back their with your weapon? From this video and prior phone calls, letters, notes, etc. you already knew it wasn't going to attack you. So what did you do this time to provoke it to attack JUST SO YOU COULD KILL IT?"

As my lawyer told me! Don't speak to the police and don't feed the judge information!

Take your walk and if you "happended" to be attacked by a dog and fear for your life then shoot the damn thing!

 

[OldFaithful]

I have dealt with pesky dogs in my area by carrying a CO2 powered BB pistol when I walk or ride my bike. It's quiet and very effective at close range! I doubt that the owners ever even knew what happened. Hehe.

 

[Walter Zoomie]

Aguila 22 LR 20 gr Super Colibri 500/fps 50/box - Natchez Shooters Supplies

 

[Indy317]

Here are the actual laws dealing with animals in Indiana (Note: I am not printing every subsection, as many don't apply to this specific situation.):

IC 15-20-2-2 Authority to kill dog injuring livestock
Sec. 2. A person who observes a dog in the act of killing or injuring livestock may kill the dog if the person has the consent of the person in possession of the real estate on which the dog is found.

(FYI: Livestock is defined in the Indiana Code. In years prior, there were two different definitions within different parts of the code).

IC 35-46-3-12 Torture or mutilation of a vertebrate animal; killing a domestic animal
Sec. 12.
(d) As used in this subsection, "domestic animal" means an animal that is not wild. The term is limited to:
(1) cattle, calves, horses, mules, swine, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, poultry, ostriches, rhea, and emus; and
(2) an animal of the bovine, equine, ovine, caprine, porcine, canine, feline, camelid, cervidae, or bison species.

A person who knowingly or intentionally kills a domestic animal without the consent of the owner of the domestic animal commits killing a domestic animal, a Class D felony.
(e) It is a defense to a prosecution under this section that the accused person:
(1) reasonably believes the conduct was necessary to:
(A) prevent injury to the accused person or another person;
(B) protect the property of the accused person from destruction or substantial damage; or
(C) prevent a seriously injured vertebrate animal from prolonged suffering; or


IC 35-46-3-5 Exceptions from chapter;
Sec. 5. (a) Except as provided in subsections (b) through (c), this chapter does not apply to the following:
(2) Conduct authorized under IC 15-20-2.
(4) Conduct authorized by a local ordinance.
(10) Destruction of a vertebrate animal that is:
(A) endangering, harassing, or threatening livestock or a domestic animal; or
(B) destroying or damaging a person's property.

As one can read, there are not only exceptions within IC 35-46-3-12, there are even additional exceptions that applies to the entire chapter.

 

[ddenny5]

I live in the country and the county has a similar restriction on discharging a firearm. There are exceptions to the rule. The best way is to find out what those exceptions are. I do know that where I live one of the reasons is self defense or hunting etc.