This article makes me really nervous... My pup is a agouti.. Which when they grow up can really look like a wolf... The good thing is i live in ohio and i never heard of any wolves or anything by me.. However it doesnt mean there arny some idiots who would shoot first and ask questions later. I bought a orange reflective collar foru pup.. I will have to buy another one for when he gets bigger but hopefully this would prevent something stupid from happening.. Im not really worries about any of my neighbors im more worried if he escapes and gets far away.. Soo i will just take more precautions to make sure he never escapes...

Hayden_69 wrote:

At either rate, it's a bad situation all around and it's a shame the dog had to pay the price.

Very true... Just goes to show how prepared you need to be for a dog as independent as a husky... RIP Husky Pup

Koda wrote:

This reason is why I hate reading these things in the newspaper or hearing them from the media. No one reports an actual story anymore. They report hype for ratings and it's sickening...

Anyone watch The Newsroom? It's my new obsession.

That is very true! A poor woman was killed by a hit and run down the street from me a year ago. My little sister just so happened to be friends with her niece and said the media got the story totally wrong and twisted the story so much to the point where it wasn't even true.

That's sad. If it's anything like here in FL, it doesn't matter if it was a wolf or a dog. Farmer has the right to shot it. I have my own opinions about that. At least this shooting wasn't as terrible as the one a few years ago here in FL. Some rancher got a call that two dogs were messing with her cattle, so she sent down this gun crazy idiot to shoot them. There's video of it. First the guy is hold a pistol in both hands firing one after another, the two huskies had collars on, by that time the huskies were not bothering the cattle anymore so animal control could have been called, there were people screaming from the road to try and make him stop, and WORST of all near the end (he shot these huskies like 9 times or so each! once while one was lying on the ground from being shot already) the poor owner is RUNNING toward his dogs begging the guy to stop and he STILL shoots another shot at the dogs! Somehow the huskies survived, one lost an eye, but the guy who shot them got off scot free! Judge threw the case out.

IMO, CALL ANIMAL CONTROL. 1 duck or cattle being cased around a little (their defense in court was that the huskies were keeping the cattle from their water! and eventually they could have gotten too stressed and died) does not mean you can just go shoot a dog. Quit being lazy, quit wanting a little target practice, and get on the phone and call animal control! Let them deal with it humanely.

The thing that gets me is that we live in a society where we take actions first before asking questions. How can one so easily kill without having all the facts?

We dont have wolves here in Australia, so for me seeing a wolf like dog I would automatically say it's a husky.
A lot of people think Freya looks like a Dingo, if she ever got out and ate someones duck would she be killed on the spot for it?

Yes, the dog should have been in a secured yard, but dogs get out sometimes thats what they do.

Wow this turned from a sad story of a family losing their pet to a rank about huskies and wolves. I dont agree that the puppy was shot and just like all stories, there is always info not stated. Both my huskies fur is very soft and if they pulled hard enough could slip out of their collars, no matter how tight.
I am sad that this happened and I would be devestated as well.

No one is saying that the owners shouldn't be upset or devastated. But this just isn't a story of "good guy/bad guy" either.

And no one has paid any respect to the dead duck. Just saying. LOL

Anyway . . .I grew up in farm country and a lot of the farmers I grew up around loved their animals. Took crazy good care of them (after all its their paycheck). Granted they still hauled them off to slaughter eventually but they still cared about their animals.

I think its normal to want to protect your own. The farmer wanted to protect his animals and the family their husky.

Its just sad that it happened at all. In a perfect world things like this wouldn't happen, but we don't live in a perfect world.

This should be a lesson to all of us to be a little more diligent about keeping our pets secured and communicating with our neighbors so that they know our pets if they see them loose.

This is sad. If it were me personally, I would have called animal control first. But then again, I know all the dogs in my area. Thanks to taking the boys for walks and getting barked at. There is a (what I'm assuming is) husky by us that looks like a wolf. He's always secured in the yard though.

Newsroom is great Tori- absolutely loved it.

We live in a shoot first ask questions later society. And this is coming from someone who believes in gun rights. I have guns in my home as I have since I was a child. So I'm not one of those people...

While I can see their reasoning for shooting the animal it doesn't make it right.

That is terrible for the dog, although I do see where it could have been prevented if the owners maybe had a collar or harness on it and had some sort of relationship with their neighbors. Especially if the dog has gotten out multiple times.
Snow was accused of being a wolf by my old neighbors in Orlando. I'm sure some of you remember me ranting about it. It was a mess to deal with. We made sure to introduce her to all of our neighbors here so they were able interact with her and see she is harmless so that what happened in Orlando didn't repeat itself.

This is really sad.

A lot of people mistake Suka for a wolf. Perhaps its his coat colour that makes them think that- it looks rather wolfish with the tans, the blacks, the greys, the whites, and the reds. But, of course, some people may just be stupid/uneducated.

I'm sorry but I'm with the farmer. They are allowed to protect their livestock. We live in farm and coyote country. Our dogs do not get the chance to escape because of that. They also all wear bright slip collars with their tags on. I've confused the shilloette of Panzer with a coyote in the yard at night. I've also had to shoot a coyote when it got stuck in my yard.

That being said, here's a lighter story of mistaken identity..

A buddy of mine owns a husky mix dog, Mimi, that looks identical to a coyote. She's super friendly, great with dogs, kids, and everything in between. Well, we were hiking in the North Cascades, and beinf rebels, we let our dogs off their leashes to roam. About 30 minutes later, with our dogs out of sight we hear someone yelling as if to frighten away a bear. Being wilderness men, and first responder trained, we ran ahead, about 100 yrds, around a bend, and came upon the commotion. Mimi had found a father and two young kids. The father, fearing that Mimi was a brave and bloodthirsty coyot was waving a stick at Mimi and yelling at her to scram. Mimi was only being more brave and approachful since she desperatly now wanted the waving stick. We calmed everyone down, and pointed out the collar and tags, but it was memorable nonetheless.

I'm not with the farmer.
We live in a society of laws.
Even if you don't think animal control will respond, you have a duty to follow the law first.

There are no wolves in Delaware.
A nine month old husky looks like a puppy.
Shouldn't have been shot.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

jalepeno wrote:

I'm not with the farmer.
We live in a society of laws.
Even if you don't think animal control will respond, you have a duty to follow the law first.

There are no wolves in Delaware.
A nine month old husky looks like a puppy.
Shouldn't have been shot.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

You're right, we are a society of laws. Like the law that protects farmers who kill animals to protect their livestock. Or the law that says you must be able to contain your dog if you own it.

There are no wolves in Deleware, but there are coyotes, which are smaller.
Panzer looked about the same size and shape as a coyote when I brought her home at 10 months.

jalepeno wrote:

I'm not with the farmer.
We live in a society of laws.
Even if you don't think animal control will respond, you have a duty to follow the law first.

There are no wolves in Delaware.
A nine month old husky looks like a puppy.
Shouldn't have been shot.
Wrong. Wrong. Wrong.

I was going to say the same thing about no wolves in Delaware. Or it is probably very uncommon.

I'm sorry I think they lady was annoyed that the dog was around and wouldn't leave so she shot it and she said that it looked like a wolf. The dog just seemed to "bother" her livestock but didn't kill any of it? Im pretty sure if it was a wolf it would have killed at least some of her livestock and fed itself since it was soooooo skinny.

There was a hunter a couple years ago who shot a young man close to where my parents live. I forget the whole story but that would be like him saying I thought he was a bear. Also he lived in the middle of the state where it isn't very likely for him to see a bear. I don't understand people.

I think some of the fault is on the owner. If the owner would have had a secure yard, the husky wouldn't have escaped, and it wouldn't have been killed. And if it would have had a collar, perhaps the farmer would have thought twice and figured it was somebody's pet and NOT shoot it.

But, that being said, if the farmer would have known the difference between a husky and wolf (or coyote, since there are no wolves in Delaware) than the husky could have been spared too in this case.
And, I'm sorry, but white coyotes are so rare they are practically non existent. They are extremely rare, so your chances of running into one is like one in a billion. So that can't be used as an excuse.
Plus, the fact it didn't run away when they gave a few warning shots should have rang a bell. Wolves (and coyotes) would scatter if they heard a gunshot. Dogs, not so much, because they instinctively wouldn't know what it means - especially huskies because, as we all know, they aren't the best for detecting danger or guarding.

I'm tempted to use an American stereotype here, but I won't, because I know its not fair.

So - instead....stupid people shouldn't be allowed to own guns.

I use the stereotype solely because the dog was doing nothing but bothering her. If it killed a chicken or bit a cow I can understand. This isn't even understandable in my opinion. Yes it is partially the owner's fault but killing the dog doesn't make much sense. Some dogs aren't scared of guns, hunters do train their dogs not to be afraid when they hear a gun shot. My dad is one. It might be slightly understandable if the lady saw him while she was hunting and shot him, even though the dog is way smaller than a deer and not brown then it would be more reasonable it is dark.

ETA: Plus the farmer said the dog came by multiple times before, if it was a wolf it would have killed multiple things or at least attempted.

Its ridiculous to expect someone to know that white coyotes aren't common. They probably never thought twice about a wolf or coyote's coats, or even really what they looked like. Not everyone is a husky owner, and therefore majority of the population knows dick about these dogs, compared to a wild animal. An animal that has gotten used to feeding near humans, such as a coyote that eats ducks on a farm will slowly gain confidence as it gets used to the repetitive drill for food, and yes, sometimes even a shot won't scare it all the way off. I get coyotes all the time, so I have experience with their confidence. The truth is a dog owner did not follow the law by providing adequate facilities to contain their dog, and was foolish to not have a collar and ID tag for it. That dog got out and started letting its instincts and high prey drive lead it to someones farm. That farm had a duck killed and therefore had to intervene and protect its property, which is within its rights by law. Its unfortunate that the dog got shot, but the only party who didn't act in accordance with logic was the owner who didnt keep their dog secure.

Also, for the saying you thought a guy was a bear comparison, I dare you to walk around the woods in brown clothes and see if you don't learn about mistaken identity..

Oh I didn't watch the video. I didn't have time, guess it said that in the video about the duck. My bad.

And people should know what's around. If people don't read the newspaper or watch the local news then that's their own problem.

The kid wasn't wearing brown and the guy didn't say he was a bear. It doesn't matter, it is VERY UNCOMMON to see a bear where I live. Edit: Just a point I was trying to make. And you can't hunt after dark here so you should know what you are looking at.

Not to mention, (unless it was mentioned in the article and I missed it) it could have easily been at night making it much harder to tell the difference between a puppy and a dog and a dog and a wolf or coyote.

I grew up in northern Georgia and in the last 15 years, with the amount of construction and building going on in my area, TONS of coyotes have been seen just walking around neighborhoods. I know that if Pippa got out and scared someone, certain people wouldn't hesitate to shoot her, so I'm careful that she doesn't get out.

Also, I'm in the mindset that a life is a life. While is absolutely heartbreaking that this puppy died, the other people also lost a duck. Seems silly, but plenty of people keep them as pets as well.

Both parties were in the wrong here.

(Also, as a side note, that article was absolutely terrible. So much important information left out.)

First off, Ellen, I certaintly did not mean anything more than that its easy to say a dog to a coyote is apples to oranges, but sometimes things look more alike than you would imagine when you're in the moment.

I happen to live next door to a Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder, and next door to a Serama Bantam Chicken breeder. Coyotes love them some puppies and chicken (not to mention grain and food scented toys). Nobody loves dogs more than our neighbors and us, but when the coyotes come around, you'd think that there was a shooting range here, not kennels and a chicken breeder. We would never mean to harm someones pets, but the truth is that if something coyote-ish enough is snooping around my neighbors chickens, I'm gonna holler at it, try to call it to me, shoot a tree near it, and then if it hasn't left, I shoot it. Coyotes are far more bold than people think, especially in our area, where we live 2 miles from the gun club, and gunshots are common. My animals and my friends animals are more precious to me than a strange animal, and not acting is going to teach them that they can come back for more. My dogs aren't wandering in anyones backyards, I think everyone else can uphold at least that standard.

Eric, you've got to have heard about the teenagers who shot the hiker on Sauk Mt. near Marblemount because she looked like a bear. They had every right to do so. It was hunting season after all. But it didn't turn out too well for them. Or maybe this farmer in Oregon who trapped a husky, and then shot him. He had every right to do so. But things didn't turn out too well for him either...
http://www.oregonlive.com/gresham/index.ssf/2011/01/east_multnomah_county_organic.html

As a previous poster stated, we live in a shoot first country. If people insist on their right to kill animals just because they can, they're going to have to live with the consequences of their idiocy.

K9_Eric wrote:

First off, Ellen, I certaintly did not mean anything more than that its easy to say a dog to a coyote is apples to oranges, but sometimes things look more alike than you would imagine when you're in the moment.

I happen to live next door to a Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder, and next door to a Serama Bantam Chicken breeder. Coyotes love them some puppies and chicken (not to mention grain and food scented toys). Nobody loves dogs more than our neighbors and us, but when the coyotes come around, you'd think that there was a shooting range here, not kennels and a chicken breeder. We would never mean to harm someones pets, but the truth is that if something coyote-ish enough is snooping around my neighbors chickens, I'm gonna holler at it, try to call it to me, shoot a tree near it, and then if it hasn't left, I shoot it. Coyotes are far more bold than people think, especially in our area, where we live 2 miles from the gun club, and gunshots are common. My animals and my friends animals are more precious to me than a strange animal, and not acting is going to teach them that they can come back for more. My dogs aren't wandering in anyones backyards, I think everyone else can uphold at least that standard.

I completely understand your view I'm not saying you are incorrect by any means but where I live it isn't as common and that's the point I'm trying to make. This lady might live in a wild life filled area but when I looked up the stats for Delaware it didn't look all that common. You have an excuse, the coyotes are COMMON! You kind of expect a coyote. My family, who lives in a very uncommon wildlife area, make sure they know what they are shooting before they shoot to prevent these problems.

I didn't watch the video and I apologize, it makes things a little different. No it's not what I or my family would have done but no matter what she still did it.

K9_Eric wrote:

First off, Ellen, I certaintly did not mean anything more than that its easy to say a dog to a coyote is apples to oranges, but sometimes things look more alike than you would imagine when you're in the moment.

I happen to live next door to a Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder, and next door to a Serama Bantam Chicken breeder. Coyotes love them some puppies and chicken (not to mention grain and food scented toys). Nobody loves dogs more than our neighbors and us, but when the coyotes come around, you'd think that there was a shooting range here, not kennels and a chicken breeder. We would never mean to harm someones pets, but the truth is that if something coyote-ish enough is snooping around my neighbors chickens, I'm gonna holler at it, try to call it to me, shoot a tree near it, and then if it hasn't left, I shoot it. Coyotes are far more bold than people think, especially in our area, where we live 2 miles from the gun club, and gunshots are common. My animals and my friends animals are more precious to me than a strange animal, and not acting is going to teach them that they can come back for more. My dogs aren't wandering in anyones backyards, I think everyone else can uphold at least that standard.

I don't think anybody's attacking you personally, so there's no need to feel defensive.

I guess I just don't understand some of the logic - I've never grown up on farm, but I would think if I did I would be agreeing with you (I would need to protect my livestock from predators.)
But, that being said, there are other ways to go about it than shoot it...shooting anything should be a last resort, IMO, not the first or even the 2nd.

But yeah...the article was poorly written and I think some important information is left out...cause it certainly seems a little biased.

In any case, I hope that article serves at a 'wake up call' to those owners who think its okay to let their dog wander about off-lead (or have an unsecured yard)...husky or not. Anything can happen to your pooch, and it only takes one time for things to go horribly wrong.