If you commit murder, I'll idolize you- If you hurt my cat, I'll kill you

[Airwolf]

I love animals, and I especially love my animals.  That being said, while I do in a way consider them part of my family, I would never commit violence on their behalf.  Sorry, DUmmies.

This is what drives gun owners crazy. Most states require you to take training to get a permit to carry and as a good safety measure you should learn anything you can about how and WHEN to use deadly force should that time ever come. Those dick gurgling idiots on DU think that whatever they see on TV or the Brady Campain tells them is good as gold Truth. Fact is they don't know dick about how to deal with deadly force scenarios and should keep their keyboard commando shit to themselves least they be found liable for giving one of their fellow DUmmies bad ideas that lands them in prison.

[TVDOC]

Let me make this very clear, primitive:  If someone is trying to kill a dog or cat, and you shoot them, if I'm on a jury your butt is a gonner.  Yes, abusing animals cannot be tolerated, but killing someone over it is excessive.  Even if you aim to shoot them and accidental kill them, you're a gonner.  I would say in most circumstances even if you fired at the person, you're a gonner.  You may think of it as your human child, you may even love it like a human child, but it's not a human child, it's a pet.

Gonna have to disagree.......

Again.....this depends on your state......here pets are "personal property", and you are allowed to use lethal force to protect your personal property (that's what the "Castle Doctrine" is all about).  If someone was committing violence against one of my perts, they can expect two rounds, center-mass, same with a "car jacking"........it'll never see a jury......

In our case, the dogs are in the house, and are trained to raise the alarm, should anyone attempt to force entry.  Legally, if the perp has gained entry to the extent that he/she/it can assult the dogs, a violent felony has already been committed, and they are potentially (and legally) dead meat.......I wouldn't lose a moments sleep after converting them to the aformentoned status.

Perhaps we're just not all that "enlightened".  It's long past time that we stopped tolerating (and coddling) such behavior.

doc

[thundley4]

I love animals, and I especially love my animals.  That being said, while I do in a way consider them part of my family, I would never commit violence on their behalf.  Sorry, DUmmies.

I would use force to prevent harm to my dog, not lethal force, but I could not watch someone hurting my dog.

[USA4ME]

Gonna have to disagree.......

Again.....this depends on your state......here pets are "personal property", and you are allowed to use lethal force to protect your personal property (that's what the "Castle Doctrine" is all about).  If someone was committing violence against one of my perts, they can expect two rounds, center-mass, same with a "car jacking"........it'll never see a jury......

In our case, the dogs are in the house, and are trained to raise the alarm, should anyone attempt to force entry.  Legally, if the perp has gained entry to the extent that he/she/it can assult the dogs, a violent felony has already been committed, and they are potentially (and legally) dead meat.......I wouldn't lose a moments sleep after converting them to the aformentoned status.

If an intruder is in your house, that's different.

The scenerio for which I was making reference is more along the lines of a neighbor who is fed up with a dog that comes into their yard and makes a dump or digs up their flowers.  They talked to the owner and asked them to control their pet, but they won't.  So one day they get upset and shoot the dog for crapping in their yard again.  I don't care if they shot the dog in their own yard, the pet owners propery as it was running back home, or someone elses yard, I'm not going to go shoot the neighbor.  That's a little beyond looneytuneville.

.

[thundley4]

If an intruder is in your house, that's different.

The scenerio for which I was making reference is more along the lines of a neighbor who is fed up with a dog that comes into their yard and makes a dump or digs up their flowers.  They talked to the owner and asked them to control their pet, but they won't.  So one day they get upset and shoot the dog for crapping in their yard again.  I don't care if they shot the dog in their own yard, the pet owners propery as it was running back home, or someone elses yard, I'm not going to go shoot the neighbor.  That's a little beyond looneytuneville.

.

That is a different situation then catching someone beating your dog. However, most states have laws to deal with people that kill pets.  I'll bet there are cases of animal abusers getting stiffer sentences than someone convicted of assaulting a person.

[USA4ME]

That is a different situation then catching someone beating your dog. However, most states have laws to deal with people that kill pets.  I'll bet there are cases of animal abusers getting stiffer sentences than someone convicted of assaulting a person.

I agree, and I based my original answer off the OP's statement...

If somebody is trying to kill your pet dog or cat then do you have a legal right to use violence to protect your pet?

I'm just not all that familiar with people who determine to go kill someone else's pets just because.  Ususally it's provoked by the pets doing something that someone else finds to be annoying or intrusive.  It's been my experience that most people approach the neighbor and ask them to do something, and most reasonable people would at least try.  And then you've got your occasional hard-headed type who takes it the wrong way, etc...

The only time I hear of people shooting pets, which is seldom at best, is the scenerio I described.  And most of the time the claim is they either shoot them with some type of salt pellets or maybe a BB gun to to sting the animal and perhaps discourage it from wandering over to their yard.  I'm guessing most people here have heard the same type of things from others.

.

[AllosaursRus]

I'm not goin' to shoot someone who harms my pets, but I guarantee ya I'll pull 'em thru the wing window of their vehicle in order to hold them until my buddies from the Sheriff's office get here!

[Rebel]

How about this, I'll defend my dogs in the same manner the K-9 police defend theirs. Cool? My dogs are no less important to me than their K-9s are to them.

[obumazombie]

How about this, I'll defend my dogs in the same manner the K-9 police defend theirs. Cool? My dogs are no less important to me than their K-9s are to them.

Police K-9s are considered by law to be law enforcement officers equal to a human LEO. Any action taken against a K-9 in the performance of it's duty is considered the same action against their human counterpart.

[Splashdown]

Anybody else find it ironic that they're pro-life and "heroic" when it comes to animals, but they are happy to stick a spike in the skull of an unborn child?

[franksolich]

Anybody else find it ironic that they're pro-life and "heroic" when it comes to animals, but they are happy to stick a spike in the skull of an unborn child?

And to trees too.

Remember how the old dude, who's pro-abortion, mourned the old tree in his yard that had to be taken down.

Don't get me wrong--I myself like animals and trees as much as the next guy, but I put a, uh, rather higher value on human infants.

[AprilRazz]

I love animals, and I especially love my animals.  That being said, while I do in a way consider them part of my family, I would never commit violence on their behalf.  Sorry, DUmmies.

I would. While I love my pets they are legally my property just like my house and vehicles. If someone were intent on harming my pets they would have to enter into my house or over my 7 foot stockade fence or through a locked gate to get into my back yard. If you have entered any part of my house/yard without my consent then I am going to think that you could be there to do me physical harm and I will act appropriately.

[jukin]

Gonna have to disagree.......

Again.....this depends on your state......here pets are "personal property", and you are allowed to use lethal force to protect your personal property (that's what the "Castle Doctrine" is all about).  If someone was committing violence against one of my perts, they can expect two rounds, center-mass, same with a "car jacking"........it'll never see a jury......

In our case, the dogs are in the house, and are trained to raise the alarm, should anyone attempt to force entry.  Legally, if the perp has gained entry to the extent that he/she/it can assult the dogs, a violent felony has already been committed, and they are potentially (and legally) dead meat.......I wouldn't lose a moments sleep after converting them to the aformentoned status.

Perhaps we're just not all that "enlightened".  It's long past time that we stopped tolerating (and coddling) such behavior.

doc

Yeah!

[Rebel]

Police K-9s are considered by law to be law enforcement officers equal to a human LEO. Any action taken against a K-9 in the performance of it's duty is considered the same action against their human counterpart.

That's fine that they treat them as LEO's and equals, but to make a comparison, they're just trained dogs, like mine...only not quite trained enough. They can treat their trained dogs as equals and LEO's, I'll treat my dogs as family members, which they are to me. When it comes down to it, and if anyone wants to make that argument, there is no difference between my Lhasa's and their Shepherds/Malinois, save better training.

[Rebel]

...and I'm not trying to trash officers or their awesome dogs. They should drop any dirtbag that attempts to harm them. Just afford me the same opportunity.

[obumazombie]

...and I'm not trying to trash officers or their awesome dogs. They should drop any dirtbag that attempts to harm them. Just afford me the same opportunity.

Done. At least if it was up to me.

[Tucker]

I care more for my Dog that I do for many humans.

[Rebel]

I care more for my Dog that I do for many humans.

Same here. I don't like too many of those human things. 

[AllosaursRus]

Same here. I don't like too many of those human things. 

Exactly! I have way more "dog" friends than I do human ones!