Thanks to the diligence of our Balch Springs Animal Control authorities, the late night stake outs have paid off.  After almost a week of killings, 2 pit bulls have been taken off the street.  They apparently lived nearby my farm at a house, scaled a puny 4 ft fence and took themselves for a walk across the pasture each night to see what kind of terror they could raise on the farm. 

The first night, last Friday, they slaughtered all 5 Pygmy goats that lived in my barn.  The little girl who raised them all from birth was absolutely devastated.  Not to mention the horror I felt upon finding the gruesome scene early in the morning as I went out to feed for her.  Thankfully, Dakota, the goats' owner, was out of town and didn't have to witness it herself.  This was not a bobcat, coyote or even a hungry stray.  Simply killed for the game, these poor helpless goats lay with puncture wounds in their necks.  It was a horrifying and helpless feeling. 

The same day, a pit bull was picked up at a school not a mile from the farm.  I was misinformed by a well-meaning neighbor that this was one of the dogs who had murdered our goats.  However, it was soon revealed that this was not the case.  About 2:30 in the morning, one of the full grown llamas next door to my place was chased down and killed.  Blood stains in the arena were found in more than one place.  At this point, I became a bit fearful.  Weren't llamas supposed to kill dogs?  Wasn't that the point behind ranchers keeping them?  To protect flocks and herds from wild dogs and coyotes?  Well, this llama was apparently no match for whatever beast was out there. 

And a stake out was set up.  For 2 nights in a row, Balch Springs Animal Control sat outside all night to wait for the dogs to return.  They didn't come.  Perhaps the owner of the dogs, assuming there was one, actually figured out they were getting out and fixed the problem.  We knew by now there was more than one as witnesses say they had seen 2 tan colored dogs, probably pit bulls, running loose the day before they killed my goats and, the night of the llama's death, the owner said she saw a large, stocky tan dog run off as well. 

Then, Tuesday morning, it happened again.  This time, the second llama, who had been put up in the barn for safety, was attacked and left for dead by the beasts.  The police and animal control authorities were again called and plans for another stake out were made. 

This time, the dogs were witnessed setting up a sting operation of their own.  Before a second round of darts could be fired, the 2 dogs pinned a goat, in a cage, and rammed the cage gate open, killing the goat.  We're talking about determined killing dogs who have a high pain tolerance.  They ran off as if nothing had happened. 

Well, I got the knock on my door about 1:30 this morning.  "ANIMAL CONTROL!".  I knew it was good news.  Indeed, they had set up a stakeout again, this time, the dogs were not so lucky.  One apparently was taken down and the other captured.  Both dogs were tracked to their home and the owners of these animals will surely be held responsible for this killing spree and the terror spread on our two farms. 

I don't have a problem with people having the right to own a dog to protect thier family, home or business.  But with that right, comes a responsibility, too.  A responsibility to feed, train, protect and KEEP THE DOG ON THEIR OWN PROPERTY! 

This is not the first run with escaping dogs I've had to deal with.  I had to have a neighbor's dogs picked up a few years ago after they continued to crawl out of their yard and onto my farm killing chickens, ducks and leaving them lay dead for me to find when I got home.  After some of the children witnessed them playing tug of war with one of my animals, I drew the line.  The owner couldn't understand how the dogs were getting out of the yard, but refused to fix the situation or keep them in a dog run. 

You just can't have dogs that are capable of and proven to be a menace running loose like that.  I have owned German Shepherds myself.  The gates were locked, the doors were locked and they were in the house most of the time.  I knew I had 2 dogs capable of mangling someone - or worse - and I took that responsibility seriously.  I didn't want anyone getting hurt. 

Well, it is over now.  For this time.  The problem of stray or loose dogs is still a huge one in our city I'm told by the Animal Control officer who has helped us get these 2 killers off the street.  Perhaps a ban on pit bulls?  Is that breed's bloodline so twisted now that it is too hard to find one that would be simply a protective dog and not a hunting predator?  But where do we draw the line?  Any dog over the size of a small kid?  No.  The solution is in personal responsibility of the dog owner. 

I don't know what kind of charges can be filed against the owner of these two dogs.  My neighbor reimbursed me for the chickens his dogs killed a few years back.  He since has another pit bull, but amazingly enough, this one seems to know where he lives.  Had it started up again, legal means would have been sought.  After killing 5 goats on my place, a goat and 2 llamas next door - I would like to think the owner of these dogs would be held accountable.  Dearly accountable. 

Thank you to the media (channel 11) for covering this story - although this morning they the story wrong and have all the animals killed living next door - but let's take it further now and find a resolution to this problem of loose dogs roaming the streets.  I'd like to see stiffer fines for loose dogs.  Once, a dog may find a way out of your yard that you didn't know about, but once you do know about it - you HAVE to fix it.  It is that simple.