Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Missouri

This morning my neighbor frantically rang my bell yelling that he was going to get a court order to have my 2yr old dog killed! I have had several problems with my dog getting out of the yard. he has never bitten or attacked anyone but barks and growls. I have had 2 tickets for my dog "at large" before I realized my 3 year old son was letting him out of the backyard gate. I have since fixed the gate but this morning my 8 year old daughter left the garage door open while getting him some kibble and he cornered this neighbor behind a tree. Thankfully my daughter was able to call him back into the house. My question is this threat of obtaining a court order to have my dog killed legit? Can this actually happen?


Asked on 10/28/10, 7:48 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
Anthony Smith LawSmith

If you have already been cited twice for this dog, there is good chance that you may be losing the dog. Depending upon the poarticualr ordinace of yrou municipality, the dog may be impounded for a thrid at large citation. You might consider selling or gifting this dog to somoene with adequate space for the dog to roam, before the dog is taken.

If the dog has nto bitten or mauled anyone, it is very unlikely that a judge will sign an Order to have the dog euthanized. It is much more likely that the dog will be taken to the pound for adoption. If you want to minimize the chance of losing the dog and getting a large fine, you might employ an attorney to smooth things over with your neighbor, before they call the authorites.

Good luck

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Answered on 11/02/10, 8:01 am


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