Moriah Johansson

This bill would go against everything that a live stock guardian dog (LGD) is meant to do. To financially punish the owner for their dog doing its job is wrong. These dogs are nocturnal and are ment to bark at night to scare away predators. The bill states there would be no punishment if there is proof of predators when the dog barks. But the dog barking is meant to scare predators before they come near the area the LGD is protecting. How could someone prove there is predators near their land that the LGD sensed before it was a threat or came close to the property? If a neighbor reported a dog barking, how would the owner stop it from doing so? These dogs have instincts to bark at night. They were bred thousands of years ago to have this instinct and trying to stop it would be difficult and inhumane. These dogs also roam naturally. All LGD owners that I know do all they can to keep them enclosed to their property, but mistakes happen. I do agree owners should learn how to do this and react with more security if the LGD breeches their fences. But I do not think the owner should be punished if their dog gets loose. It is almost inevitable and should be made a punishable offense. I also feel it is unconstitutional to tell someone their parcel of land is too small for a dog. Let the people decide if their livestock needs a protector, not the law. LGD also work better in pairs. Dogs are social animals and it is better for their well being to have another LGD. They also preform their jobs better in pairs. One LGD will stay with the livestock as the other peruses the threat. Why would you need a minimum of 5 acres to make this a viable source of protection? This bill is not fair to those who own LGDs or for the animals. It directly interferes with the purpose of these animals and interferes with their natural behaviors and is inhumane. It is asking too much of the owners and sets impractical expectations that cannot be met, setting the owner and dog up for failure. It also puts unnecessary limits on how many dogs one can own without considering their situation or necessity for LGDs. Please do not pass this bill. Farmers don’t need more stress and restrictions to their operations. As a small farmer I know how tight money can be. To fine an individual for a security measure they have put in place to protect their investments is wrong and an unnecessary burden.