Question
I live on a game reserve which has a bad record of security. The owner of the game doesn’t do anti-poaching patrols. He is threatening to kill my 18 months old dog (an Afrikaanus) which I have had for 6 months, claiming he is a hazard to his game.
My dog is very quiet and well-behaved and never goes outside unless on a leash. He has all the necessary injections, has a fenced off area to do doggy things and sleeps in my bedroom at night (I am going deaf and he alerts me by nosing and licking me, a trait I intend to train him in for when I become deaf).
Is he allowed to do so?
Answer/Reply
Based on your description of the dog’s routines how would the game reserve supervisor/owner even get access to Abe so he could shoot him? One might wonder how he even knows you have a dog.
I don’t know the ‘Afrikaanus’ breed at all but have sometimes heard of Boerboels being referred to similarly. If he’s this type of dog, the person threatening your dog may be concerned not of what is, but of what is to come.If Abe is a Boerboel or a similar Molosser breed he’d be the exception and not the rule if he were to be content to live the lifestyle you’ve outlined. The Boerboel is not a pet. It’s a serious working dog that very few people are well matched to.
Also, just a heads up, if he’s a Boerboel or similar, now that he’s entering adulthood you may find it difficult to contain or restrain him without a serious investment in training and management. They change quite significantly between 18 months and 3 years of age.
– John Wade
