SIgh....discouraged/update

While we were in Texas for Thanksgiving our amazing house/pet sitters texted me.  They woke to find (what we thought were) all the chickens dead.  Somehow three managed to escape and came home to roost in the following days.  We came home and fixed the fence.  On Monday, I purchased 6 more chickens from a local farm.  On Wednesday, I got a phone call from our neighbor across the street asking if our chickens were ok.  Hmmm, warning bells went off.  I hadn't been out yet, so I didn't know...  I walked out to find all but 2 dead and those 2 were suffering with huge gashes and broken legs.  My precious Jacob learned a huge lesson is being a man and an animal owner.  He had to make the decision (with my help) to put down the last 2 chickens.  I am proud of him, I know it was hard, but he manned up and did the hard thing.  I know his heart breaks.  

We know it's the german shepherds across the street.  No pics or anything, but the fur on the shredded fence, the pile of chicken feathers in front of their house, the fact that she called me because she knew her dogs had gotten out.  This isn't the first time. They killed our first batch of chicks.  We think they killed a couple others and we KNOW they killed Feather Legs (our partridge cochin).  We now suspect they may have killed the chickens over Thanksgiving.  Sigh....

Now we're left trying to decide what to do.  We really enjoy raising chickens. We love the eggs, love having a place to throw our food scraps instead of the garbage, and it's kind of relaxing having them in the yard.  Jacob and I would love to add a cow and a donkey.  The girls would love to add a horse.  Jacob and Grace and I are just worn down from having our hearts broken and I'm not sure how much more we can handle.  This (loss after loss) can't be the norm...can it?  At some point you wonder if God's trying to tell you something or prepare you for something or teach you something.  But what?  How can raising chickens and animals not be right?  Just trying to work out my thoughts....

Update--Troy spoke with our neighbor today and, with much angst, he told Troy that they had the dog put down.  While I am glad to tell my children that the dog won't bother any future chickens, it makes me sad for them.  We are impressed with their integrity and compassion.   Please pray for them to have peace in their decision, I know how difficult it must have been.