Deadly force to protect property

I have to agree with bailey508, as a criminal justice major and pre-law student, I have interned at the DA's office. This was a question that I myself had, so I looked through several case studies, and there are many on each side. If someone is walking off your property with something of yours and you shoot them with no threat to you or your family be ready to spend the next 25 years in jail. (minimum) Then be prepared for the family of the person you shot to file and win a civil suit against you or your family. There are many laws that have to do with private property, theft, theft that harms livelyhood, etc. Some of the laws can protect you, and others can hang you as the shooter. Each DA is different, as is the GJ, and jury. Nobody feels sorry for a thief, but 12 of your peers can decide wether you should sit in jail for killing them. The question that the DA and the Grand Jury are going to ask are "is this justified". And in most cases nobody is going to believe that a dog is worth the life of a human. Everyone can talk big about what they will do, but you also have to be smart enough to know that there are dozens of non-lethal ways to deal with that situation. Take a life to protect you or your family absolutely, take one over a dog that you could have kept without going that far, doubtful.
Anthony