Dropping Dogs

[Just Us N Texas]

Since we have moved to this area of the country, many things have amazed me. One the lack of paved roads, (just not used to that). The other is how many people just drop off dogs with no regard to their wellbeing, the fact they could damage other people's property, or livestock, or any thing else. Since here, we have had several dogs dropped. I stopped to say hello to a neighbor that was building a new fence the other day, and he had a lovely malmute mix with him. He said it had just come there a few weeks ago. Said he was surprised that a dog as well mannered and smart as he was dropped, or was let wander away. He travels a lot, and wasn't going to be able to keep the dog, but was sorry for that, and was trying to find him a good home. There are two strays at another neighbors about 1 mile away, and many more just on this road alone. A friend of ours bought a large ranch on the main hwy. about 3 miles from us. He is an absentee owner for now and my daughter takes care of mowing the yard, entranceway and just general overseeing it for now. About a month ago, a stray came and he was terribly thin, well of course she fed him after seeing he had just decided to make a home in one of the barns. About two weeks later, she said a very nice, well behaved female had moved in on "Clifford, the big red dog", and had brought 5 half grown pups with her. One has already been killed on the highway. The pups are half grown, ugly, wormy, and starving along with the mother. She called several people around the community to find out what to do about/with the dogs. She was told that if they were in town the sheriff would pick them up and take them to a shelter. Out in the county, no go. She called the shelter about 45 miles from here (only one in the county), and was told that to bring the pups in it would cost her $25.00. They won't take strays for free, they couldn't afford it. Couple nights ago she saw a poor verrrry skinny dog on the side of the road. He tried to follow her a short way. Later, on her way back that way, she saw it again. It again tried to follow her. Late that night she heard the coyotes get something, lot of barking and screaming, and she is just so sure they got the poor dog that she didn't stop and pick up. Now, she is feeling heart broken, and that she let a poor animal down. We can't afford to feed, give shots, spay or neuter every stray that comes down the road either. You can't find anyone that wants to give them a home either, because it is such a common practice around here to just drop off an unwanted dog, and most have taken in several already. My question is, what would you do in this situation? Would you campaign for better humane laws? If so, how? She and a couple of friends have already talked to vets about having some spay/neuter clinics with reduced rates and they say no. Any suggestions?

 

[Buckskin gal]

It really is sad to see so many unwanted pets wandering around. There are just far too many breeders who want to have puppies to make a buck but don't care if they have a forever home or not. The day will come when breeding will be restricted because of overpopulation. Puppies are cute, for sure, but each one needs a responsible owner and there just aren't enough responsible owners out there. It is a money maker for many people, without any regulations. I truly wish breeders would think about those lives they are bringing into the world rather than just how many dollars they can make. Many of us get tired of feeding the dogs and cats that are dumped off onto country roads. :no: Mary

 

[Miniv]

We have COUNTY humane societies here......so that the rural areas are covered, and one of our counties has TWO shelters - in different towns.

Is your shelter run by the humane society? You might work with them to maybe open a second shelter? It sure sounds like it's needed!

MA

 

[~Karen~]

That's sad, those poor dogs. We have gotten drop offs around these parts as well, but not as badly as you are talking. It's kind of scary too, and your area needs to get something to govern it before a breakout of disease or something like rabies spreads. A pack of homeless dogs running together can be dangerous as well. I hope you find some answers for your situation, I don't know what to tell you since there is no support for the county around there.

~Karen

 

[Just Us N Texas]

I wish we could find a solution also. No one wants to take the dogs to the shelter, because it costs so much money. One man told me he loaded strays up and took them back to town. Thought that was cruel till I found out that the sheriff or someone will take them to the shelter if they are in town. Now, I don't think it is so wrong. Tina is going to pay to take the puppies in to the shelter this week-end.

I am always so worried when a stray comes here, or Jacob is playing with one of them because of rabies! I feel so sorry for these dogs, but I don't want my dogs to get ill and/or die because of them either. One killed two of my hens, and damaged a guinea so badly she died. No one here has seen him since, so don't know if it went on down the road, is hiding in the woods or what. Hope it doesn't come back for more of my chickens! I don't know if the shelter is humane or not, but they tell you nicely right up front that you have to pay to bring in strays.

 

[Reijel's Mom]

All I can say is, just don't give up. Sounds like those dogs and that community really need some people that care to band together. If enough folks take an interest, something will be done, though it will take time. Maybe talk to the "town" shelter on how they'd recommend trying to start up some lower cost spay/neuter clinics. Sometimes it just takes someone willing to organize things. Sounds to me like your daughter is on her way to making a difference already.

 

[Wee Mite Miniatures]

I live in an area of the country that has lease laws. We have very no strays. In fact it is not easy to find a puppy or dog. Most of the shelters around here bring in dogs from other areas. Mostly from around VA and Puerto Rico.

Work with your local shelter to match up with a shelter in another area of the country that will take the dogs to place.

Check out this link. This is my local shelter. Contact them for information on their program. They maybe able to help you find a place to send dogs from your area to. http://www.sterlingshelter.org/homepage.htm

 

[Marty]

Same thing here and it's rotten!

They drop the dogs off on the side of the mountain to get lost in the forest and die a horrible death. Not a day goes by where we don't see road kill.

I would stop on the road, let the kids out to scramble and pick the dogs up (that would not run away from fright) and put them in the back of my truck just to get them off the road.

But then what? We couldn't bring them home! Not with my dogs; so we would get on the phone to everyone and try to home them. No humane society in sight and the out of county ones will not accept them; they're too full !!! So we kept a jug of water and dog food in the rubbermaid container just for this purpose. A few times we did sneak them into the horse trailer for a place to rest until we could figure out what to do from there, or in an old shed that used to be on the property and hope my dogs wouldn't figure out I had a dog in there to soon.

Eventually we found a lady in town that would take in strays on her old farm that is abandoned.

Without Michael here to grab them off the roads, ( & Dan never home) I had to pick up where he left off. A group of concerend people in the area got together, but we are just a handful with no money. We tried to organize many times and failed miserabley for one reason or another. One lady provides a place to put them, and I got the high school construction class to build and donate dog houses. We have donation jars all over town and boy that helps feed them. We do all our own shots and have them spayed and nutered whenever we can get the free mobile clinic to come, but guess what? We have over 50 dogs and no one wants them.

Every Saturday, about 5 dogs go to PetSmart in Chattanooga to try to get them adopted. It's not going well! Mostly because the large Humane Societys there are there with a very impressive set up; But it's better than nothing. The bottom line is nobody wants them and everyone is sick of donating too.

Trying to get the laws to change around here is impossible.

Trying to get people to spay, and nutar, and keep their dogs on their own property is a joke.

I still keep the food and water in the back of the truck. If I can't catch them, I will set the food and water down on the side of the road and hope they will come back to that spot and get something to eat. Talk about feeling helpless! It's just a mess!

 

[PaintedPromiseRanch]

:no: oh that just breaks my heart! why can't people be responsible for their animals? we get dumped animals here too... in fact shortly after we moved here my husband had to shoot a couple of feral dogs that were after my minis... they are not even afraid of people! at least the coyotes have some natural fear of humans (and the donkeys and mules!) and you can run them off under most circumstances. since we do horse rescue people call all the time wanting to know if we will take dogs too... well we already have ten, so no more, can't handle that. and sadly there are people like Marty and her group everywhere, that are just overwhelmed... it's just awful how the irresponsible people outnumber the ones that care. :no:

 

[backwoodsnanny]

In our case its cats in fact we cant get through a week without a new one showing up I have contacted our animal control officer and he has said IF we can catch them we can take them to a local shelter and tell them HE sent us in. For the most part they are ferral and there is no catching them unless I buy a live trap but do put out food for them and there are springs where they can get water but it aggravates me as well that people love kittens until they become cats and then they just take them to the country and drop them off.

 

[Miniv]

Nita,

If you can live trap those cats and turn them in like you said........it's worth it. The lives of stray/feral cats is awful.

We are very lucky to have a person who is a cat lover in our county that will take the younger feral cats and work with them. The shelter then adopts them out as barn cats -- and they have a list of places that want them! Our Humane Society only charges $5 per stray or feral cat! (Most other shelters I've dealt with automatically euthanize feral cats.)

We also have a low cost neuter/spay "house" for dogs and cats. Not sure who helps fund it. But it's a godsend!

Our local humane society shelter also works closely with rescue groups for all sorts of different dog breeds and farms them out to them whenever they can. Our shelter tries to NOT euthanize. Unless an animal is dangerous or very sick, they will either keep the animal or find another organization that will help place them. They are a very small shelter, but I respect how they are running things and try to help them out whenever I can!

 

[Just Us N Texas]

Just wanted to add an update. When Tina went by her friend's yesterday to feed the dogs, the female and all the pups were gone. We don't know if she moved on, or just had them out hunting. She will go back today after a trip to the vet's with a trailer full of horses (7) to get coggins. If the puppies are there, she will cage them up and take them to the shelter. These puppies have been raised with people, because they come to Jacob, and Tina, wiggle, giggle, and do their puppy thing. Someone just dropped them or something, along with the mother. Since she is a very nice dog and has grey in her face to show that she isn't a young dog, I think Tina wants to have her spayed, and try to find a place for her. Knowing her and Jacob, I'm sure they will end up just keeping her!