Apathy Is Setting In

[ruthless]

I'm on the verge of turning into one of those people that sees a stray dog and does nothing about it.

The rangers in my council are only contactable during business hours M-F. There's no after hour vets nearby. If the owners don't care that their dogs are out running around the neighbourhood, why should I?

[Nevafollo]

I always think I have to stop because hopefully if any of mine got out some one would stop for them but then I think you know what, no one would.

I usually just assess the situation and if its a small scared dog or silly dog i will try and pick it up, picked up one the other day that ran straight infront of the car then walked around to the door when I opened it. I will stop for big dogs if its in vet hours because the pound here is never or rarely open so if I can get it in the car and to the vet I will if I cant well atleast I tried!

Edited March 6, 2010 by sammy_ballerina

[Katdogs]

Where are you? (need to know for photo session soon!!)

FIND the dog in Canterbury Council area, take it to Fairford Road if you can't get on to the rangers. Bring it to me otherwise because I have a couple of gates and fences, and we'll make do until next morning then I'll deliver it to Fairford Road.

Even if it's found outside the Canterbury Council area (but close) I THINK they'll organise whatever's necessary for Hurstville (SDCH) or Renbury.

Don't call RSPCA because they don't care unless the dog is injured or 'dangerous'. The out-of-hours/weekend ranger for near me has a mountain of paperwork to fill in to justify a call-out - he's a contractor to a few councils - he explained that when I rang about a lost dog sitting at the corner of the intersection of Stacey Street & Stacey Street on a busy Saturday morning.

But I understand your pain and frustration!!

[Katdogs]

BTW isn't it amazing how fast a dog can run away when you're trying to help it? I have more success with the big ones, especially boofhead types. Little dogs can get three blocks away just while I try to find a parking spot!

[ruthless]

I'm in Randwick Council. I spent over an hour trying to find a dog's owners and everyone I came across said it's out all the time, just take off the lead it'll find it's own way home. When I found someone who knew where it lived and offered to bring it home I was delighted, but then I came across another roaming dog. A repeat offender that I've brought home heaps of times and had the rangers pick up from mine twice. She can (and does) get into my garden she's so small, so I can't turn a blind eye, she might get hurt.

All the while my dinner was going cold and my cocktail was getting warm!

[Winterpaws]

I'm on the verge of turning into one of those people that sees a stray dog and does nothing about it.

The rangers in my council are only contactable during business hours M-F. There's no after hour vets nearby. If the owners don't care that their dogs are out running around the neighbourhood, why should I?

if one of your dogs got out and no-one bothered to try and contain them?

If you drove past a dog and couldn;t be bothered, and then a few hours later saw the dog dead by the side of the road?

You love dogs too much and at the end of the day it ain't the dogs fault, the owners are the problem!

[tdierikx]

I had a stray turn up on my doorstep a few weeks back - 4:00am no less! I couldn't keep it here until pound/vet opening hours because I have foster puppies, and don't want to chance them catching anything from a stray - so I called the local Police to come and get him. They came and took him off to the RSPCA night pens. The dog was chipped and the owners got him back later that morning (I rang the RSPCA and checked).

I felt really bad sending him off to the RSPCA, but there was no other option at the time. Nice gentle and friendly boy - well groomed and totally happy to be handled - and my older dogs thought he was just fine too.

T.

[rastus_froggy]

Because it is not the dog's fault and ultimately it is the dog who will pay the price by most likely being hit by a car. Yeah sometimes the owner really won't give a crap about the dog being out, but it could be a genuine lost dog and the owner could be highly destressed by the situation.

If it doesn't have a tag with a phone number and you don't have time to take it to a vets to see if it is microchipped, take it to the pound - wouldn't you rather someone do that than leave it on the street if it were one of your dogs?

If the owners don't care that their dogs are out running around the neighbourhood, why should I?

Because you love dogs and you care for their well being.

[ruthless]

Yeah, it just pisses me off when it's the same dogs all the time. I know it's not the dog's fault.

[sandgrubber]

Yeah, it just pisses me off when it's the same dogs all the time. I know it's not the dog's fault.

If you can't pin it on the owners, there will be no change. If the local authorities aren't willing to charge the guilty owners and fine them enough to get their attention, then there's not a lot you can do . . . except, perhaps, be ruthless and let the situation take care of itself.

[tdierikx]

These dogs are friendly, right? Get them in the car and drop them at the pound... every time you see them loose... the fines alone will make the owners think twice about letting them roam too often methinks...

T.