Innisfree Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 A dog who lives about a block away has repeatedly turned up running loose around our house. Within the last year my kids have walked it home twice, we saw another neighbor pick it up once, and the kids say they've seen it on other occasions as well. Within the past month the dog turned up again, and no one was home at its home. We left a message and held on to it for a couple of hours but had to go out and had no safe place to leave it away from our own dog, so we dropped it off at the local well-run no kill shelter. It has tags, so I knew they could get in touch with the owners. I explained the situation to the shelter personnel, who said we did the right thing to bring it in. I felt a bit bad about turning it in but also hoped the owners might take containing the dog safely a bit more seriously if they had to pick it up from the shelter. I don't know what fees they might face to collect it. So, this morning, while I was walking our dog, the other dog turned up running loose again. My animal-loving kids are incensed at the idea of returning it to its owners again, and we are leaning toward simply taking it straight to the shelter this time without trying to take it home first. Would this be reasonable, or am I veering toward busybody territory? I don't want to make enemies in the neighborhood. The dog lives two blocks from a very busy road. So far it has turned up running in the other direction, but of course it could go toward the road. I feel a bit guilty going straight to the shelter. I know good fences are expensive, not all dogs take well to crates, etcetera. But I don't want to see this dog get hit one day. So am I an interfering so-and-so if I just take it to the shelter without trying to contact the owners? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThisIsTheDay Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 You are certainly not interfering if you take the dog directly to the shelter. I have an escape artist dog. We've taken several steps to ensure it stays in the yard, and at first it was trial and error. It still bolts when it has a chance, it's just a runner and comes homes within 5 minutes (seems like an eternity). I feel AWFUL when it ends up at a neighbors, and they really are gracious about it. Thankfully, that rarely happens now that we can keep it in the yard. So I can see it in the most positive light from the dog owners' view. However. It's repeated. It's two blocks away. I don't think you have an obligation to try to return the dog home. It may be the nice thing to do, but you've done it several times. You're understandably frustrated. If you have the owners' number, perhaps you could call them. Obviously I don't know all of the nuances involved. In the end, I would probably attempt to return the dog; for me, it seems the easiest thing to do. But I don't think you are a bad person to go directly to the shelter. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I hate it when people don't take care of their pets. :mad: Yes, take it to the shelter, since you know it is well-run and no-kill. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
73349 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I wouldn't even take it in for them again, just call animal control. (But the only dogs I've seen loose repeatedly in my neighborhood were the aggressive ones.) 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 No, the dog is not aggressive, it's quite sweet. I suspect they are just letting it out and assuming it will be right back, since no one is ever out calling for it. It may usually go right back in but occasionally wander, or it may be escaping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sassenach Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I would bring it to the shelter. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kroe1 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I would vote shelter. But, also you can choose to do nothing. You cannot rescue every single dog from stupid pet owners. This one, likewise, is not your responsibility. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted September 30, 2015 Author Share Posted September 30, 2015 Thanks to everyone for helping me feel a bit better about this. We dropped the dog off at the shelter. I think this is the safest thing we could do for her, and I hope the owners can think things through and figure out a good solution. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Take it to the shelter. It is lose and wandering around and that is what needs to happen. You might be saving its life. In our town, if an animal is brought to the shelter the owner has to pay 100$ to get the dog back. Three times the owner cannot get the animal back and is not allowed to adopt from the shelter in the future. Our neighbor had to go through several dogs before he realized maybe he wasn't best dog owner around. The entire neighborhood was so glad when he stopped owning dogs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tanaqui Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 It's not a kill shelter. They have an easy way to contact the family. Keep dropping the dog off, and don't feel bad. Either they're letting the dog out, or they're not securing their property adequately, either way, it's a hazard to the dog and also a potential hazard to people (because even the best dog can bite if scared or upset). If you keep bringing the dog in, maybe they'll get the message that they need to take better care of their animal. Or maybe they'll decide that the neighborhood is full of busybodies and start restraining their dog so they don't have to deal with the hassle anymore. Either way, the dog will be better off. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluegoat Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I would probably keep sending it home so long as it seemed otherwise cared for. I had an escape-dog once, it was incredibly frustrating, every time I thought I had foiled her, she thought up something new. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne in CA Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Another vote for take it to the shelter. Reasonable people will be on your side and any enemies you make from the neighbors were not people you wanted to speak well of you anyway. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I know you already did it, but I vote shelter also. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 If it's only the second time and you haven't met the neighbors and the dog seems sweet, I wouldn't personally take it to shelter, though I don't think you're wrong to, I would just sympathize with the owners. There was a neighbor pit bull who kept getting out and wandering around our yard. Occasionally kids would abuse the dog in the alley and throw things at it. The whole thing was so sad. The owners apparently are disabled and can't care for it well, but it still was getting to be a problem. I finally started calling animal control on it. Sigh. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 If it's only the second time and you haven't met the neighbors and the dog seems sweet, I wouldn't personally take it to shelter, though I don't think you're wrong to, I would just sympathize with the owners. But she said, "Within the last year my kids have walked it home twice, we saw another neighbor pick it up once, and the kids say they've seen it on other occasions as well." So although she has only taken to dog to the shelter once, it's apparent that the owners allow it to run loose frequently. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Oops, I guess I missed that. I just saw that she had only taken it in once. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goldberry Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Shelter. If it has gone on this long, having to go to the shelter might be the only thing that makes them take it seriously. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
abba12 Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 Our local shelters and the pound both charge a fee to the owner upon picking up the dog. It's a good lesson, I hope yours does the same. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amy g. Posted September 30, 2015 Share Posted September 30, 2015 I just call animal control to pick up loose dogs. If my neighbors complain to me about it, I say, "This dog does not deserve to become road kill." People who care about their animals are so relieved when they find out their animals are safe at the shelter. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted October 1, 2015 Author Share Posted October 1, 2015 You know, upon consideration, what bugs me most about this situation is that we've never seen the owners out hunting for the dog when it was loose. When the kids returned it a couple of times they said the owners were nonchalant: kind of appreciative, but not really worked up about the fact that it had been running loose. If we see the dog out again I think we'll head back to the shelter (where the employees greeted us with "Oh, is that Dog'sname again?"). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathryn Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 You know, upon consideration, what bugs me most about this situation is that we've never seen the owners out hunting for the dog when it was loose. When the kids returned it a couple of times they said the owners were nonchalant: kind of appreciative, but not really worked up about the fact that it had been running loose. If we see the dog out again I think we'll head back to the shelter (where the employees greeted us with "Oh, is that Dog'sname again?"). This is what I expected and why I answered shelter. We have the same neighbors. I took their dog back to them twice but each time they looked at me like I was weird. I don't have time to take it to the shelter, so now I just ignore it, but if I had time, I'd definitely be taking it to the shelter every time I saw it (which is at least weekly). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redsquirrel Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Yeah, the guy in my neighborhood who left his dog out all day in a yard without a fence was totally unconcerned when his dog was returned to him. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rachel Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 We have a dog who is an escape artist of sorts. My 7 year old tends to forget to close doors and our dog sees an open door as a chance to roam. We lived on a farm his first couple years of life and he liked being able to wander around. Our dog is 16, half deaf, and we live near a busy road (there is a fence). He no longer will come when called, because he can't hear. He also has arthritis and no desire to go anywhere other than down the street and back. He gets out about every 2-3 weeks, if we don't realize it, he comes back and sits on the porch until we do. Most of the time we have no clue he's roaming which is why we aren't out looking for him. Fortunately he wears tags and we have neighbors who recognize him who will bring him back or text us. Ideally he would never get out of the house but it's hard to get a 7 year old who is a bit spacy to consistently close the door all the way until it latches. I'm really not concerned when our dog gets out though because I do know he will come home and he has no desire to get close to other people or animals. He doesn't get into trash or dig anymore so I know he isn't going to damage anything while he's out. I would be shocked if he went into the street because he doesn't like re feel of asphalt anymore. Of course I don't expect all our neighbors to know that. The houses directly next to us and another down the street do know. All that to say, just because someone has a dog who has gotten out a handful of times in the past year doesn't mean they are neglectful pet owners. Ours has been loose way more than 4 or 5 times on the last year and trust me, I'm frustrated that it has happened. However, I don't know how to prevent it. If you know where the dog lives, you could get the owner's phone number and call them when you see the dog out in the future. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pen Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 We have a couple of dogs who routinely come over to "visit" especially any time their people are not home and they can get out. I call the owners and tell them their dog is out and they drive by to get it (or them if more than one dog). One thing I learned is that we have inadvertently added to the problem because our dog and my son play with these dogs making it a reward to come "visit." And even if they did not play with the dogs, there is a creek that runs along the road by us that is an enticement on hot days. They are smart dogs, and, hey, if no one is home at their own house and it is boring all alone, there is a home schooled boy who likes to throw a ball, and another dog to play chase or tug with just a couple of blocks from home, so, from the dog pov this is probably clearly a good thing to go do. It is possible that the whole routine and interaction for the dog you are dealing with is similarly training it to get out, go find some fun, get walked home, or taken on a trip to a new and interesting (for it) place, namely the shelter... I'd talk with the owners if you can and try to get a better understanding. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reefgazer Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I'd only take it to the shelter if you could verify the shelter was no-kill. Otherwise the dog has a better chance of survival in the busy street. I hate it when people don't take care of their pets. :mad: Yes, take it to the shelter, since you know it is well-run and no-kill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted October 1, 2015 Author Share Posted October 1, 2015 Yes, the shelter is absolutely no-kill. It's one I used to volunteer at, and has a very good local reputation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Innisfree Posted October 1, 2015 Author Share Posted October 1, 2015 I've been thinking about Rach and Pen's points, which I appreciate. I can completely see that giving the dog attention could be a reinforcer, and I hadn't considered that. As for the escape problem itself... I grew up in a house with two hounds who loved to run, so I get that. :-) We had the backyard with cinder blocks at the base of the fence, to help stop digging, and every once in a while we'd have to stop up a new hole. When my mom opened the front door, there was this big routine of "Keep the dogs back! Grab their collars!" It was a known risk, so it was a Big Deal, from my very earliest memories, but still sometimes one would slip out. Then it was "grab the leash! Let's go!" And we'd pile in the car and drive around calling. So this is my perspective. Known risks become priorities. But I totally get the kids and screen doors bit, we've had that issue, just going into the (fenced) yard in our case. And none of us can judge how hard managing things might be for another family. In this case the dog is far from elderly and definitely not averse to paved roads, and it is quite happy to run around. There is no fence which would prevent it from reaching the busy road. Taking the dog to the shelter is a bit of a pain, so I'm not eager to do it again. My thought had been that it is in danger and the owners might prioritize its needs more if the shelter was involved. I've had to stop for a couple of long breaks while writing this, so forgive me if it's getting disjointed. One final piece of my own perspective: I do know what it's like to be the loving dog owner who can't afford a good fence. When I was just out of grad school I had a greyhound mix who slipped out a few times. That dog could *run*. I'd be calling and chasing and all she wanted was to run. Well, the last time, a car got her before I could. Not the driver's fault. She was greased lightning, no way he could avoid her. So I guess my priority is the dog's safety. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.