How common is the stray dog problem that my area has?

[Frances]

We live in the PNW and our dog is a rescue from Houston, TX. It's my understanding that stray and abandoned dogs are a huge issue there. One report I read said over 1M dogs are euthanized there each year. The rescue we used will only adopt to Canada, the PNW, and northeastern US. They want the dogs out of the South. I've never seen a stray dog here, unless you count our neighbor's escape artist, and it's very difficult to even find a lab to adopt at a shelter or rescue.

[EmilyGF]

Wow, that's awful! We had a neighbor when I was a little girl whose dog often escaped, but nothing even vaguely like that.

When my SIL lived in Jordan, there was a horrible stray dog problem. She had a friend who was a vet who would take a day each month and actually capture stray dogs and cats and "fix" them on his (her? not quite sure) dining room table. The dogs and cats were literally dying in the streets from hunger and disease.

[SeaConquest]

I've only ever seen strays when we lived in Mexico.

[plansrme]

Atlanta suburb here, and we never see stray dogs OR cats. The coyotes and hawks (and even the very occasional eagle) seem to make quick work of any cats that might have roamed free once upon a time. We regularly see coyotes and foxes on our street and in the surrounding neighborhoods. Before the coyotes moved in, I would see outdoor cats from time to time, but they were clearly outdoor pets, not strays.

[Tsuga]

Do not quote, please. I might delete bc of personal-ish info.

 

Dallas, Texas (the city that I live in a small suburb of) has a stray dog problem. It came into the local spotlight last month when a woman was mauled to death by a pack of stray dogs  :eek:  :( (http://thescoopblog.dallasnews.com/2016/05/how-can-a-city-think-its-world-class-when-it-has-a-third-world-dog-problem.html/)

 

Ever since we moved her 3 years ago I was amazed at how common it is to see stray dogs. Never in my life (mostly on the west coast) had I seen so many. And it seems to be getting worse over time. 

 

At this point the street we live on has 2 stray/ homeless dogs that hang out together. I have called animal control and they are not very helpful. They claimed they tried to catch and couldn't so now they stopped trying I guess. 

 

It is obvious to me that this is a problem that is wrapped up in issues of poverty. People acquire a dog for a number of reasons, one of which is protection from the things you encounter in a low income area. They can't or won't take care of the dog properly, it escapes or they set it free and then they get a new dog and the whole thing starts over again. These run down neighborhoods seem to be a low priority for the city too. 

 

I guess this is sort of a JAWM because I don't like dogs in general and now I have to live with loose dogs roaming my street eating trash etc. I have small children. Does this occur in anyone else's area????

 

Also how do I protect myself (I would move today if we could but we can't because stupid money) while we have to be here? I do have pepper spray but I'm not sure how much good that does us. 

 

It is not common in western Washington. Rural and urban areas have animal control.

 

The problem you are describing was common in Russia and the former USSR right after the Soviet Union collapsed. No state infrastructure to take care of the dogs.

 

I'm really sorry you are facing that. I know Texas is a huge state with many issues to deal with and that they are trying to invest a lot in some really great programs like college for all deserving students, but seriously, lines on the roads and taking care of stray dogs, I feel like that should be taken care of at least in Dallas!