So the people who moved into the trailer across the street from me apparently wandered away at some point. And they left behind at least one of the dogs they had kept tied to a tree there. I’ve seen her around the neighborhood only rarely as she is afraid of people. But lately I’ve been seeing her regularly and from a distance, she did not look good.
I decided to leave out some food and water for her each night. She will not approach while I’m out there but as soon as I go in the house, she comes over and eats. I always try to talk to her from a distance so at least she can hear my voice and hopefully associate it with something non-scary – getting food and water. I won’t go on to the apparently abandoned property where she sometimes stays because that’s an excellent way to get shot around here. But I leave the food and water outside our fence in the same spot each day and she knows right where to go.
Yesterday I saw she was being followed around by a little puppy. Then I spotted another one – and another. I counted 7 pups total. They look to be maybe 5 or 6 weeks old. I don’t know what to do.
Based on previous experience, if I call AC, I’m guessing they will respond at some point well after I place my call and will make zero effort to locate the dogs or capture them. Even if they did, I really don’t want them to because they take dogs to my local kill shelter and I hate their chances of getting out of that place alive. I sent an e-mail to my area no kill shelter that I donate to regularly but haven’t received a response.
In addition to her fear of people, I’m sure the mama has some medical needs – probably heartworm positive and at the very least needs to be spayed and vaccinated. The pups are too young to have contracted heartworm yet but if they don’t get placed in responsible hands soon, that will change obviously. They probably only need deworming and vaccines at this point. They are generic mixed breed dogs and aside from their puppyness, there isn’t anything particularly appealing about them aesthetically so I think their best chance at adoption would be while they’re small and cute. Hopefully by the time the small and cute wears off, the new owners will have fallen in love with them.
At any rate, I’m open to suggestions or, if you have none, I’m accepting positive thoughts, four leaf clovers and crossed fingers.