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.
Call your local Beagle rescue. Take the dogs to them ASAP. The best shot they have at survival is getting vetting and getting into a home as small puppies. Their owner is no owner at all. Just be brave, be bold and do what’s right!!! I’ll pray for you!!
The dogs aren’t Beagles. I don’t think they have any Beagle in them. I’m sure every rescue would love to be able to help every dog in need but I understand they all have limits. I’m hoping someone has a space.
Damn! The sooner you can handle the pups the better. Set a humane trap for Mama and the pups will not be that hard to catch after her. You could try the local rescues/shelter and see if they can help you. Some shelters have foster homes that are always willing to take puppies. Good luck!! Shelters have traps they can let you borrow. I would call the ACO and touch base, but maybe not expect too much. I just fostered sister pups from the south who had spent their first 7 weeks or so in a junkyard and then were fostered outside in a pen for the next few months. What they missed out, they will never get back in terms of socializiation. Pups need to be fostered in a house. ARe you set up to foster?
If I was able to foster and place them myself, that would be perfect. Unfortunately that’s not the case. Thus the dilemma.
How long ago did you email the no kill? Calling may be a better option. If they are not open intake they may not be able to take them directly, however, you can ask for a courtesy post on Petfinder.com and whatever online listings they work with. If you were calling the no kill I volunteer for they might give you the option of fostering the dogs on your own until they find homes. If that’s an option, definitely bring that up. You could also try to find some rescues who transport up north who might be willing to take some extra dogs on..
I saw a show on TV recently about one of those transport groups. Thanks for the suggestion.
Pictures! Send them along with the emails to make it “real” for people. THIS dog, THESE pups, SEE them? They need help! Abandoned on THIS crappy property – here’s a photo of the tree where the mom was left tied for so long…
Maybe tack names on to the mom and pups…something appealing or beautiful for the mom like a flower name…
Yes, photos put faces on them, instead of them just being ‘generic’ no name mixed breeds.
If you can catch them and get them vetted, I think we can help you network to find a transport that will take them north, where adorable puppies are shelter crack. Sad but true.
Even Toronto imports in puppies for adoption, because puppies are what people want to adopt.
If I was a shelter or rescue facility and had funding and appropriate quarantine areas, I would love to capture these dogs, get them veterinary care and get them adopted. Alas, I am none of those things. I am doing what I am able under the circumstances and am hoping to find a shelter or rescue who is able to do more.
As for photos, I do have a camera but it doesn’t take clear shots from any sort of distance. I’m afraid the best I could hope for is a brown blob surrounded by multi-colored fuzzy dots. I’m hoping that at some point, she will become less fearful of me and allow me to get a little closer. If/when that happens, I will absolutely try to get some pix.
Thank you to everyone for the good suggestions and positive thoughts.
I wish I was closer and could offer more help. These kinds of situations are heart breaking.
Are there any rescue groups in the area who can assist you? If you weren’t alone in your mission, it would make the task more workable…
Helping an animal is a campaign! Sadly, I think you are right to avoid AC since they have a history of arranging for dogs to be killed. I’m guessing you will probably have to be VERY persistent with your local no-kill shelter to get their attention, as they are likely really busy, and you will probably have to not only call as Jennie said, but show up there in person to get them to talk to you. I would also call your own veterinarian, any other vet recommended by anyone you know, and every breed rescue in your area no matter what kind. I know the dogs are mixed-breed but that doesn’t matter — a breed rescue may just happen to know someone right for the job of fostering the dogs and arranging for medical care. Whether it’s to arrange transport to another area (a great idea) or local fostering toward adoption, the key is to find the right people for the dogs, and the only way to do that is to call anybody and everybody, let all of them know about these dogs and what you want for their care, and keep at it until you connect — your “elevator speech” on behalf of the dogs will get briefer and more effective every time you deliver it. As with the no-kill shelter, you will probably have to physically go to a lot of these other places, as well, with descriptions/home-printer Word-format 8 1/2 x 11″ posters in hand (mikken’s idea for “flower” names is lovely even if photos aren’t possible). You will probably have to do it more than once — anything to get attention for the dogs. Another option is to use the Best Friends network to try and connect with others in your area . . . I know we are all upset with BF right now (at least, I am), but their network is a potential resource. You could even go to their FB page and post a direct, urgent appeal with your location; people do that all the time. You are wonderful to try and help these dogs. Please excuse the probably overly detailed suggestions! And please keep us informed. We will be thinking of you and of them.
I do this sort of rescue all the time. People call either the no-kill rescue I volunteer with, or my vet and sponsor. They “train” (aka educate) about how to effectively use a live-trap, and when the willing member of the public actually gets a feral dog IN the trap (with or without puppies…I’ve had them come both ways.) They bring them to me.
Alas, I am in Alaska, and methinks transporting THIS far is absurd (besides, I’ve got a live-trap out right now with an expected intact male with mange coming back in it.)
It’s doable. Most places have some sort of network. There are willing and capable people all over, you just need to link up.
And Nancy is right, every day those pups are NOT in human hands is a critical day lost that can never be regained. Don’t be too sure that they’ll be easy to catch once mom in caught. By eight weeks they’ll have learned her wily ways!
i don’t know where you are located, but if you can round up the pups, there is a transport group that brings dogs into new england where small dogs/puppies are wanted but in short “supply”
they are called Southpaws Express.
http://southpawsexpress.org/
Thanks everyone. One of the factors that makes the sitch so complicated is that, although *I* consider the dog abandoned, the way people are around here, someone might actually consider her and/or the pups to be “theirs”.
Nobody – and that is N-O-B-O-D-Y – keeps their dogs in their yard [edited to add: except US of course!] and the only way I keep track of who “lives” where is where I see the dogs hanging around. This dog’s case is a little different because of the fact that the people who moved into the trailer across the street kept her tied to a tree there. At some point they left and she’s been wandering ever since.
While I don’t know who those folks were, it’s possible they were relatives or friends of another family in the area. So MAYBE those people (who still live in their home) might consider the pups theirs. Also, Billy has seen someone at the trailer a couple times – we don’t know if that person is living there or just going in and out on occasion or what. So maybe that guy thinks the pups are his? Although no one appears to be caring for them, that doesn’t eliminate the possibility that someone in the area might consider them owned. I don’t know. There is an unwritten Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy in the area – and it covers EVERYTHING. I’m sure all this sounds weird to those of you not in the South…
Not in the South, but it doesn’t sound weird to me!
My neighbors have a pot farm in the front yard. Now they do have a medical license but we’re talking WAY more plants than would be covered. But hey, they put a fence up around half way this year! I am VERY familiar with the “don’t ask don’t tell don’t touch” life style. Frustrating, horses, dogs, cats, everything just roams and usually does have a nominal owner somewhere. Pretty sure we’re the ones considered freakish for keeping everyone fenced in! AND we’re in California. Stupidity and/or irresponsibility does not always recognize region. Le sigh.
I wish I had a decent suggestion. If I lived closer, I’d offer to help. My guess would be that even if someone considers mama theirs, they probably don’t care about the pups. The thing is, if she and the pups just disappeared, no one would likely care. BUT if someone catches you trapping them, then you are stepping on their toes and there could be repercussions. You would have to have a plan to evacuate the whole group immediately. We had to do this with some of the ferals initially here because the crazy ass neighbor would start screaming if she saw a trap and calling us kitten thieves and cat killers. The fact that there were cats dying in her front yard was OK, but we were catching them in nasy traps, the horror!
It sucks to have to sit back and watch this kind of crap unfold. Hope you can get a local-ish rescue or No-Kill to help.
Thanks Jennifer. I’m glad to know someone understands. There is a sort of logic to it, but it hurts my head to think about it.
I’m going to hit up a friend from Athens, GA about some rescue/transport groups that might have space, if you’re still willing to grab them of course. Email or should I post them here?
TY Jennie. I’m absolutely willing to give it my best effort! My e-mail is eiderdown – at – yesbiscuit – dot – com
YesBiscuit: Find out from Animal Control what legally constitutes “ownership” of an animal. Usually if you have been caring for an animal for a certain period of time the animal is considered yours. Feeding this dog for all intents and purposes can make her yours. That way if other people claim this dog as theirs, you can say “I have been feeding her every day for 2 weeks (or whatever time frame) and according to Animal Control feeding her for 2 weeks makes her legally mine.”
I live up north but there are still people here who let their dogs run loose. whyyyyy??!!!
Check out Eldad Hagar and Hope For Paws on youtube for ideas on trapping. Unfortunately he probably can’t come out and help you. I think he’s in Cali. There has to be someone willing to keep this mother and her puppies even for a few days or a week in an outdoor kennel until a transport and vetting can be set up… Please keep us updated YesBiscuit.