which is probably why I made an effort to do something about the large unaccompanied dogs that went bounding through my yard yesterday. I am afraid of dogs, especially large ones, ever since I was attacked by one when I was 18. Usually I would avoid and ignore the situation, perhaps sparing a moment to mutter “stupid dog owners!”
Because I read the thread, I called Animal Control. They asked me if I could restrain the dogs till they got there. Um, no? I said I would stay outside and watch them.
The bigger friendlier one (german shepherdy?) kept looking hopefully at a stick near my feet. Oh. I threw the stick. He brought it back. And so on.
Eventually I noticed a phone number on a collar. It was written very large so I was able to make it out…no way was I grabbing a collar to look for tags. It turned out the dogs belonged to someone who lived a few streets over and I was able to get them home. I called Animal Control back so they wouldn’t come.
Was calling Animal Control the right thing? I realized the dogs would probably have gone back home after their big day out and my neighbors would’ve had a hassle (and had to spend money?) to get their dogs back from Animal Control. On the other hand the dogs might’ve been “adopted” or hit by a car.
Is calling Animal Control the best general policy?
Checking the tags is always my first step. Calling animal control is fine if you don’t find a home phone number on a tag. During the day I’ve called the vet on the rabies tag, they can look up the dog in their files and call the owner for me. You shouldn’t assume the dog can find its own way home.
Since you were able to reunite the dogs with their owners, I’d say you’ve got the protocol down perfectly!
I like dogs, but dealing with strange ones can be a bit dicey. I think Animal Control was the way to go in your case. It was lucky you could read the tag. I’m sure the owners were very happy to hear from you!
Definitely the right thing.
The first thing I do is look at the tags, but in my neighborhood for some reason those people who don’t have secure fences also don’t make their dog wear its collar.
The second thing is to remember if I’ve seen the dog around. If I can figure out who may own it, I try them first. Even if they don’t own the dog, they may know who does.
Animal control is definitely the third, since that is the first place people with lost dogs will call. We have spare leashes, which makes it easier. We’ve never had to go this route. IN any case, they are closed on weekends which is when I find the dog.
I usually stop at option 2, or the dog gets away.
Your first priority is to keep yourself safe. Whether your fear of dogs is rational or not, it’s a part of you, and you have to take it into account. Showing fear might put you in danger.
You were able to reunite the dogs with their humans, without getting the dogs taken to the shelter, so I’d say that you were successful in coping with this situation.
I think you did the right thing. Even if the dog ends up at Animal Control’s shelter until it can be claimed (or adopted out), that is a better alternative than getting hit by a car and injured or killed. Or taken in by someone and just kept, leaving the dog’s owner forever not knowing what happened to their dog.
I’ve lost a couple of dogs in my life, and AC is one of the first places I’ve checked, hoping against hope that my dog has turned up. I’d pay whatever fines or fees necessary to get my dog back. One of the worst feelings is never knowing what happened to a dog that escaped or was let out accidently and never found his way home.
oh, don’t get me started. about 15 years ago on a Sunday evening (when I was still living at home) I was driving from somewhere down a cross street, and saw the car ahead of me brake and swerve. The driver did so to (successfully) avoid hitting a dog running around in the street. The dog was obviously terrified, so I slowed and pulled to the side. It was a juvenile black lab, and after he sat a bit and calmed down, I figured he wasn’t going to flip out and looked at his collar. no license, no home tag, just a tag with some vet’s office info. brought the dog home and we tried calling the vet’s office on the tag; got an answering machine- no shock since it was a sunday evening. my mother left a message saying we found the dog, the ID number on the tag was whatever, and left our phone # so the owner could contact us to pick up their dog. BTW, this dog was hilarious; a total crackhead. but I digress…
next morning, evidently the vet’s office called the owners to tell them we found their dog and how to get in touch. so this raging bitch calls my mother, harping about how I should have just gone door to door to try to find them and how her daughter has been crying all day about the dog (yes, this was after the vet had already told them we found the dog and were trying to return him.)
I was dumbstruck. This stupid cooze- who couldn’t be arsed to keep an eye on her dog, nor make sure it had a license or owner tag- got all butt-hurt because even after I made sure her dog was safe from traffic, I didn’t walk up and down her street and go door to door trying to find her. Which is presumptuous as fuck, since there’d have been no guarantee that she lived on the same street I found the dog. Not to mention she supposedly let her daughter fret over the lost dog even after she had been told that the dog was fine and told where to get him back.
Fucking cunt. 's why I don’t bother trying to help anyone anymore. They’ll make you regret it one way or another.
Hey, jz78817, you did the right thing. The people may suck, but you very well may have saved the dog’s life. You should be proud of yourself, and I really hope if you ever see another pet in need, you stop and help. I’ve reunited several dogs, and most aren’t like that.
As to the OP, I think you should always do the best you can, which means, if you are afraid of dogs, call Animal Control. I would say for dogs that seem friendly (or don’t frighten you, or whatever) check the tags first, then Animal Control. One of my dogs HATES her collar and so she doesn’t wear it around the house or in the (securely fenced) yard. Now, she’s never gotten out, but if she did- no ID. But!! she is actually micro-chipped, so I know if Animal Control got her they would scan and contact me. I know lots of people like that; they don’t keep a collar on the dog (or the cat always loses it, or whatever) but the pet is chipped as backup. So Animal Control was the right idea.
IMHO calling animal control to pick up stray dogs is never a bad answer. (Well, unless you’ve heard horror stories about your local animal control.) If you’re willing to try to find the owners yourself that’s great too, but it’s also more than some people are able to do in some situations.
I’m glad you and the shepherd-looking dog were able to bond over a stick.
carlotta, well done my friend!! Thank you for, in spite of your fear of large dogs, helping them get home. You did a very good thing.
Yes, calling Animal Control is always the best thing to do with an animal you can’t/won’t touch or get close to. That is usually the 1st or 2nd place an animal owner is going to call. If the pet has a rabies vaccination tag, that can pinpoint the owner if it’s local. Also, animal control usually has scanners for microchips.
[hijack]I was going down a semi-busy road the other day when I saw the car ahead of me brake for no apparent reason. I then saw a very eldery beagle wander from my lane into the center lane. Since I was in a right lane I was debating how to get turned around to get the poor puppydog when I saw blue lights go on behind me. A wonderfully kind police officer had stopped in the center land and was holding out his hand to a very happy tail wagging beagle![/hijack]
I’m a dog person, so I am comfortable evaluating whether a dog is friendly enough for me to approach and check its collar. If a stray dog is friendly and had a number on its tag, I would put it in my back yard and call the owner. If it was unfriendly, I would just call the city. I understand, however, that not everyone is a dog person and are uncomfortable approaching an unknown dog. I think what you did was fine.
