Slightly long venting here...

A few months ago, there was a pair of schnauzers - beautiful little dogs - running around a gas station parking lot. This was alongside a busy road, next to some neighborhoods and apartment complexes, that at one point becomes an access road for a major highway. They were going up to everyone there, as if to ask for help, but no one paid them any attention. I suppose all the people were too busy pumping gas and going about their lives. This blew my mind. Of course at first I thought they belonged to someone (because they had collars on) and I was wondering why people would let their dogs out of their car like that, but I realized they didn't when one of them started running into the street. I immediately pulled my car into the gas station, but unfortunately one of the dogs had disappeared. The last I saw him, he was running down along the road. However, I was able to coax the little blonde dog over to me. She was the sweetest little thing. She just lay there and wagged her tail while I pet her and talked to her. I called animal control and waited with her for about 30 minutes. Once the officer showed up, I told her about the little girl dog's friend that disappeared. She said she'd go look for her. She took the little dog and went on to find the other. I checked with animal control a few days later and found out that the owner had claimed the dog. So that was a huge relief. (I'm not sure what happened to her little friend.)

Aong this same stretch of road, while on my way to work about a month ago, I saw a large dalmation running along the road. I wasn't able to do anything to catch him but I called animal control to let them know he was there.

Yesterday morning while on my way to work, I saw a little chihuahua running alongside the same road. The dog appeared to be in good health, not dirty and was most likely someone's pet, but I didn't see a collar on his neck. I turned my car around as soon as I could to go back and look for him, but was unable to find him. My intentions were to hopefully coax him to me and into my car to take him to the nearest animal shelter, where hopefully his human companion would claim him. Otherwise, he would most likely be ran over by a car. As I said, I couldn't find him (so I can only hope that he ran back home), but while looking for him I did find a little stray kitty. I just kind of sat in my car and felt helpless and useless.

I know there are varying views on what to do with stray dogs and cats, so just to fill you in on my views - I believe that in most cases (where they're near a busy street and obvious danger) it's better to call animal control to pick up the stray. I also work with the local Humane Society so I try to place the animals in the HS program (and on to foster homes to be adopted) whenever possible.

I feel so helpless and sad everytime something like this happens. I know that one person can only do so much, but knowing that doesn't really help. It's just so frustrating. I guess there really is no answer, but what do you do in situations like this? How do you cope with that feeling that you aren't or can't do enough?

You've done your best so no need to be hard on yourself.
Sometimes dogs do get out, kids leave doors open, careless owners (grrrr), whatever.
It's hard to believe so many people could just drive on by.
I always stop & have ended up keeping a dog for over a week whilst locating it's owner (long story but with a happy reunited ending). Often I ring the council - who will contact the dogs owner if id'd - or local rescue sanctuary.
I think you've done a great job & I'm sure the dogs would too...

We've had so many stray dogs and cats here at our place out in the country, seems like we're always calling the animal control or taking them to the shelter in town...It's so sad. Just a couple of weeks ago there was an absolutely fantastic stray dog, she looked like a cross between a Blue Heeler and a Great Pyrenees, she had a long mane like a hyeana. A very sweet dog but much too large for us to keep.

good going TUIB. you are certainly tangled up when having a keen eye for strays, are you usually in your car when spotting them?

Ludi, that cross sounded an interesting hybrid, with the hyena mane. what kind of a build was it just out of interest?

To help you and others, do you guys ever think to snap a quick picture of the animals to help assist animal control or whomever you end up calling in case you lose sight of the animals and cannot coax or go after them?

VA-Goth, she was a large dog with a heavy frame but rather lean, with a great Pyranees huge square head. She had the rear dewclaws of a Great Pyranees also. But her color and eyes were very Blue Heeler.

When she ran out of the woods with her mane standing on end, I thought I was a goner...but she was so sweet.

I know I'm misspelling "Pyranees" .......

A couple days ago I brought home a young female beagle who was just let go in our subdivision. Her former "owner" was "tired of fooling with her" and didn't want her anymore, so she just let her go. I went to talk to the lady to make sure the dog really wasn't wanted and she said it's true. I got a little of the dog's history and found out her name's Ginger. I volunteer with a rescue group and they agreed to sponsor her (pay her vet bills) if I foster her.

She's been with us two days now and she is so sweet. She gets along with our dog and is calm and good-natured. Apparently her flaw is that she digs under fences to get out. From what I've read, escaping is a common problem with scent hounds. Today I took her to be "shown" for adoption at Petsmart. It didn't go very well. She was shaking and cowering for the first 2 hours and just hid under my chair or beside it. Anytime someone would walk by she'd shake. Needless to say, that's not an attractive presentation for potential adopters. I felt so sorry for her. We left 2 1/2 hours earlier than we were supposed to because of her distress. She was like a different dog there. And as soon as we got back in the car and headed home, she was back to normal.

I don't know if we will end up keeping her or not. I kinda think we should, as we are at least the 4th home she's had and she's only a year or so old. She trusts us and already feels at home here. At her old home she was left outside by herself all day and night and was behind a privacy fence, so she couldn't see anything. No wonder she kept escaping! If we decide to keep her, I'll have to pay $85 for the adoption fee (because my organization paid for her vet care.)

What I usually do with dogs I find is check for a tag. If there is one, I take the dog home and call it. If there's not one, I walk around where I found the dog and ask if anyone recognizes him/her. There have only been a couple times when I haven't found the owners. For those times I've paid a fee for a vet to take the dogs to try to find them homes. It's usually like $75 or something. Then they provide vet care, food, etc... and try to find them homes. It's always a dilemma for me because I know that if I take on the responsibility for a stray dog, the situation might end up causing me alot of stress and money. But I can't just ignore them. I'm too afraid they'll get hit by cars or tortured by some punk kids.

I'm interested to see what others do.

Tangled... it sounds like you are doing everything you can, which is a heck of a lot more than other people are doing. You can't do everything though, so don't feel bad when you can't. It's good to know that some people do care enough to care...

Our family has been known to take in strays. We usually try to find their owners, or take them to the shelter. If they are really special we've been known to keep them (after trying to find their owners of course).

The other day on my way to class, I noticed a seagull in the grass by one of the buildings, his wings partially spread and his head bobbing up and down. Everyone was just walking past him. I didn't want to handle him (those guys can really bite! yes, I speak from experience). On my way to the vet college (that just happens to be on campus), I ran into a couple of girls in my class who were on their way to do the same thing. Nobody else cared. (Nutrition girls rock LOL). I don't know what happened to it (they most likely put it down)... but it's nice to know at least someone was able to do something for him...

Did the seagull have his/her beak open? He/she may have been cooling off. Birds hold their wings away from their bodies and "pant" with their beaks open when they are overheated. I hope the seagull is ok. The bird may have been in distress-particularly if people got close and it didn't fly away. Thanks for stopping to help!

Did the seagull have his/her beak open? He/she may have been cooling off. Birds hold their wings away from their bodies and "pant" with their beaks open when they are overheated. I hope the seagull is ok. The bird may have been in distress-particularly if people got close and it didn't fly away. Thanks for stopping to help!


As much as it would be nice if it were something as simple as this, I really doubt it. It was a cool day (it is October, and this is Canada, you know). And people were walking very close to it, almost stepping on it. A bird that is well wouldn't let people get that close without trying to get out of the way :(

You're right. :(

Thanks, guys. Like I said, it's just so incredibly frustrating when you see other people just ignoring an animal that is obviously lost or in danger. I don't know how so many people can be so oblivious to things like that. Guess I just needed to vent the other day... :)

I think I am going to put together a little rescue kit I can keep in my car, much like the ones you can buy on PETA's website.

Does anyone else have any interesting rescue stories? Or any tips on things you do that have worked? We might as well share our successes!

I do rescue work with feral cats, and also when people "dump" off their animals to fend for themselves. It's amazing what kind of cruelty and ignorance you stumble across when you do rescue work.

On a positive note, there is this wonderful woman that works out of Santa Barbara who is the most amazing person. She has started up her own adoption services for cats and kittens. She has been a very priveledged person (financially) but uses her money for good causes and helping animals. She has these beautiful indoor "houses" for the cats, and they have these little openings into the outdoors where they have a large place to play. She is one of the most giving people I have ever met, and continues to restore my faith in humanity time and time again.

Do you have a name or website for her? She sounds interesting.

ResQCats.org

I used to have a rescue kit in my trunk. I need to restock it. In it I kept a small leash, a couple towels, ziplock bags of dog and cat food and bird seed, bottles of water and basic first aid supplies. Thanks for reminding me about that!

Sunday I went with a friend to volunteer at a house for cats, most of whom are special needs cats. There's a woman who owns a house that houses over 30 cats. No human lives there, but people come by at least 2-3 times a day to clean and care for the cats. My friend's day is Sunday. I expected the house to be filthy and stinky, and while I did smell alot of cat pee when I first walked in, it was actually pretty clean. Each day there's a list of stuff to do. Everyday all the food and water dishes are cleaned and refilled, the windows are opened to air out the house, the floors are swept and mopped, the towels and sheets covering the furniture are washed and replaced, they get their medicine, they are petted and brushed, and their litter boxes are dumped out and sterilized in the house's bathtub. Some of the cats are available for adoption, but most of the ones she still has aren't very adoptable because of their special health care needs. Some are the hiding kind of cats or the kind who lure you in and then bite you! Overall I was impressed with this set-up. There's one little bony old girl, Sarah, who is 18 and is so sweet. She's tiny. Her organs are starting to fail and she has to go to the vet for fluids sometimes. My friend is going to ask if she can take the cat home with her for her final weeks/months. Here's the link to this organization's website (there's a picture of Sarah on it):
http://www.friendsoffelines.org/

My mom rescued a pregnant cat a year ago. She had 6 kittens. My mom found a home for 4 of the kittens and the mom. Then she lost her job and was about to be kicked out of her apartment with no money. She called all the rescue groups to see if anyone would take the cats and they all said they were full. She kept calling, spending her last few dollars on cheap cat food, and still they were full. I couldn't take them (although my mom could come live with me) because my husband is allergic to cats and we have pet birds. We had to take the 2 kittens and another cat my mom rescue in a storm to the pound. My mom was crying. She had tried everything and no one was able to help her. She said she'll never rescue an animal again. Not because she doesn't love them or want to help them-but because when she was as low as she could get, no one helped her help them. And it broke her heart to be the one to take them to the pound. She felt like she was betraying them.

Anyway, my posts are always too long. Sorry.

Awww, your mom sounds like a good woman. She shouldn't let that stop her from helping though. We may not be able to save them all, but at least we can try.

One of the things that frustrates me, is that we have people coming to the Humane Society rescue group I work with that want to turn over their animals or have found a stray they want us to tak in and many times we have to tell them no. Often they get upset with us because they just don't understand. We rely solely on foster homes, so it all depends on if we have an opening in a foster home. Honestly, that's the biggest need of most of the rescue groups - they need foster homes.

Like I said...just so frustrating. You want to help them but often times there's nothing to do but to call animal control. :(

Blue: I know, it is frustrating-and sad. We are fostering a dog right now for a rescue group (first time fostering) and my mom is helping us take care of her. I think she wants us to keep the dog! We might! The rescue groups in my town say the same things you're saying about needing foster homes.

One more story: One day I was driving down a highway and a dove collided with my car. I looked out the rearview mirror and saw the dove rolling on the road. I knew I had to stop. I had a towel in the trunk and I picked up the injured and stunned bird. It was a Sunday, but I drove to my vet's office anyway-just in case. I called the vet's number, hoping there was an emergency forwarding feature that'd page her. There wasn't. The dove was wrapped in a towel on my lap in the car and I was crying. I was trying to get the vet to see the dove-probably to euthanize it so it wouldn't suffer anymore. But the dove died in my lap in front of the vet's empty office. It was so sad. My husband and I buried her by a tree.

Alot of people don't know that most vets have a community list of rescue groups and individuals who rehabilitate injured wildlife. When I worked in a vet's office I added bird rescue information to our town's list. Maybe if more people knew that lists like that exist, they wouldn't feel so helpless when faced with a rescue situation. Of course, that doesn't help when all the rescue groups are full. I know that here some of the rescue groups have taken in pets from New Orleans to either foster them and find them homes or foster them while their owners get back on their feet.

I feel that way a lot too. It always seems like you're getting dumped on, when you're trying to help. My mother and I do rescue work, and it always seems like we get stuck in the most horrible situations, and not many people are willing to help out. That woman in SB I was telling you about goes through this every year too. It's just a sacrifice you have to deal with when doing rescue work, not all stories turn into fairytales (like I wish they would). My mom now has about 13 cats, because they were adults when she rescued them and she couldn't adopt them out. Her vet bills are about $700 per month. But, you do save a lot of them, and their lives are all the better for it. In my opinion, just helping one animal makes a difference. So, keep on truckin!

I swear if I have to rescue one more sheep or goat from being stuck in a fence and left to die, I'm going to bring it home. I'll be a "rustler."

Are you serious, sheep?

I've got the sweetest little miniature poodle in the world, and she's one I scooped out of the middle of a busy road between a dog farm and a restaurant. A friend and I were walking along minding our own business, when we heard whining and turned to see her limping toward us. She circled us two or three times, then came and lay down ON my feet. She was in such horrible condition I honestly didn't think she would live -- but I wasn't about to leave her to get hit by a car or (worse yet) captured by the farm (which she probably escaped from in the first place).

About the time I picked her up, one of our school bus drivers happened by and offered us a ride back to town (half an hour away). Good thing, too, as I don't think we would have been allowed on a bus or in a taxi. She was so dirty we couldn't even tell what color she was and had blood, bodily waste, and everything else matted in her six-inch long hair. She looked so awful, in fact, that when we walked into the vet's office with her, two of his other customers almost attacked us, and the vet had to physically hold them back. (Didn't exactly help that the Korean media had been running a series of broadcasts on what terrible, evil, no-good people foreign English teachers were ...)

The vet and groomer were absolute saints, though. We found her on a Saturday -- their busiest day of the week. Yet as soon as we walked in, the groomer bumped all of her other appointments and started cleaning my baby up. (She was such a mess that the vet couldn't even draw blood until she was shaved.) Then, the vet took her back and sent the rest of the afternoon running every test imaginable, figuring out why she was bleeding internally, and prioritizing treatment so he wouldn't overwhelm her little body with medicines. After that, he volunteered to keep her until the most contagious issues were resolved so she wouldn't make my other baby sick. On top of everything else, because she was a rescue, he ran all tests and gave us all medicine at cost and didn't charge anything for the nearly five hours of one-on-one care he provided. Nov. 8 will be the six-month anniversary of her rescue, and aside from a minor eye problem (red tearing), she's now the picture of health ... and I can't imagine life without her.

Yay! I LOVE hearing stories like that. And I bet your new furbaby is absolutely blissful now.

:rockon: