My University is located near a very low income area and there are many strays just wandering around. Last week as I was leaving school I saw this female stray who was very thin and you could tell she has probably had many litters of pups. :( ANyway, I immediatly pulled over to try and feed her the rest of the bean burrito I was eating. The poor thing was so disoriented she just stood in the street with cars going by. Someone honked at her and she got to the sidewalk and I showed her the food, set it down and backed away. She promptly scarfed it down. Anyway, I couldn't stop thinking about her and went back the next day with a car full of food to find her and feed her or any other dog I saw. I came to an open feild with houses all around and saw a dog sleeping in the middle of the field. I got out to investigate and a few of the locals saw me & approached. I explained how I was looking for that particular dog...they were nice and they actually led me to another dog, a pitbull who was chained to a fence behind someone's house and he was so skinny that he was all head. He was also infested with fleas. I went to my car and got three cans of food and as I took the dogs empty bowl that was beside him, he got so excited and scarfed it down. The locals who were there w/ me told me that I could take the dog, but I was not prepared and didn't know where to take him so I said I'd come back the next day. Well, i went back the next day with a friend and this time with bowls/water/and flea spray to give him some relief. The same guys were there and told me that the owner of that dog took him b/c he didn't want to lose him. I was SOO disappointed. I already had found a pitbull rescue org (the SPCA won't take pitbulls) and wanted to give him at least another good meal. Anyway, my friend and I drove around looking for other strays to feed and the sight was just heartbreaking. Dogs so lathargic from lack of nutrition they just lay underneath cars with thier ribs sticking out and almost too weak to get up to eat the good food I mixed up for them. I did feed about 4-5 dogs and was able to spray one of them with flea spray. I never saw that first one again :-/ . Well, today on my way to class, as I was exiting the freeway I see the most emaciated dog I have ever seen cross right in front of me. He is literally a walking skeleton. :cry: I immediatly pulled over and put my hazards on and get the food that is still in my car. I followed the dog on foot with food and a canopener and he goes into an area where he is kind of fenced in. The poor thing is scared of me and tries to jump the short fence, but has no energy. As I approach I get the can open and as soon as he gets a whif of the food, comes over to me and I give him the food. I went back to my car and got two more cans and he ate that too. I'm guessing that is the most food that dog has had in a long while. I didn't want to over feed him, I think he would have thrown up since his body is not used to large amounts of food. I will go back tomorrow to hopefully find him again for another meal.

I'm not sure what to do about these dogs. I can't keep going around this neighborhood by myself. I don't want to offend the neighbors or anything. I called the SPCA and they won't go an pick them up. I'd have to get them myself, but these dogs are sooo scared of humans that moving them would stress them and are in such bad condtion, I fear they would end up being put to sleep. I'm just not sure what to do, but I can't do nothing. I would love to take all the strays off the street or get them fixed at least and take them back, but then they would just starve again. Does anyone have any suggestions???

First of all, what you're doing is a wonderful thing. If there were more people like you this world would be a much better place. :hug:

Is the SPCA the only animal control or animal shelter in this town? I'm very surprised that they won't pick up the dogs. And as for the pitbull owner, what he's doing is animal cruelty. Period. You might try reporting him specifically to the local authorities.

And I know that the last thing you want to happen is for these dogs to be euthanized...but I think that has to be better in some of their cases than to have them roaming free, literally starving to death and waiting to die in some horrible way. The condition you described them in is deplorable and as unfortunate as it sounds, it would be better to have some of them put down than to be constantly suffering.

Firstly I think what you have done is great.
Makes me so angry to hear of people neglecting or mistreating animals. How can u chain a dog up to a fence - do these people have any compassion? No, obviously.
As to what you can do...
Surely the SPCA (I am not in America so am not sure of your regulations) would try & round up the strays? I mean SPCA is short for the society for the protection of animals. Why the acronim if they don't live up to it? These animals are most definitely in need of protection so live up to your name!
If the RSPCA are no go then what about local council? Surely they have a responsibilty to residents & rate payers to round up stray dogs in the area of council control? Keep hounding them!
I hope it all works out, especially for the dogs...

Good deeds Satya. Its not something you can do forever though, especially as its not a permanent solution to keep feeding them like if you can't guarantee seeing them all each time you go looking for them but top commendation for trying your best :) Good luck finding more solutions!

Is the SPCA the only animal control or animal shelter in this town? I'm very surprised that they won't pick up the dogs. And as for the pitbull owner, what he's doing is animal cruelty. Period. You might try reporting him specifically to the local authorities.
Animal conrol would pick them up, but unfortunately they'd go straight to the pound and the city pound is horrible. I heard that they beat the dogs and they get euthanized if not adopted/claimed within 5 days, dying on the cold concrete floor. That is where I got my dog. I wasn't even looking for a dog, but I passed her cage and my heart melted--there she was ribs out and shivering with fear. A few days later she was home with me and has been a brat ever since. :p

And I know that the last thing you want to happen is for these dogs to be euthanized...but I think that has to be better in some of their cases than to have them roaming free, literally starving to death and waiting to die in some horrible way. The condition you described them in is deplorable and as unfortunate as it sounds, it would be better to have some of them put down than to be constantly suffering.
Yes, I agree, but am torn about it. I just don't know if I can round them up just to essentially kill them. :sick:

Firstly I think what you have done is great.
Makes me so angry to hear of people neglecting or mistreating animals. How can u chain a dog up to a fence - do these people have any compassion? No, obviously.
I think the problem is that these people live in deplorable conditions themselves. These are literally shacks that they are living in so their empathy is low. I guess they feel they have their own problems. Although, I did find several dogs who appeared to be well taken care of (feed & clean), but that was the exception. I was actually pretty impressed at one local convenience store, where I was able to feed most of the dogs, they had a large tub of fresh water out for the dogs. I think for the most part, the locals are so used to seeing the skinny strays that they don't think anything of it. :-/

Surely the SPCA (I am not in America so am not sure of your regulations) would try & round up the strays? I mean SPCA is short for the society for the protection of animals. Why the acronim if they don't live up to it? These animals are most definitely in need of protection so live up to your name!
Yeah, I was surprised myself, but they did say they'd take them in, but I'd have to bring them in. Thier policy is they don't pick up strays. I was thinking they could go to the houses where dogs are chained and a little thin, but I fear that they will know it's me who brought them and then not be so hospitable when I come around next time.

If the RSPCA are no go then what about local council? Surely they have a responsibilty to residents & rate payers to round up stray dogs in the area of council control? Keep hounding them!
I hope it all works out, especially for the dogs...
If I bring the city gov into it they would surely end up at the pound. I think they are better off where they are then the pound. That's how bad the pound is. Plus, I think even if they were safe in thier kennels, the stress alone would kill them. They keep all the dogs in a dungeon type area where when one dog starts barking, they all start and it echoes loudly. And they are handled by city inmates. I can't speak for all of them, but some of the ones I spoke to seemed very unsympathic to the animals. I remember when I saw Daisy, my dog, I had them open up her cage so I could talk to her and pet her, she was just frozen with fear. SHe couldn't move and would just look up at him like unsure how he would be to her. When I asked the handler about her he said she was mean. MEAN? I said "what? This dog is so terrified she wouldn't hurt a flea." And after having her for a year & a half, she has NEVER shown any kind of aggression. So it makes me wonder about those guys.:stinkeye:

Anyway, thank you all for your comments. I'm still not sure what to do, but will keep thinking of something.

Good luck with what you're doing. I know what you're going through. I carry dry food, bag treats and fresh water in my car so that I can stop if I need to. I figure if I can at least give them one good meal so they might get off the streets for one night then that's one night they are at less risk for getting hit by a car or being a victim of animal cruelty. It just sucks so hard that these white lights are left to fend for themselves, to basically starve to death. What hurts my heart now is that the cold weather is coming and with it, more suffering.

Animal conrol would pick them up, but unfortunately they'd go straight to the pound and the city pound is horrible. I heard that they beat the dogs and they get euthanized if not adopted/claimed within 5 days, dying on the cold concrete floor.Oh my god! This just makes me furious. I can't believe that a city run entity would blatantly break the law in regards to animal cruelty like that. Then again...people tend to be cruel creatures.

I also remember reading something about the animal shelters in San Antonio being under investigation recently for similar charges. I bring that up because I noticed by your profile that you're in Texas...as am I. Just curious what city this is that you've found the dogs. If you don't want to say, I understand. Or if you want to PM me that's cool too. If the conditions are that bad, I wonder if we can't bring this to the attention of some larger entity (Humane Society or something?). I don't know... I just hate feeling helpless and I SO understand where you're coming from. I just want to save them all...

What hurts my heart now is that the cold weather is coming and with it, more suffering.
Yeah, I always worry about outdoor animals & strays during the winter too. :-/

well, today I drove through the neighborhood after class and saw a small, black puppy in the street--she was thin & limping and drinking some muddy water on the side of the street. Of course I stop and offer her some doggie biscuits which she happily accepts. A neighbor comes out and I ask if the dog is hers and she says yes, but when I point out how she's limping and really thin she says it's not hers but someone who staying with her...anyway, I asked if I could take her and they agree. So I brought her home, gave her some water & food and a light bath--the bath water turned orange--probably from flea bite scabs. ANyway, I just got back from taking her to the vet to get looked over and they had to take an x-ray of her leg. They think she was probably hit by a car which broke her leg and since no one took her to a vet, her leg just healed broken. :( So now they are suggesting amputating it. :cry: *deep sigh* And she has mange and will need to get a few dip treatments. Good God! I'm going to need to win the lotto to keep this up. So I left her there overnight for treatment tomorrow since she would have to be separated from my dog & cats anyway. What have I gotten myself into?? I want to help her...my thought was that I would get her well (bathe her & put some wieght on her) and take her to the SPCA for adoption, but now she needs all this medical attention...ANd I don't know about amputating her leg. Poor little girl. Anyway, just thought I'd share the latest in my stray saga....

First of all, I'd like to applaud you for doing all your doing for the strays in your area. Simply feeding a stray is a lot more than most people would do. I'd also like to add that a dog with an amputated leg can learn to manage pretty well with its remaining legs. (This is from what I've seen on Animal Planet). Oftentimes, amputating a leg is better than leaving a badly healed broken leg, since the leg can become worse as the dog gets older. If you can't keep the dog, perhaps there is somebody who is willing to take in a special needs dog.

I'm so glad you posted this here Satya. The inner cities are filled with abandoned and abused animals and they need our help. There's not enough people willing to go down and help them and get them off the streets. They need to be rescued and taken to a safe location. I sent you a Pm on this too. You're an angel:angel:





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Satya, I would go with the vet's suggestion of amputation. As Amy already said, dogs can get by fine with an amputated leg. They learn to adjust really well. My dad used to own a business and he had a dog that lived there, kind of adopted him. They named him Tripod because he was missing a leg. He was a big, healthy, beautiful boy that got around just fine.

Like I said before, I wish there were more people like you. You're doing a wonderful thing.

Hi-thanks for your supportive responses. The puppy is doing well. She's still scratching from the mange after her first treatment, but yesterday I got some hydrocortisone stray and it seems to have given her some relief. And she's completely flea free, so for the first time in her life probably, she can sleep soundly without having to scratch constantly...and she has been doing some seriously good sleeping all stretched out & just out. :sleep: Unfortunately, I can't bring her into the house yet, so she's on the patio, but she's got a big, comfy bed to sleep on and I check on her and take her on several walks a day. She's such a little sweet pea. :smitten: I will attach a pic (once I find my digital and figure out how to upload it.)

Amy SF & TangledUpInBlue- yeah, I have seen other 3 legged dogs before and they seem pretty unhampered by thier missing leg. They can still run & play, but it's still hard to make that decision. She seems to use her bad leg as a crutch. I will continue to get her well and figure out the leg in a few weeks. It doesn't seem to cause her any pain.

I'm so glad you posted this here Satya. The inner cities are filled with abandoned and abused animals and they need our help. There's not enough people willing to go down and help them and get them off the streets. They need to be rescued and taken to a safe location. I sent you a Pm on this too. You're an angel:angel:

http://www.alleyanimals.org

http://furryfriendsrescue.bravehost.com/
Hi Chris-

I sent you a pm. Yeah, I always see animals in bad conditions in very low income areas. I also notice that the animals that are well taken care of in these areas seem to be the unneutered, male pitbulls & rottweillers. While the females are malnourished, constantly pregant & having to nurse puppies which completely depletes their already depleted bodies, all the while having to fend off the advances of the healthy, virile male dogs = endless cycle of unwanted, unhealthy puppies. I'm guessing the female dogs don't live very long:( I will try and pick up the dogs who aren't too afraid to allow me to get close enough to them. I'll have to recruit the help of a few friends. I just worry about stressing them too much. Plus, now I have to worry about the dogs having mange. The SPCA doesn't take animals with mange (they put them down immediately b/c it is highly contagious) and it is a several week process to rid them of it. *sigh* another issue with these strays.....

Satya

I look up to you.

I had something similiar happen with a pack of strays living under my house a few years ago. I ended up taking the route that involved calling animal control, and I still regret it. Our animal control sounds pretty similiar to what is going on in your town. When they came out to pick the dogs up, I had to lead them all out to the guys working. They gave each dog a tranqualizer and STACKED them on top of each other in a tiny cage. I was horrified. I was 13-14 at the time and I kept begging my mother to let them live under the house but she refused. I still feel horrible about it even though it was so long ago. I'm sure all six of them were put to sleep before they even had a chance to find a home.

Don't worry, an amputation doesn't ruin a puppies life. My pit, Little Man, had his front leg amputated when he was a puppy. It is MUCH better to have it done when the dog is younger. It may not be causing problems now, but if you wait to have it done and it causes problems in the future, they may have a harder time adjusting to the lose of a leg.

I think what you are doing is wonderful. Maybe you could try to start a fundraiser so all of this isn't coming out of your own pocket? You could ask for dog food, supplies, money, etc. You may get a ton of people willing to donate dog food atleast. I did a fundraiser for an animal shelter that was in the process of being shut down and it kept them open a few more months. We stood outside of PetsMart and collected dog/cat supplies. People were really generous because they were in the process of buying for their own pets, so they felt bad about the dogs in the shelter. (We even had a few people want to adopt dogs!) Taking a few pictures of the dogs that look really bad for a poster wouldn't hurt when asking for donations. You may even find a few of them new homes.

Satya

I look up to you.
awww, i'm sure many of you would do the same if given the opportunity. i'm lucky that i have the extra time right now. i feel bad i haven't had a chance to look for any other strays lately. this puppy is a hand full right now. she just had her 2nd mange dip and she has gained 2 lbs. she seems really happy. she gets to walk in the park everyday and smell all the nice smells and roll around in the grass. i need to name her still.

Don't worry, an amputation doesn't ruin a puppies life. My pit, Little Man, had his front leg amputated when he was a puppy. It is MUCH better to have it done when the dog is younger. It may not be causing problems now, but if you wait to have it done and it causes problems in the future, they may have a harder time adjusting to the lose of a leg.
yeah, i'm definitely going to do something about her bad leg. i'm just waiting until she is a bit more healthy (couple more weeks). she needs to get rid of the mange and gain a few more lbs. i'm not completely against amputation, but just as a last resort.

I think what you are doing is wonderful. Maybe you could try to start a fundraiser so all of this isn't coming out of your own pocket? You could ask for dog food, supplies, money, etc. You may get a ton of people willing to donate dog food atleast. I did a fundraiser for an animal shelter that was in the process of being shut down and it kept them open a few more months. We stood outside of PetsMart and collected dog/cat supplies. People were really generous because they were in the process of buying for their own pets, so they felt bad about the dogs in the shelter. (We even had a few people want to adopt dogs!) Taking a few pictures of the dogs that look really bad for a poster wouldn't hurt when asking for donations. You may even find a few of them new homes.

good ideas. thank you!

Hi Satya, just a few thoughts on this. I hope you will continue to go back and help the kittys and dogs in this area, bring them food and water and rescue the ones you can. You can always ask a friend to go with you or put a note up on the bulletin board to find a volunteer. These little ones need our help desperately. Many will cry to us when they see us pulling up on our stops, because they're so hungry. It's a sad situation and many volunteers are needed there, too often these dogs and cats are just ignored.:(





http://furryfriendsrescue.bravehost.com/

Hi Chris-
I have to admit I haven't been back to find other strays since I took this puppy home. She has been a handful and a half. We got rid of the fleas & mange and put 5 lbs on her--even her leg seems better; she's using it much more. But just when she seemed to be getting better, she is now really sick. A week ago today, I noticed some bumps on her face and her ears had these weird little growths all over, so I took her back to the vet that day and we put her on some antibiotics and antihistimine. They diagnosed her with pyoderma (a bacterial skin infection). But she just kept getting worse and worse. She now has pustules, oozing lesions and crusty skin ALL over her body--around her eyes, ears, legs underbelly, head. She is a total mess. And she has a high temp and trembles. It's like her skin is just rotting away and it makes her smell horrible, the poor thing. SO today I took her to a dermatologists specialist for dogs and they think it may be an autoimmune disease; if it is she will have to be on steriods the rest of her life. So she had a skin biopsy and blood work done. We have now spent about $700 on this little stray dog that I had no intention of keeping. :sweat: Thank goodness I have some help with her bill. She is soo miserable--she went from biting and playing and being completely rambuctious to laying around all day. Sometimes I have to pick her up to go outside to relieve herself and I have to keep her from scraping her face and body on the concrete or trees or any hard surface to scratch herself. When she does she starts bleeding from her scabs all over. :cry: And that is with her E- collar on. It is so horrible. Please say a little prayer for my little stray puppy.

I'm sorry to hear about the poor puppy. I'll keep her in my thoughts. Hopefully the medicines and such can help her get better. :hug:

Wondering how the puppy is doing???

hi^^^she's actually doing much better these days. :yes: she seemed to get better a few days after i started giving her predisone, (sp?) a steroid. her fever is gone, her all over sores have healed, but left a million crusty scabs. and she still reeks to high heaven. :-/ it's almost unbearable. :sealed: BUT, she's back to being her rambunctious self. she's not scratching as much, but she still has on her E-collar. i need to get her a soft bristle brush to brush all that yucky dried skin and scabs and i'll give her another bath. i'm still waiting for the results of her skin biopsy to come back. this will tell us what it is. i'm really nervous they are going to say it's an autoimmune disease which would have her on steriods for the rest of her life...but, i won't worry until we see the results.:deal: should be this week.

If only they could talk. All the little strays have a story to tell.:cry: Just wondering how everything is going down there and if you've been back yet.









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