Stray dogs and bad dog owners

Pipp

Hello all,
Apologies in advance if this thread is repetitive, offensive or irritating in any way but I just had to get this off my chest.
Myself and my husband had an experience recently that left both of us puzzled, frustrated and kind of heartbroken.
We were out for the night together and had a lovely meal and some drinks in our favourite pub in the town where we live. On our way out we discovered what I can only described as a distressed and utterly exhausted dog curled in a ball in between the inner and outer doors of the premises entrance. He was just so cold, he was shivering quite dramatically and just looked so lost and utterly alone. He had obviously been walking the streets for the entire day and had just made his way into this shelter when his energy finally ran out.
Anyway, the thing that made it worse was the amount of people just walking by and pretending not to see this living creature who was in need of help.
Anyway, we stopped, and had a look at him, and decided to take the dog home.
So we took him home and tried to settle him in for the night, however straight away we realised that we just couldnt keep him as our own dogs just werent happy with this strange individual coming in.
The next day we went to the guards and left a report with them in case anyone phoned about a lost dog, and then we tried as many shelters that we could think of and noone could take him. The only option left was the Pound, which in reality is a death sentence for a stray and neither of us could actually do that to him as we were starting to get attached to this lovely fluffball of a dog.
Anyway, a couple of days passed where we managed as best we could, rotating the dogs when feeding and having them inside etc, we left flyers into houses around the local area and put up notices and such,and then finally we got good news.
We got a place with ASH Animal Rescue who said that they would take the dog for rehoming as soon as they had a space, if we got him vaccinated and checked by a vet. They asked us to leave him at a specific boarding kennel to wait for a place in their shelter to free up.
So, we had him vaccinated and protected against kennel cough and checked over by our vet. She said that he was only about a year old, in great health and a lovely natured dog that would make a great pet. She checked him for a micro chip but unfortunately found nothing.
So Anyway, we brought the dog to the kennels and paid the bill in advance for a few weeks to make sure he was looked after. ASH Animal Rescue, like every other similar establishment in this country is strapped for cash and it seemed like a small price to pay for us to get this dog the best chance for being rehomed and living a happy life in the future.
We were both teary eyed at saying goodbye to our doggy friend and I swear when he licked us on the hands before the kennel hand took him it was a Thank You. He seemed to understand that we had done all we could for him.

So, on to the point of my post, I suppose that this experience with this dog has really shown me just how thoughtless people are, and just how desperately unfair and inefficient the animal welfare provisions are in this country. The Shelters just dont seeem to have any money. They just cant cope with the amount of animals that need help. There is very few places that can help these animals find a new life and a new home when the person who was supposed to love and care for them failed them miserably.
Something needs to be done about this. If I could possibly do it I would help every stray dog I see but I just cant afford it in these days of mortgages and loans and all the regular things that take over a persons life. I try to donate when I can, and I suppose we have helped this dog to a better life and Im sure we will do it again at some point.

Anyway, on an ending point Id like to address this to the owner of that dog. How on earth could you have left this lovely friendly big eejit of a thing out on such a cold cold night? Then, how did you not look for your canine friend? Did he mean nothing to you? He was only one year old for goodness sake and only a pup who would do anything for some love and attention. Ive said above that we would have kept him if we could have, - it would have been a privelege to have him with us. Hell be better off without you now.

Sorry for the length but it needed to be said.

Tabitharose

http://www.anvilireland.ie/fulcrum.html?ep=5


first of all fantastic that you took the time to care and save the poor little mite that little dog's life will have a happy ending now & it's all down to you & your OH. secondly have a look at the anvil site - a lobby group trying to do something to improve the situation in the country.

SuzyS1972

Wahoo someone beat me to it !

It lightens my heavy heart to read posts like yours as it is how I became involved in helping dogs and the odd cat !

Was just going to say apart from practical help - please look at the ANVIL site as the more people power there is behind this group the better chance all the animals have of being noticed and recognised as living beings in this country.

Good on ya ....

Glowing

Fair play to you Pipp. Pity there aren't more like you in this country.

It makes me sick to the stomach to hear what people do to their so called 'pets', or worse, what they DON'T do. My sister is a vetinerary nurse so has to care for all sorts of injuries, diseases and results of neglect - animals hobbling around for weeks with a broken leg, and dogs raw with mange even though it costs only a tenner for treatment.

A lot of it comes down to ignorance and laziness, but some feckers out there are pure cruel.

Where did you come across this dog by the way Pipp?

Rigsby

It's great to know there are still people like you in the world. Unfortunetly there are far too few of you/us. I regularly visit the shelter where I got my own dog, to give a donation. The woman who owns and runs it told me stories of cruelty that would give you sleepless nights. She pays for court cases out of her own money. My point being... there is a lot of neglect and cruelity out there, but with people like yourself and others we can help some of the poor creatures in need.

Gillie

Had a similiar experience which I posted about in the Departed Pets thread.
Obviously my experience was different coz Lucky had to be put to sleep.

It annoys the hell out of me.

artieanna

Well done pipp you gave him the second chance that he might not have got!!!

It's shocking the amount of people that are uncaring and ignorant regarding animals.....

Pipp

Hello everyone,
thanks for all the replies, it really means alot to me. In all honesty I dont deserve any thanks though, I mean he was only one dog, and there are hundreds of dogs and cats that need help every day.
I suppose I posted the story to somehow make the point at how shocked I was at how the dog was just let go and forgotten about on purpose by the owner. My own dogs are minded so well and if one of them ever managed to get out on me I would be out searching day and night until I found them. It would be a complete emergency as far as I am concerned, so I just cant fathom how anyone could just abandon a dog.
Anyway thanks again,
If I could help every stray dog I see then I would.