For the shelter ppl.. what to do with an animal you can't keep?

[mommy9994]

I didn't want to get involved with the other thread-- I understand and agree with a lot of what has been said, and disagree with some of it also. I would like to know, what you would have done in my position though...

Sparkie--We've had Sparkie, our basset/beagle mix, for about 2 years now. He's a great dog, about 1 1/2 when we got him. Dh called me one day and told me to come get this dog that showed up at his office-- that if not, the "office ladies" were going to take him to the humane society at lunch time (they open at noon). His office is right next to the HS, so we suspect that Sparks was dumped by someone on thier way to work, and he made his way down to the office. I say all this so that you know we didn't answer a "free dog" ad instead of adopting from the HS. He wasn't completely house broken when we got him, and we suspect that is why he was dumped (those who have bassets know tht this is pretty normal till about 2 years old). We had Sparkie for about a month, when he broke his leg. Our vet was on vacation, so we took him to an animal ER, which charged us OUTRGEOUSLY for x-rays. Our vet acctually came in from her vacation (acctually a "stay-cation" she was still in town, and comming in regular to check on the critters) to do his surgery, as we couldn't afford the ER surgery. We would have had to put him down otherwise.

Isabel--About 2 weeks after Sparkie's surgery, we took the garbage to the dump, and found a beautiful white pitt puppy. We brought her home, bathed her, and the children named her Isabel. We had NO intention of keeping this dog. Our intention was to keep her long enough to find her a home, however she was territorial-- not what I would call aggressive, but she would try to chase Sparkie, and with him in the condition he was in, we couldn't have that. I called the HS and asked if they adopt pitts, and was told that as long as she didn't have behavior problems (she didn't), and was good with people (she was) that she should have no problem being adopted. The children and I took her in (and yes, we did make a donation). She was in a kennel when we left, and I called about a week later, and was told that Isabel had been adopted.

Daisy--We found Daisy, an old beagle at the dump. We coaxed her out from under the dumpster with some dog food, and took the filthy stinky doggy home, and gave her a good bath (so Daddy would be more pleasantly disposed to her LOL). She cleaned up good. Daisy was a good dog, but never trusted people. She really did nothing but lay around all day, go out when she needed to, and eat. We believe that she had been mistreated. The plan was to let her live out the rest of her life in our living room, on dd's bean bag chair (dogs seem to LOVE those things!) She had a scar on her tummy, and we and the vet all thought she was spayed. Well, she went in heat, and ran off with a big red chow, we've not seen either one for over a year

Lucy-- Again, we found a female beagle at the dump (are we sensing a trend here? Dh said he was going to forbid me from going to the dump! LOL) We took her home gave her a bath. We were going to keep her long enough to find her a home. We very quickly found she was not AT ALL house broken. At this time, we were still dealing with Sparkie pottying in the house occasionally, and well, he tends to be a follower I was about 7 mo. preggie and just couldn't deal with 2 doggies pooing in the house! We all went together and took Lucy to the HS (made another donation)

Roxi-- Dh has been trying to get his "little black b**ch" as I affectionately call her, home for 9 years! (hope I'm not offending anyone-- it's a joke bt dh and I, I call her his mistress/girlfriend LOL) She was his stepmother's-- I think she just got her because her friend had a doxi Anyhow, she finally got to come live with us!! For the first time, she is a part of a family, she's sleeping in a people bed (right up against my legs LOL), has a friend (Sparkie) to play with, and gets to lie around on the furniture. Guess what! She poos in the house What is up with this!? LOL

Ok, so now that I've told you AAAALLLLL about my doggies, what would you have suggested we do with Isabel and Lucy? From the other thread, it looks like anyone who turns over a dog is utter scum! Both of these girls were sweet dogs, that would have been great for a family, just didn't fit ours at that time. So what, we should have left them at the dump (NO, of course not!), had them put to sleep?, shot them? What?

 

[redhen]

i have also taken in many rescues(cats)...but..all i can say is..you did not go to a store or breeder or anywhere to BUY theses dogs..you tried to help them!!...you did NOT leave them to suffer and starve in a dump ..etc...you did the right thing...you took them in(rescued them)..tried to help them...you did t he best you could..and i think you are awesome for it!!...again...its NOT like you BOUGHT these dogs...then just said..ooh well...i cant potty train them...i'll just take them to the shelter...you tried to rescue them...thank you very much...

..Wendy....p.s....also..there is nothing wrong with buying dogs..at all...(i didnt mean to imply that.).i just meant that..you did not go out LOOKING to get a dog and than just give it up to a shelter.....also..i HAVE bought a dog (a basset actually) and i couldnt keep her..cause my saint bernard was to big for her and she was getting hurt...and i had to find a home for her...so it happens...BUT..since i DID buy the dog..i found her a good home..see the differance?..

..

 

[Haviris]

I don't think everyone that turns a dog over to a shelter is utter scum, and I don't see anything in what you said that suggests you didn't do the right thing. The best chance for the dog is to place it yourself, it's also good for them to be in a home rather then a cage. However, that is not always possible, sometimes you just can't keep an extra, I've been there, and it's much better to turn them over to a shelter in hopes they will be given a home, then to take them home and not be able to take care of them.

I do get upset seeing people buy or take puppies/dogs, and dump them in a shelter the moment they become and inconvenience. I guess I do have a problem w/ people leaving their pets for almost any reason, I'm not saying I'm against rehoming a pet, BUT I would NEVER leave a pet I"m responsible for at a shelter or rescue, if I do find myself needing to rehome a pet (and I'm talking personal pet, not a stray or dumpie I've taken in) I will rehome them myself, I feel I owe them that much (and honestly I don't see how people can do that, so easily like it isn't anything, no concern over what happened to them at all).

And a big pet peeve is to see ads where people are pleading w/ someone to take an animal or "they will be forced to take it to the pound". I just don't like people trying to guilt others into taking on their problems.

I guess for shelter worker/volunteers it just gets really old really fast, they hear it all, and even though there is the occational ligit reason for bringing an animal in, they are far out weighed by the bad ones. They also get alot of people who lie about the animal being a stray, I remember one time there was a pregnant pom mix, days away from delivering, the people knew the father of the pups was a brown dog, but claimed the dog was a stray (that they had for 2 months?), I just don't believe it. (I found a rescue to take the dog, and had a heck of a time getting the dog catcher to let me take her before her stray time was up, had to promise I'd bring her back if an owner showed, she had 3 pups a few days after she got to the rescue). Alot of shelter workers and rescues burn out, that is why alot of them seem to be bitter and unhappy people, it just really takes it's toll. My sister has been trying to get me to start a rescue, I do occationally take in rescues still, but not as much as I did, she just doesn't understand what that's like, and I'm not sure I'm a strong enough person.

 

[luvmychicknkids]

I really saw no indication that anyone thinks you are utter scum for taking an animal that you found abandoned to a shelter. Taking your own because you are just not happy with it, yes, and I agree 100%. I have taken two dogs to the shelter this Summer. Both were found by the road and both times I made as large a donation as I could manage...about $30 each time which is not a lot but I still have to feed MY animals and my kids. I would have kept them but my dog (found starving about 3 years ago at a gas station) would not have any part of that. I understand. She had been abused, starved, then abandoned. This is HER family now and she doesn't want to share. One of them also tried to eat my cats! Rather than risk injury to some of them, I took them in. I keep any animals I can, but it is irresponsible when you try to keep more than you can logically care for and I KNOW the shelter workers feel the same way.

 

[mommy9994]

ok, I understand those points. I guess I just don't really think about BUYING a dog and then taking it to the HS-- though, I suppose that's what happened with Sparkie. Thanks for clearing that up.

Something else though-- when I have tried to rehome dogs, I get calls/e-mails from ppl saying how horrible, and that I should take the animal to the HS so they can find a home for it. So, I really was torn. In my heart, it feels like I should find a home for these animals instead of sending them to an already burdened shelter. I do think that our HS is one of the better ones, from what I've heard of some others, and I was told that both of the dogs we surrendered were adopted.

One of them also tried to eat my cats!

We had a lab mix-- our first doggie, Buddy, that ate cats. Ok, he didn't really EAT them, he "played" with them. Same end result anyhow. We did rehome him to a farm family that did not have cats.​

 

[Frizzledhen]

Check to see if there are any Rescue Groups around your area.

 

[lurky]

I would just like to say that I am very grateful for having curbside trash pick-up

 

[dogzrule5]

Just b/c you turn an animal in to a shelter does NOT make you scum. Sometimes people (including myself) jump to conclusions but it is far better to take a dog to a shelter, even if it's killed, than to leave it to die of disease or starvation.

I've helped many dogs and try not to ever leave one on the roadside. Sometimes they run away and I have no choice. But if you pick up a dog or cat and you try to find it a home or take it to the shelter, I commend you.

I've fostered about 50 dogs over the last 7 1/2 years; some I would loved to have kept; others I wish I hadn't helped but know I did the right thing by picking them up.

You did the right thing by them, so don't have any regrets.

 

[walkswithdog]

Hey there. I was a shelter worker. And no, it's not wrong to take abandoned dogs that don't fit into your home to a shelter.

I personally try to take dogs I find stray, or abandoned, or at the dump - yep I have one, to a rescue group if I can find them a spot. Sometimes that means keeping the "stray" for a few days or weeks more and with some dogs that's just not possible. Then a shelter or HS is the only safe option.

Yes, a dog might get put down at a shelter or HS instead of being adopted. It's still a hell of a lot kinder than where some "free to good home" dogs end up, still better than the streets, dying of starvation, disease or injury.

All the fault lies with the people who created the dogs in the first place and the people who let them run stray or abandoned them.

What is wrong is people who buy, or take in a dog then dump it when "it doesn't housetrain itself." When it does dog things like bark and shed. When they KNOW they have a no-pets clause in their rental or lease agreement, and do it anyway. When they actually have no time to train or exercise, or groom a pet. When they buy or take in, again and again and when the animal becomes inconvenient, or mature and not so cute any more, dump it on a shelter.

That's wrong. Trying to do your best for a dog someone else created, and someone else dumped. That's not wrong.

You're trying to solve a problem to the best of your ability. Reasonable people know their limits.

We can't save them all, they're being bred too quickly and often for all the wrong reasons. $$$

I don't have room to foster more dogs but I still like helping out so I drive transports for rescue dogs, moving a dog from one state or city to another to a potential adopter or dedicated foster home.

Turning a dog that someone else made, sold or transferred to another first home or second that failed it and dumped it, into a shelter because your situation isn't right for that dog, isn't wrong.

Yes, they might die there, but you didn't create the problem and the dog would be more likely to die miserably on the streets or in the wrong hands. And people who like hurting animals often take in strays.

There are worse things than a humane death.

People shouldn't lecture you. Shouldn't scold you. And you shouldn't listen. You didn't hear them offer to take the dog in, to foster it, to move it into rescue, to transport it to rescue or foster care. They just want a scapegoat, they don't want to help, they just want to judge. They don't volunteer at shelters, as fosters, with 4H to teach kids to show and train dogs, they don't contribute to make their shelter more adoption friendly. They just want to pass judgement. Don't let it trouble you.

 

[texasreb]

I would and have done the same thing you did.

I pick up loose dogs and strays all the time. My household is already full of pets so the best I can do is afford the stray a few extra days before taking it to the shelter. I advertise it looking for both the owner and/or a new owner; call all my resources that might be interested in it and then take it to the pound.