[MarthaGier]

I found the prettiest fox hound on my front porch today. She looks like she is in heat and doesn't have any ID on her. She has a rusty choker chain on and that's all. She has been fed well and is very gentle. I called the neighbors and they saw her today wandering around saying Hi. I gave her some dog food and she ate it very quickly. Should I call the pound or place an ad in the paper if she is still around tomorrow? I know she is someone's pet and I would hate to send her to the pound where she could get sick if she isn't innoculated properly.

 

[RottiMomCT]

Well, if she isn't vaccinated properly then your pets are at risk. As much as it seems like a good thing to do, keeping her at your home is not the way to get her reunited with her family.

I would make up flyers with her picture and a general location as to where she was found, the date she was found, and the contact info for the shelter - post them within a 5 mile radius of your home.

Be prepared for dirty looks at the shelter when you bring her - they may assume you are surrendering your own pet. Better bet is to call Animal Control to report the stray and advise them she is at your home.

By feeding and sheltering her, you have assumed responsibility for her - so legally she's your dog...at least that's how it works in Connecticut.

 

[MarthaGier]

Anne, I won't let her around my dogs. She is not in our house or yard but I did feel I should give her some food since I'm sure she was hungry. We live in rural America and there aren't many people per square mile around here. I think maybe making calls to a few more people we know in this area tomorrow might be a start. She might be gone by morning and hopefully going home to where she came from. I could call the Animal Shelter to see if they have a foster home for a nice dog like she is. That is how I got Sassy my husky from a foster that worked with the pound. They put them to sleep fairly fast down there unless they are fostered by someone. If she looked the slightest bit sick I would have called the shelter right away.

 

[chevy'smom]

Hey Martha, honestly you did exactly what I would have done. I have dogs show up in front of my house all the time, and have to rescue them from the crazy intersection in front of my house where they will DEFINITELY get hit by a car. Sounds like someone will be missing her, perhaps you can get in contact directly with a foster home willing to take her in while you help to find her home.

By the way you make her sound, someone is likely missing her, and may just take a couple days, some phone calls and flyers to find her "home". You could also take her to the shelter or a vet to see if she might be micro-chipped???

I myself can't ever "just do nothing" -- so, I'm sure whatever you do will get her the help she needs. Bless your heart, let me know what happens. . .

 

[MarthaGier]

Jenn, Thank you. I don't have to worry about her getting hit by a car luckily since we are 700 feet I think it is from a gravel road which is a mile and a half until we hit an asphalt road. I will make calls in the morning if she is still here. She still is as of now. I have a dog box in storage and we could buy a collar and a chain for her until she finds her owners or goes to a foster home. She would get adopted quickly since she is a pretty and gentle young dog. I think she is a purebred hound not a cross.

 

[chevy'smom]

She'll probably stay there because you've been so kind to her and given her food. I would bet that if you don't find her "home", that you will no doubt find her "a home"

I'll be off work again tomorrow, because I'm deathly ill (ok, exaggerating a bit -- sounding like my husband LoL), so I'll check new posts in the morning to see what's happening with her

 

[RottiMomCT]

OK, ya'll are making me out to to be the bad guy. I'm NOT saying dump the dog and move on. From a LEGAL standpoint, the dog now belongs to YOU until the rightful owner is found or SOMEONE steps up to care for the dog - you fed it, and are willing to provide shelter, as rudimentary as it might be. That, in the eyes of the law in many states, makes the dog yours.

Regardless of how far you are from 'civilization' the dog got there somehow, didn't she?! Hounds are notorious for wandering many many miles once they get on the trail of a good scent...she may not even be from your area. Flyers posted in vets offices, etc can go a long was yo reuniting her with her family. Also, check to see if she's microchipped. Even if not registered, the company maybe able to tell you what vet 'owns' the chip.

 

[MarthaGier]

I called the Animal Shelter this morning. She was here and we fed her some kibble and now she is gone. They said they will look to see if someone reported a missing dog. They said when she comes back secure her and they will come and pick her up. They were very nice and said they should be able to get her adopted if she isn't claimed. They run ads in the paper before they put them up for adoption.

Jenn, I hope you are feeling better.

 

[MarthaGier]

An update on the stray dog. She came back and I got a collar on her and called the Shelter. She is so sweet and I felt like I was doing something wrong in my heart. I was giving them the directions to come and pick her up. My husband came in and said no not yet. Someone was walking up and down the road we were told yesterday looking for her. We haven't found the people so far but at least we have a lead so she doesn't have to go to the shelter. I appreciate small miracles.

 

[MarthaGier]

Another update. The dog warden from the Shelter showed up and took her. They must have already been dispatched when I called. They said they will keep her for 3 days and then they will put her in a ******* rescue organization and she will be fostered. They said she will be adopted quickly since she is so nice. If the people come here they said to just send them to the Shelter so I guess it was a good outcome.

 

[chevy'smom]

OK, ya'll are making me out to to be the bad guy.

Sorry Anne, I didn't mean to make you think I was making you out to be a bad guy, I wasn't even referring to anything you said. . .I was just feeling Martha's dilemma with what to do. I have escape artist's running around my house all the time, and never really know what to do, cuz with Chevy I can't really bring them into my home or even yard, but can't bring myself to do nothing, cuz I couldn't stand it if they got hit by a car

Most of the time they have tags on, so I'll call their parents or I happen to know where they live so I'll walk or drive them home

Another update. The dog warden from the Shelter showed up and took her. They must have already been dispatched when I called. They said they will keep her for 3 days and then they will put her in a ******* rescue organization and she will be fostered. They said she will be adopted quickly since she is so nice. If the people come here they said to just send them to the Shelter so I guess it was a good outcome.

That's good to hear Martha -- do you plan to put up any flyer's to help her parents find where she was taken?

 

[MarthaGier]

I just might do that tomorrow. They will advertise her in the paper under lost and found. She was in heat so she probably got bred while out running around and she didn't have any ID. She has a bad callous on her one leg and they think she is about a year old. Her choker was rusty so it kind of says she was tied using a choker and didn't have good bedding to prevent a callous at her young age. They will send her to Canada to a no kill shelter before they would put her to sleep if no ******* Rescue has room for her. She probably will have a better home with someone else actually. They were happy to come and get her. The woman said days like this make it all worthwhile. Picking up a nice dog instead of an injured dog is what she meant.

 

[chevy'smom]

Oh, that's good then! Pisses me off that people use a choke collar as an everyday collar, Grrrrr. So, sounds to me like everything happened just as it was supposed to, and clearly she'll get a nice home.

Thanks for sharing

 

[MarthaGier]

Jenn, Around here most dogs are chained to a dog box. They are out all the time. The people that are renting from us each have 2 dogs and they are in the house and apartment. We don't want people that rent from us to keep their dogs outside all the time. We have a big Mason Kennel we will let the one person use to be able to put out her Bull Dog to play in for exercise.

 

[Alfie]

Martha, well done! You couldn't have done more for her. By your description of her, it sounds as if she will soon be re-homed. It would be nice though if her original family found her first eh? Blinking dogs, don't they just tug at our heartstrings!

 

[MarthaGier]

Carol, Thank you. I do hope that the people that own her stop by and ask if we found a loose dog. When I lost a doberman many years ago we went from house to house until we found him.

 

[roosevelt]

In my opinion, dog is a nice creature who is not only loyal, but also pretty. I consider them as the prettiest being in this world. They should be sheltered and fostered. Apart from that, they should be given unconditional love.

 

[rottpups4sale]

Choke collars are very inhumane. I dislike people who use them on any animal. There should be a law that bans them!

 

[Jane]

Hope she'll find her way home soon...