Stray Puppies That just Show Up

[jdhand]

Over the past year I have had several stray puppies just show up one at a time at the house. I live on a dirt road in a rural area. Anyway we do not have a pound and so I have to make the decision to either keep them and take care of them or have them put to sleep. Finding them a home is a difficult task. I have a neighbor who has 50 plus dogs. He doesn't spay or nuter them. He does have 1000 acres and they just reproduce and some live some die. Anyway I have one dog that I found in the barn 13 years ago and she has just had surgery for a tumor and has recovered really well and is doing great. Then I have another stray that was part of a litter of wild puppies that I found 3 years ago. He is a great dog and I have nutered him. Then 2 years ago I found a lab like puppy that just showed up. She had on a collar so I thought someone would claim her, but not such luck. I have had her spayed and she is a quiet serious natured dog. Then last spring I had a boxer looking mut puppy mysteriously appear. She was so cute and friendly that we named her Happy and just decided she could stay. She is getting spayed Wednesday Now on New Years day we found a black mixed everything mut in the barn. He has won our hearts also. I just cannot have them put to sleep when they are smart, cute and learn to fit in. Anyway I just wondered if other people have the same problem.

 

[Marnie]

I guess if it was me, I would keep them and feed them but would also try to place them in new homes. Ask friends, family, nieghbors, strangeres, surely in time, you can place some. Maybe a sign at a feed store or ad in the paper, alot of papers let you put in ads free if the product is free, or here they do. I couldn't get rid of it instantly. (Unless it was chasing my horses, the decision would be made quickly)

 

[Jill]

We don't have any stray dogs that I have seen around here. We have six of our own dogs -- 4 shih-tzu, 1 collie and one lab x chow mix. All of ours are spayed / neutured. H and I both love dogs and it would be so hard to take in a puppy to be put down. I'm sorry that the neighbor is so irresponsible about the dogs. All dogs deserve good homes.

 

[billiethekid40]

I think there is only so much an individual should be expected to do in the case of constant strays. Its great that you have already taken in a few dogs, but nobody has the right to blame you if you decide you can't afford the time/space/money to provide for any more. Everybody has a limit, and if you go over then you will no longer be able to give all the dogs a good quality of life. If you know you can't keep any more, and you've experienced a long wait trying to find homes in the past, and have no shelter or fostering options available, then having them PTS at least gets them off the street so they will not starve to death, or be hit by cars. Sometimes when we have explored all our options, we have to make hard decisions. Keeping a dog "just for a while to find it a home" means that if you can't find a home, you'll either have to keep a dog you cannot afford, or be faced with putting to sleep an animal you have become attatched to. Maybe having them PTS shortly after they arrive is better for everyone involved (if you cannot keep them of course, and don't think you can re-home them)?

Is there nothing the law can do about this man who has so many dogs?

 

[Warpony]

The county north of us has no animal shelter, people just take the dog to a friend in our county and have them call OUR shelter, OR they look on www.petfinder.com and find the nearest rescue listed there and give them a call. rescues frequently have waiting lists for puppies or young dogs so often they can hook you right up with someone who wants a dog and you can have it in a new home within the week.