In These Tough Economic Times People Are Dumping Their Dogs in the Country - Please Don't

Yesterday afternoon I was driving by Armstrong's chicken ranch about three miles from my house, when I noticed a large, attractive dog moving about in the middle of the road. Cars were slowing down and stopping as he trotted up to each vehicle and scanned the faces of the drivers. A pair of girls were walking along the road and noticing them he veered in front of yet another passing car and walked up to the girls. I pulled over to the shoulder fearing that at any moment he would be hit. As I got out of my car he trotted across the road again to investigate me. I cringed as an oncoming driver braked suddenly. He briefly came up to me then immediately zigged back into the street as another car slowed nearly plowing into him. Desperate to get the dog safely off of the road I glanced into the back of my truck for a rope or anything to use as a leash. Spotting a long bungie cord, I grabbed it and headed for the middle of the street myself. All traffic stopped as I crept up to the dog and called softly to him. I counted three waiting cars in each direction, the drivers patiently watching the little drama unfold. I went to put the bungie around his neck and he dodged and lowered his head. I immediately made a second attempt and he was caught. I dragged and tugged him back to the side of the road to my truck. After several unsuccessful attempts to get this 80 pound dog into the car, I finally crawled into the back seat myself and he jumped in behind me.

High unemployment has caused many people and their pets to be displaced from their homes. They are forced to move in with family members, leave their home state, or move into apartments. This is causing stress and strain on our dog population. It seems that one popular solution some displaced home-owners have is simply to drive out to the country and drop their unwanted dogs off. These dog owners mistakenly believe that the dogs can fend for themselves or kind, country people will take their dogs in. The above story had a happy ending, but the majority of dogs that I see in my neighborhood that have been cruelly dumped are so scared and disoriented that they are unable to be caught. They run along in a frightened, confused panic and won't make contact with the humans that are trying to get them safely off of the streets. I often see dead dogs by the side of the road that have died horribly because of someone's misguided dog dumping.

There are alternatives to dumping unwanted dogs off in rural neighborhoods. The obvious choice is to contact your local animal shelter. There will be a fee involved for the care and re-homing of your animal, but after-all, they are providing a valuable service and deserve to be compensated for the costs of caring for our unwanted pets. Another choice is to contact all friends and family members to see if someone might be able to take the dog into their home. In addition, you might try placing an ad on your local Craigslist site with a nice picture of your pet, asking someone to take the dog. Finally, if the dog is a purebred there are many purebred rescue organizations that will come and pick up your dog and find a suitable home for it. A quick google search will put you in contact with the appropriate purebred rescue organization in your area.

Please do not dump your unwanted dog in the country. He probably won't survive.