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Those people who love dogs find it very difficult to turn away a stray dog their child brings home or the dog simply shows up on your doorstep. There are several things to keep in mind when making the decision for adopting a stray dog but as I have adopted a couple of strays over the years I am pro for taking these abandoned canines in, at least until I can find a good home for them. Let’s look at the pros and cons of adopting a stray dog so you can make a better decision the next time Jimmy or Susie drags a stay home.
Before saying yes to adopting a stray dog the responsible thing you need to do is check the collar, if the dog is wearing one, for information tags. These will be evident if the dog is not a stray but just a local dog that has lost his way home. Contact the owner with this information so the dog is returned back to those who are probably worried sick about their beloved pet. Also you can call local vets, the area animal rescue shelter for any reports of a lost dog matching the dogs description, and check the lost dog posters many people put in local businesses when their dog has become lost.
Another thing to do is to check with your vet and see if they have an ID Chip reading device, or if not, who does. Most will check the animal for free so the owner can be located.
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Jan
says:This happened to my family 18 years ago. The female black lab-chow mix was watching my four boys play in our back yard, then gratefully accepted their invitation to play. She had no collar, was emmaciated,and full of fleas. I believe she was an angel, sent from God. From her behavior, we determined she had never had a bath, ridden in a car, or stayed inside a house. She was with us for another 11 years and was a therapy dog with Alzheimers patients. She was one of the sweetest dogs I’ve ever had, and I know she is on the other side of the rainbow bridge, waiting for all of us. From that experience, I have devoted my life to helping rescues (training and finding homes for them).
Mia
says:My dad was on his way home from work and saw this little terrier wandering around the street. The poor thing looked disoriented. He called home and asked if I wanted it. He brought it home, it was missing some hair so we took it to the vet thinking maybe it had mange. Come to find out the vet knew this dog and who it belonged to. The dog belonged to a guy who owned a car lot across the road from the vet. The vet told us the dog did not have mange, but rather those were cigarette burns. The vet contacted animal control and asked if we could legally adopt the dog without any problems from the owner. The vet gave all the information to animal control who in turn talked to the owner and advised him that if we returned the dog to him he will face animal cruelty charges. He gladly relinquished ownership to us. I named her Brandy. She looked just like the dog Benji from the movies. She lived with me for the next 7 years until my moms boyfriend kicked her out of the house and she ended up getting killed. She was the best little dog I ever had. Miss that little thing to this day, this was more than 30 years ago that I adopted her.
MH
says:Not a very happy ending for this dog after all.
Joanne Hamel
says:It was a cold winter day in Minnesota when I looked outside and saw a small white dog eating the spilled bird food at the bottom of my deck. I went outside to see it was an old Jack Russell Terrier who was shivering and eating frantically. When he raised his head, I noticed both eyes were white with cataracts. He was blind! I picked him up, brought him into my house and gave him some dog food (I had a dog). He was scared to death! I went door to door around the neighborhood asking if anyone knew him. No one did. Discouraged, I walked home when I saw a young boy looking for something. I asked if he was looking for a dog and he said YES! Petey was his dog! The amazing part is that we have busy streets all around us. I believe it was a miracle that brought Petey to my house that day. So many things could have happened to a blind dog! Petey went home safely with the boy.