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Terrible Dilemma

835 views 8 replies 5 participants last post by  Pudlmom 
#1 ·
Two or three months ago, my husband discovered three puppies which had been dumped at a river landing. They were already too fearful and too large to catch. He was told by someone that they had been dumped in very early spring, at which time we could probably have caught them at such an early age. DH goes by to feed them several times a week, but there is no catching them. They are some of the most fearful dogs I've ever seen, and I grew up in a family where we regularly took in strays or orphaned wild animals of all sorts and either kept them or rehomed them. DH and I currently have seven dogs, five of which were strays which we intend to keep for their lifetimes. We simply cannot take in or keep anymore dogs, even if we could catch these.

This is a very rural, economically depressed county. I have contacted two organizations from an adjoining county and can get no help from them.

The mosquitoes and ticks are terrible in the area where they are living. I have seen what ticks will do if allowed to go unchecked; they will gather on the spine which will cause a type of paralysis. Of course, the dogs also now most likely have heartworms.

I wish people who are irresponsible by not having their dogs spayed or neutered would give some thought, or cared enough about suffering, not to do this to puppies. If I had one of those tranquilizer guns, I would use it, and at least get these dogs to a shelter where they could be euthanized humanely.

The thing is I can't stand not to feed these dogs when I know we are their only source of food, but it will be hard to watch their slow demise, not to mention the extra expense.
 
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#2 ·
Is there a way you can borrow a dog trap (large cage trap) and try to catch them and bring them in? Just an idea (tho you must be careful and you should know what you are doing.. they might advise you if you show a willingness to do the work as a volunteer).

Whether you feed them or not they will have a slow demise and neither will be kind.
 
#7 ·
Just an idea.. sometimes the State Environmental (wildlife) folks have equipment (traps etc.). They MIGHT help you out.

Or you could just stop doing what you are doing and let it go. Sometimes terrible situations not of our making are also beyond anything reasonable we can do. You have been doing something but short of shooting the dogs, it sounds like you have only two other choices. Continue your current program knowing they will die eventually or stop your current program and let it go. Catching the dogs, which are very feral and who will likely bite you (requiring they be euthed and head sent for rabies testing) is the only other alternative, which you say you cannot do.

Your choice. Keep on with what you are doing or walk away. No magic dust to fix this.
 
#8 ·
When there's no local humane society isn't the local police or city council responsible? You could try calling them. That's what it was like where I grew up. We had many strays out where I lived. Someone from city council would somehow come up with a cage and try to trap the dogs, because they could bite someone and be dangerous to the community. Of course, if they couldn't trap them, city council would designate someone to shoot them.
 
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