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What to do with a stray dog?

  • 04-11-2010 10:34pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 117 ✭✭


    We're looking for advice about what to do with a stray dog we found. Details here.

    It was dark and he was roaming on a busy road near Corrandulla in Galway, we saw a couple of cars nearly hit him (we nearly hit him ourselves!) so we stopped and picked him up. He had no collar. We checked with the nearest houses and no joy. He's a nice dog, I think he's had a tough day - he seemed tired and stressed. However, he appears in good condition - nice coat/not hungry. We think he is someone's pet.

    We've brought him home for now and will bring him to the vet tomorrow to check for a chip and to get him checked over. We've left our details with the nearest shop to where we found him, we might drop over a flyer tomorrow.

    We're not in a position to keep him - but dont know what to do with him. Hopefully the vet may advise us tomorrow, but we would appreciate any advice....


Comments

  • Moderators, Recreation & Hobbies Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Regional North West Moderators Posts: 6,924 Mod ✭✭✭✭Cherry Blossom


    There are a fair few lost and found sites on the internet you could post that on. Also ring round all your local vets, the pound, any local animal shelters and the local garda station, leave your contact details in case the owner contacts them. Anywhere really that you would think to look for a dog if you lost one. If the chip route doesn't work out that is.


  • Registered Users Posts: 7,842 ✭✭✭shinikins


    Well done for taking hiim in, so many people leave dogs to stray when they could easily help. He's a beauty too!

    As you've taken him in your legally obliged to report him to your local Garda Station and to the nearest pounds, and to advertise him as found. Many newspapers do not charge for lost and found ads.

    Check online to see if he's been reported lost, and post a found ad too. www.lostandfound.ie is a great site.

    Your local vet will scan for a chip for free, and many will give him a very quick once over in the process. Vet's are also great to get the numbers of local rescue services as they work with many of them. Post a found ad there too, as many people visiting the vet will be willing to take in another dog, i have a friend who's pet were all found this way!!

    Try to keep him for as long as you can, sometimes rescue shelters are full to capacity but may be able to find a space in a few days, or a week.

    Ask around your friends to see if they can rehome him, stick his picture up on Facebook and ask your friends to repost it-you may find him a new home that way!

    If all else fails, there is a rescue in the Uk called ManyTears that takes in dogs from Ireland, its shocking the amount of beautiful Irish dogs that have to be sent there to be rehomed, but on the upside, they are finding wonderful homes. I'm afraid I don't have any contact details for their Irish reps, but i'm sure you could contact them directly to ask for a name of someone here in Ireland.

    Best of luck with him!


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,458 ✭✭✭ppink


    We had a stray one year at Halloween, he had travelled 5 miles from his home! I didn't really know what to do either but i put it out on local radio and it worked well as sure enough someone rang. The girl gave me the dogs name over the phone as a check and it was him!!
    He was a nice dog and had stayed in our house for the few days by the fire, nice and cosy:D.
    Another 3 strays we sent to a local rescue, we held them until there was a space for a few weeks.
    Well done for taking him in:)


  • Registered Users Posts: 117 ✭✭Bruscar


    Thanks for the feedback.

    I really think he's someone's pet. He appears to be housetrained, he's good on the lead. But when we checked some houses near where we found him and one guy said he's seen him further up (on) the road earlier in the afternoon.

    The dog very friendly - but he is an intact male - which is not great news for our (neutered) pup. The lab is very dominant over our pup (putting him down on the ground, continually trying to mount him etc), our dog is now nervous around him, so we're just keeping them separate.

    We'll inform garda/vets in the area/local rescues etc. Local radio is a good idea too.

    We're going away later next week, so fingers crossed we find his owner before then.... might try some of the local rescues in case the owner doesn't show, but I figure they're all over stretched as it is.


  • Registered Users Posts: 3,412 ✭✭✭toadfly


    Well done, dread to think what could have happened if ye hadnt picked him up.

    Ring the pound but please dont leave the dog in there, he has a good chance of being PTS after 5 days. You only have to inform them you have the dog, you dont have to leave him in. A friend of mine recently found a little dog, she rang the warden and he told her she had to bring the dog in which isnt true.

    The galway rescues are MADRA (Connemara area), GSPCA and EGAR (both out near Porumna/Loughrea). I think they are all very full but MADRA might be able to help.

    ETA: all three rescues are on facebook, maybe just post a pic to their walls someone might recognise the dogs.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭Tranceypoo


    If he's an intact male, he may have smelled a bitch in heat and escaped so he could be a good few miles from home at this stage.

    Well done for taking him in and great advice from other posters, would reiterate not to bring him to the pound if at all possible as he may not come out again :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 117 ✭✭Bruscar


    Thanks everyone for the advice.

    We did the web sites, gardai, local radio, pound etc - but no owner. Checked with the vet and no chip. We rang the shelters and got to speak to one shelter who advised us to contact the dog warden. She said he gives her dogs and from a legal point of view it is best. I'm not sure about other people's experiences but warden we dealt with was really nice and definitely seemed an advocate for the dog. Apparently since Halloween there have been lots of dogs lost and there are many frantic owners looking for their pets.

    The warden said he would collect the dog, but in the mean time we had found a home for him. This is a benefit of giving the dog to the warden - transfer of ownership is much longer if he isn't handed over. If they get a dog, the local authority keep it five days can they can then 'dispose' of the dog - and the person to whom they give the dog can actually become the owner. But once he's handed over to the local authority they can do what they want - give him to a shelter, transfer ownership to someone else, or indeed the dreaded PTS.

    We were not keen to unsettle/stress this dog by putting him in the pound for a week. And of course there were always the (even slight) risk that he is PTS. Also, even best case scenario, should his owner not appear, he'd go into the system and be in limbo until he's re-homed. We could at least bypass limbo. So we informed the warden about the new home and were instructed to supply them with details of the description etc and where he can be located in case the owner gets in touch.

    We have him another few days and then he goes to his new home, unless/until his owners get in touch. Hopefully he'll be happy in his
    new home, certainly our own dog will be happy when he leaves ;)


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,531 ✭✭✭Tranceypoo


    That is great news Bruscar, so glad you found a home yourself, think you're 100% right about avoiding the 'in limbo' period and keeping him out of the stress of the pound. Hopefully the new owners will get him neutered and he might be less inclined to wander!!


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