Dog Wardens / Staffie Cross @ Millhouse Park

[Frisbee95 10]

I complained about the gate at one of the entrances to Graves Park via the web site http://www.WriteToThem.com and blow me, it worked. It even works out who you ought to be writing to.

[Evei 10]

The only way to do anything about things like this is to take it up with your council (councillor).

People often moan - but to the wrong people.

 

I think dog owners should take more responsibility.

 

In the end we only have ourselves to blame if a dog gets lost (unless it has been stolen). I just don't understand how a dog can be lost for long if it is tagged and chipped unless the person with it does not want it to be found I've lost a dog for an hour. It is a horrible feeling, it was well before chipping, a tag meant that someone had rang home within 20 minutes of her being lost. Unknown at the time as mobile phones were not common, they rang from a phone box and left their address and we went and picked her up once we got the message after giving up hope of finding her in the woods.

 

It makes me wonder about the data on found dogs. What % of them are reclaimed by the owner? How many (%) are purposely let loose to be picked up as the owner does not want them any more (dogs not claimed)? What % of owners lose their dog regularly and are repeat offenders?

 

Is there actually a big problem with dogs when they are tagged? Or is it the owners that don't tag that are causing the problem which really should not exist if the dog was tagged?

 

And how many are lost but searched for and never found? This must be a small % and I often think that these dogs are stolen or taken in by people.

 

Sorry for the rant but I do think some of us dog owners could also do a lot more! For the dog aware, it does not take much to read a dogs tag and ring a number and be safe, but this relies on the owner doing their bit first! Chipping is useless if your in a middle of a park with an unknown dog, a tag is not.

Edited August 21, 2012 by Evei

[AuntieBiz 10]

Firstly, well done for caring enough. That's the most important bit.

 

A few points though. Animal rescues are maxed out more than ever right now, not only is it the regular summer season when fosterers are on holiday, people dump animals to go on holiday etc. plus the recession is biting and more animals are being dumped. Most rescues/sanctuaries are in crisis right now, it would be lovely if they had rows of empty kennels and a cash waterfall splashing over, but they don't. Rescue spaces are harder and harder to find and rescues cannot always simply take an animal off the street. They certainly don't need to advertise to get animals.... and I'm not surprised they were short, given that someone is berating them down the phone for "not helping enough"

 

Secondly, when do you work? Dog wardens can't work 24/7 just like you can't - and pound/dog wardens are not seen as a priority so receive very little funding other than the bare bones.

 

There's a lot of work goes on in animal rescue after a dog has done it's "time" at the pound if unclaimed..that is when the rescues come in. They can't do everything, it's just not possible - especially if there is no secure space, there are other animals in there to think of, they can't just accept an unknown, unassessed dog by phone call, even just for one night.

 

I was not berating them, I was simply asking for advice and help to prevent a dog potentially causing an accident, there was no need for the retort or attitude I received down the telephone. I'm well aware of the contraints animal charities work under, however the response was unhelpful and did nothing to help the situation and most importantly the dog we were trying to help.

[AuntieBiz 10]

Millhouses not that big a park, all the time this was going on, there was no-one looking for the dog?

 

Obviously the person at the sanctuary shouldn't have been rude, but you have no idea what was going on there at the time, and they are volunteers after all. They can't take strays in at a moment's notice and transfer them to the pound either I suppose.

 

The answer might be a slight increase on the council tax to pay for a 24/7warden service?

 

My husband took out two dogs and went looking for the owner, we were also told when we first got to the park by another couple with a dog that there was a stray running around. If the owner had been there as you say Millhouses is small enough for them to have hopefully made themselves known and perhaps other people could have pointed us in their direction or vice versa.

 

I wasn't suggesting the sanctuary drop everything and take this dog, I was hoping for advice as to whether they could hols the dog until the wardens came out.

 

If we had released the dog because nobody was willing to help and aslo becasue the wardens could not come out then think about this. The dog causes a road traffice accident.....so what resources are required, ambulance, paramedic, fire engine, police, etc etc etc. People may have been injured, the dog may well have been killed. The cost of all of the above surely warrants having someone available.

[AuntieBiz 10]

The only way to do anything about things like this is to take it up with your council (councillor).

 

People often moan - but to the wrong people. I totally understand what you are saying - its very frustrating to anyone who finds a dog - its horrible if you have lost your dog and they are just left to run around and probably get run over, and its hard for people in rescue who cannot do anything to help either. You are right to complain about it - just please - if you feel strongly enough - then raise it officially its the only way anything can get done.

 

The council meet the criteria set (supposedly) by the Govt and their consituency. People complain like mad about dog muck, litter bins etc., nobody complains about strays having somewhere nice to be held, or even have the dog wardens working all the time either.

 

It is a service that will almost certainly get cut down to the bare bones over the next year or so, and it is a service that is now needed more than ever as scum bag owners keep kicking their dogs out on the streets when the don't want to feed or care for them anymore . Some wandering dogs are legitimate strays that have run off or broken free - the majority or from lazy irresponsible owners who think its cheaper to buy a puppy than pay the vet bill for their 4 or 5 year old dog thats eaten away with fleas because they can't be bothered to - or are too thick to, buy a flea prevention for the poor thing.

 

Complain in writing - and please let us know your reply.

 

With regards to complaining about Millhouse - I can only suggest you offer to go and volunteer to help them with the ever increasing overburdening that they an all animal rescues are collapsing under, or set up a standing order for them - to help them even employ a member of staff, pay their vet bills, afford new kennels?

 

Soon I think all rescues will fold because the general public expect so much - yet give so little and thats a genuine statement, and not aimed at you or anyone in particular. Charities and rescues are being asked to help and needed so much at the moment, so little amount of money comes in in reliable regular donations, they simply will not be able to continue running I don't think over the next year. Its that bad.

 

 

I will be complaining to the council for all of the reasons I mentioned in

a previous post, if the dog ahd been left to run about it could have caused an accident. The girls at the pound said the dog was underweight therefore suggesting the poor mite had been a stray for a while and had not 'just escaped' from its owner.

 

In terms of your suggestion to go and volunteer at Millhouses, I can't I already do voluntary work. There was simply no need for the lady to be rude, end of.

 

Rain, I give as much as I can to animal charities to try and help the situation which I know is dire. All of our animals are rescue animals we do what we can and waht we can afford.

 

I feel that the point of my post has been missed. This dog is now safe in the pound, because we managed to sort the situation out. As stated in my first post, what would have happened if we couldn't have sorted the situation out? If we didn't have a car, if our dogs were not friendly to the staffie cross, if I'd been on my own without a phone.

 

Luckily this situation had a satisfactory outcome (if you can call it that) the dog is safe and away from harm and will be fed and looked after whislt at the pound. The outcome could have been so much different and so much worse.

[Squiggs 11]

 

Is there actually a big problem with dogs when they are tagged? Or is it the owners that don't tag that are causing the problem which really should not exist if the dog was tagged?

 

Took an old staffy down south on her way to a sanctuary for the more elderly/infirm animals at the weekend. 6.5kg when she was picked up, you could put your hands around her abdomen and overlap your fingers

 

That dog was microchipped but owner had moved and can't be traced (though dog warden is trying to trace owner herself to forward to RSPCA)

 

Sadly the problem even exists with some tagged/chipped dogs.

 

I seriously don't think we're too many years from becoming one of those countries (that we currently like to "tut" at and pretend we're "a nation of animal lovers") having scrawny street dogs foraging as a common sight.

[AuntieBiz 10]

I agree - if you are kind enough to 'find' a dog then it becomes yours to find a home for (even the pound). A bit like when my son was little, if he kicked a can he found in the street I made him own it, and he had to pick it up until he found a bin to put it in.

 

I found a dog during the snow and took it to Springfield vets at Gleadless for scanning etc. I left it as I had an appointment to go to and although I offered to return later they said they would keep it and deal with the issue. They managed to find the owners via the scan (it didn't have a tag on the collar or I'd have phoned the owners myself) but they definitely 'took ownership' of the problem.

 

I guess it depends on the vet. Perhaps next time you find a stray it's worth a phone around different vets?

 

The sad thing of course, based on your experience this time, is that next time you might decide that you have to leave the 'stray' to its own devices.

 

So hard to know what to do, I know.

 

PS I am also mindful that when a dog gets into the pound, the owners have to pay a hefty (though reasonable) fee to retrieve their animal. And these costs can swiftly escalate beyond what some people can afford so I would do my best to keep the dog out of the pound for as long as possible. Saying that, if everyone made sure that their loved pet was collared/tagged and chipped, when we find a dog it could be identified without having to go near the pound.

 

We would never have left the dog, we couldn't we're animal lovers and were concerned for this poor little lad however a lot of people may do just that, in fact they already had seeing as the dog was running loose. I guess this situation will never be resolved until owners are more responsible or the council make more funds available for wardens 24/7 and I guess that will never happen.

[AuntieBiz 10]

Took an old staffy down south on her way to a sanctuary for the more elderly/infirm animals at the weekend. 6.5kg when she was picked up, you could put your hands around her abdomen and overlap your fingers

 

That dog was microchipped but owner had moved and can't be traced (though dog warden is trying to trace owner herself to forward to RSPCA)

 

Sadly the problem even exists with some tagged/chipped dogs.

 

I seriously don't think we're too many years from becoming one of those countries (that we currently like to "tut" at and pretend we're "a nation of animal lovers") having scrawny street dogs foraging as a common sight.

 

I think you have a valid point, microchips are not a complete solution, as you say someone may have the dog chipped and then move away etc, the problem still remains. However in the instance where a dog has escaped and it does have an owner that cares, reuniting them would be faster, in some cases eliminating the need for them going to the pound or ending up in a rescue. We found a cat (who had [practically adopted us) and we took it to Springfield at Gleadless and it was chipped, had been missing for about a month but was reunited it's owner. So much simpler when they're chipped.

[Meter Man 15]

I think the least a council should offer is a 24 hr drop off point for dogs that are found (out of hrs) that way it could cut down on the risk of a stray dog causing a accident .

[AuntieBiz 10]

I've written to all three of the councillors who represent me and will wait with interest to see what they have to say.

[Evei 10]

Sadly the problem even exists with some tagged/chipped dogs.

 

I seriously don't think we're too many years from becoming one of those countries (that we currently like to "tut" at and pretend we're "a nation of animal lovers") having scrawny street dogs foraging as a common sight.

 

The dogs situation is down to laziness of the owner. It takes 10 minutes on the phone and a tenner to get your chip changed to the correct address. It costs £6 to have a new tag engraved. It is the dogs owners that are to blame. They clearly do not care, drives me mad. What is 10 minutes of your time to ensure your own dog is safe? After my family my dog is the next most important thing in my life, I think some people care more about their cash cards than they do their dog.

 

I think the Staffy is very lucky to have found you and the rescue I always try to catch a stray, I would feel so responsible if I did not try and it killed itself and someone due to a RTA.

 

My point before is that we should be hammering poor dog owners and not the council for proving a service because people are selfish and uncaring towards their pets. Amongst dog owners it should be socially unacceptable to have a dog with no tag, it is the law too! I agree it would be ideal to have 24 hour wardens, however that is not going happen, instead we should be making it unacceptable for owners to get away with not caring enough to put a £6 tag on a dog or spend 10 minutes on the phone changing chip details.

Edited August 21, 2012 by Evei

[vwkittie 10]

I agree with Evei it's the LAW to have a tag on your dog with your name and address, yet hardly anyone seems to bother. It's easy and cheap and could mean that your dog can be walked to your house in 10 mins rather than end up at the pound. Why people don't have tags (and up to date microchip as a backup) I really cannot understand. There's even different types of tags that go over the collar if you don't like having a dangling tag (personally though I like this though as it makes a noise so you can hear the dog too!).

 

Also if people didn't just leave their dogs outside unsupervised I bet there'd be less that go missing - how many times have we heard on this forum alone 'escaped (or worse stolen) from garden' etc