Called the dog warden today

[gempud]

I had to call the dog warden today at work as there was a stray dog hanging around. We're on an industrial estate with trucks and forklifts whizzing round all over the place so it wasn't safe for the dog or the people who work there. It was obviously starved as it was so skinny you could see all its bones. Apparently it had been wandering into the area for about 4 weeks but no one had bothered to report it.

 

I found the woman who I called to report it to be a bit rude. Sighing at me when I said I wasn't sure what kind of dog it was as I had not seen it close up, and sighing again when I said we had not tied it up as no one was willing to go near it to do so in case it was vicious. The dog warden came after about an hour anyway, which I thought was quite quick. I don't know if he got the dog as I was locked away in the office but I do hope it is alright.

 

The thing that annoys me is that I called the warden because I thought I was doing the best thing for the dog as surely it would have starved to death, or of the cold in this weather, or could have been knocked down. But now I have people at work (jokingly) calling me a dog killer as I know the pounds have a policy of putting dogs down after 8 days if not reunited with their owners or rehomed.

 

Now I feel kind of crap about the whole thing and think maybe that it'll be put down now because of me

 

The other thing that bugs me is that my dog was found wandering and brought in by the dog warden and is now with me in a loving home - so I'm hoping the same will happen for this dog.

[TattyBear]

You have definately done the right thing so use that to settle your mind x

[Beancounter]

think about it this way Gempud..... if you had done nothing, then the poor thing would almost definitely have died - starved/frozen to death/been knocked over.

By calling the dog warden and having him taken away, he is at least going to have somewhere warm to sleep tonight, some decent food, and a chance of a loving home in the future.

Without you, he would not have even had that chance.

[msbehavin]

Maybe you could ask the dog warden to keep you in touch with where the dog goes then maybe one of the dog rescue charities could go in and save him?

[medusa]

Don't let the doubt enter your mind gempud. You've done the most appropriate thing in the circumstances- this dog could be a straying family pet that has been reported missing and microchipped (and now on his/her way home again).

 

What would turning your back on this little one have achieved? In the absence of taking him/her in yourself, calling in the dog warden is the most humane thing I can think of doing. Ignoring his/her plight, and allowing the dog's condition to deteriorate unnecessarily, would be inhumane (and possibly negligently contributing to the dog's death).

 

Tell your work colleagues to stop easing their consciences about not doing anything to help the dog by throwing the blame on you.

[Lotti]

gempud, this is going to sound quite callous but even if it does end up getting put down, what's worse? Roaming the streets frightened, freezing and starving and finally passing away horribly, or going somewhere warm, having the chance of rescue and if the worst comes to the worst, having a peaceful end?

 

Yes, this little one may still die, but not in the horrible way it was destined to.

 

As for the woman on the phone... [sod] her. Even if the dog wasn't vicious, approaching it could've made matters far worse. Much better to get a dog warden with sufficient training, experience and equipment for catching a dog than you or a colleague approach it and it run off into the path of a passing vehicle or go so far out you can't find it to rescue it.

 

When Eddy went missing, I'd probably have found him if someone (who happened to save him in the end) hadn't approached him when he was waiting for me by my car. He would probably have waited until I returned (as that's the first place I went to look) but I think that by approaching him, they scared him off.

 

Don't worry about her, if all she does is sit on the end of the phone and judge others she's not worth the worry.

 

Well done.

[Strix]

I agree with all of the above about the poor dog's chances of being returned or rehomed, and of the fact that the very least you've done is give it an easier end than the one it was clearly heading for

 

As for the attitude of the woman on the phone.... I hope she doesn't behave like that to distraught people looking for their pets too She had no right to talk to you like that, and had it been me phoning her, I'd have been speaking to her line manager

 

All she had to do was ask more appropriate questions to get more useful information She has, presumably, done this before - I'm assuming you haven't?

[Rainrescue]

Hi Gempud

poor thing - it could so easily have been hit by a car as well - and run off injured - poor scaredy mite.

We don't know that Sheffield are destroying and I certainly do not believe they are destroying everything on the 8th day as some kennels are doing. So you never know - someone phoned in from the star today and asked what is happening to the stry dogs both now and when the old kennels get pulled down. the answer was they are going away to find out.

So we may all get to find out in the papers.

I agree with the above - better to be pts than live a life of scrounging on the streets being potentially run over.

rr

[Lotti]

thank you Strix I think I was rather worked up

[gempud]

Thanks for all your kind words....after worrying about it all last night I feel much better for seeing that most people agree with me. It was getting to me that I was getting called 'dog killer' (although jokingly) for doing what I thought was best.

 

After all that worrying though, someone told me today that they have seen the dog wandering again, so either the dog warden didn't turn up - although I'm pretty sure he would have done as he even called us on his way over to say how long he would be - or he couldn't get the dog or the dog had moved on by then.

 

I was thinking today that I am amazed at how changed I am since getting my own dog from rescue. Previously I probably would have tried to call the dog warden but would not have worried about the poor thing half as much as I do now that I own a dog.