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Dear ,
What do you do if you encounter an abandoned dog? Or if, in the spirit of St. Valentine, you decide you need to help out and give the gift of caring to our devoted friends? This newsletter gives you all the tips and resources you need.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Thank you so much,
Sidra, David and Tongka |
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We know you love your dog and treat him or her like a little prince or princess. We also know that not all dogs are lucky like yours, they don’t live in a warm house, they don’t have food every day or they are mistreated.
There are many stray dogs around the world. This is a delicate and somewhat sad topic to deal with, so we asked ourselves what we can do to improve the lives of dogs and humans.
We know that the reasons that push a human being to abandon his dog are many, we don’t want to judge, but to understand why it happens. In this way we can help people and their 4-legged friends!
Let’s see what are the most common reasons that lead to dog abandonment.
1 A new place
The new house is too small, it does not have a garden, the condominium or the landlord does not admit dogs, they move to a foreign state and the travel is too expensive to take the dog too… so in the new life there is no place for Fido. Moreover, if the move occurs as a result of family problems such as divorce, or serious economic problems, it is even more difficult to think about the dog because the priorities become different.
2 A New Child
Yes, for years we have taken care of our beloved little dog, but when a child arrives, the dog becomes pointless … it could hurt the child, it could cause allergies and diseases, or simply … the house suddenly is too small for the new family. 3 Diseases or death of the owner
When someone get ill, there are many difficulties to face. There are a lot of expenses, medical visits, sometimes travels or a limited life that does not allow them to take care of the dog, neither economically nor psychologically. Furthermore, with the death of the owner who has no other relatives or friends, specially if he or she is elderly, there is no longer anyone to take care of the dog.
4 Behavioral Problems
The dog is no longer that cute furry puppy. It bites everything, pees in the house, barks at night, digs in the garden. Or it is aggressive and dangerous. In a nutshell, we can’t manage it and train it to do anything, the problem gets worse and worse, until the tragic solution, abandon it.
5 The Family Expands
We took a beautiful dog that we love so much … but it’s female, and we end up with 6 puppies! It takes more money, more time, more attention and more house cleaning!
Knowledge and Prevention!
In our hearts we know that we could never abandon our dog. But many people perhaps think the same way and then find themselves in extreme situations. For this reason it is essential to think about the future and to consider the dog as a member of the family in every respect.
Let see how to avoid the problem in the first place and remember that most solutions come from planning.
It’s Time to Take Action!
Prevention is important, but what to do if the situation has gone further and we can no longer keep the dog?
If you find in one of these situation you can find a good solution for you and for your dog.
If you know a friend or a neighbor who is living the same problem, you can help them and their dog. 1 Find a new family. Take some photos and write a nice description to introduce your dog to the potential new family. You can print the ads and put them at school, in the library, at work, in a shopping center and in shops, (ask the owners for permission). You can also take advantage of websites like Craiglist or others. Describe the dog well: age, character and situation without lying about the “problems”. Maybe the dog is old and with some health problems? There are people looking for a quiet and reliable dog, not everyone is looking for puppies! Maybe he is a very lively and somewhat domineering dog who loves to bite objects?
There will be a young and active family who is not afraid of challenges!
You can do the same thing to help a friend or relative in the same situation and offer to help them find a new family for his dog or puppies.
2 Help a friend or a neighbor with their dog. When friends or relatives have difficulties with the dog, you can help them. Maybe they have economic or health problems that don’t allow them to take care of the dog.
You can offer to take the dog for a walk, to feed him, to play with him every now and then.
If they have to leave, you may temporarily adopt the dog and then look for a new family.
3 Donate local. There are many associations that deal with animals. You could make a donation to them or … take charge of a friend or relative’s dog.
For example you could pay for sterilization, or pay some training lessons if the dog has behavioral problems.
In this way you can act in a concrete way and solve a problem before the dog has to get to a shelter or a kennel.
4 Ask an association for help. If efforts to find a new family have failed, or it is too late and the dog no longer has a family and home, contact the local associations in your city. Many veterinarians colaborate with these associations and will be able to give you phone numbers and addresses or advise you on what to do. In addition, there are associations active nationally, among the most important associations in the United States there are:
5 Report abuse to authority. If you know people who mistreat dogs, do not feed them properly and do not take care of them, you can contact the authorities. There are delicate issues that require a lot of caution, even for your safety. Yet if you are sure that a neighbor or someone in your city mistreats or beats the dog repeatedly, if you find cases of malnutrition or abandonment, report the case to the authorities.
Avoid acting directly, arguing with people or interfering, do not try to free the dog or enter the property!
Instead, call a local animal control agency, if the mistreatment is serious and constitutes a crime you can call 911. However, the laws are very different from one state to another, if the police do not intervene or prefer to make an anonymous report call PETA at 757- 622-7382.
Conclusion
The reasons for abandoning a dog are many. Not everyone has the same sensitivity towards animals, moreover many things can happen in life that lead us to difficult choices. Many associations work to give shelter and welcome to stray dogs, but as citizens and animal lovers, we can also do a lot as individuals.
Abandonment can be prevented thanks to the information and concrete help of each of us.
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