Daily Dog Question #17 10/21/07?

Question

So imagine caught your stray. It's 6:30 on a Friday night and your vet is closed. So is the animal shelter. The dog is friendly but is thin, hungry and just scared. Maybe he's sick, maybe he's not... A trip to the emergency clinic is overkill and super expensive.

So now what? What exactly are you going to do with your stray?

This is an extension of yesterday's question about taking ownership and making something your problem. Plus, you have your own animals at home.

It's only one night. The shelter is open in the morning. Your vet is open in the morning. What could possibly go wrong?

I'm not bringing this up to scare anyone; quite the contrary. I want us to all share our knowledge so when it happens to you - and it will - you can take in a stray over night and not put your own dogs at risk!

Are you prepared to quarantine a dog overnight? Do you know what that means?

Have fun and discuss!

I'm not saying you have to take the dog to the shelter, I'm just saying the shelter is closed. You caught the stray and now what? Are you taking it home for one night or what?

KKing - It's ok. Not everyone can take a dog home. =)

People, there aren't any wrong answers here - please don't give thumbs down.

Yeah, I don't get it. all these answers are great. So far, everyone understands the importance of not taking a stray in the house. Which is what I wanted to get across - with this question. And any other tips anyone else had. Why all the dings I don't know! Oh well!

Not everyone can take home a stray dog. You are not a bad person if you can't. Your FIRST Loyalty has to be with your own dogs and keeping them safe. If you have puppies at home that are not completely vaccinated - they are at risk. If you do not have a place to completely quarrantine a dog away from your other dogs - you can't take a stray home. This mean ZERO contact. It also means they can't potty in the same area. EVER. Your dogs potty in the back yard, the stray potties in the front. You have to protect your dogs from any disease this stray may have.

That's why having a crate is important. The stray can sleep in the garage in the crate for the night. It's not the best, but it is temporary. Please don't fault someone for protecting their own dogs. They should do so. Ok? This is why I posted this question - so we can learn from one another.

DDQ #16
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AoekUpCIfl.ExE7S9agjnGjsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20071020151141AAFS1VL

Answer 1

I didn't really know the importance of not bringing the stray in the house - so I've already learned something BEFORE reading the answers. Having read that, I'd definitely keep the stray in a crate in the garage overnight. I'd make sure to make it comfortable as possible and a little food, in case it's hungry. I'd get up first thing in the morning and take it to the proper place - vet, shelter, whatever, but I'd minimize the amount of time. Awesome question!!

Answer 2

I would set up a crate in the garage, or some other part of the house where the resident dogs couldn't come in contact with it. I would give it food and water and try to make it as comfortable as possible until the morning. It would then get a trip to the vet for a general checkup and vacs. Assuming it didn't have anything seriously wrong with it, I would bring it back home and begin to try integrating it into the outside pack. At the same time, I would start contacting appropriate rescue groups to see if there was a foster space somewhere, and get them to list the dog for me. I would also put up flyers in vet's offices, pet supply stores, or use other ways of advertising the dog to potential owners.
If there was some serious medical issue, or extreme behavioral issue, to the point where I thought the dog wouldn't be adoptable, I would have to carefully think about having the dog euthanized.
Taking a healthy, adoptable dog to the shelter would be about the last option, knowing its chances of being placed wouldn't be great.
I have a couple of mixed breed fosters right now, and that's the process I used with them. They weren't exactly strays, rather OGUs from a situation where they might as well have been strays. Fortunately, no medical or behavioral issues, so they're still around, waiting for a home.

Edit: Gee, Cindy, looks like you have an entourage of thumb fairies following you around. They've dinged everyone so far - all seem like reasonable replies.

Answer 3

The first thing I would do is check it over for fleas and skin lesions. I'd also check the teeth and gums and make sure all is well. My dogs are vaccinated, so if everything is OK, I would be cautious, but I'd introduce it to my dogs. (providing they get along)

If the stray had something simple like fleas, I'd take it with me to the pet supply store (in the car only - not inside the pet store) and get some flea shampoo and bathe it. Then in the morning I'd have to get a dewormer and Frontline for all and a bathe my 2 with flea shampoo. After the initial vet check, it would probably become another one of my pets!

ADD:
I don't own a crate and I just wouldn't have the heart to lock it up somewhere. I've been lucky so far and my dogs have not contracted anything from other dogs.

Answer 4

I would put the dog in a crate, then bring it to the shelter in the morning. I done it about 5 times so far with no problem.

Answer 5

I would set up a crate in a room and not allow my dogs to access it. Depending on the stray, I'm not sure if a garage would be the best way to go in a populated area. Could end up with a dog not used to crates barking all nite and disturbing the neighbors.

The next morning, I would be looking to see my vet to the get the dog checked for a microchip.

Answer 6

I'll be perfectly honest here. I am in no position to bring in a stray into my home. My landlord would have a fit, and one of my dogs is aggressive toward unknown animals.

I did meet up with a stray about a year ago that looked injured...and it was in the evening when everything was closed. I called animal control and had them pick the animal up (they take calls 24/7.) At least I knew that he would receive medical attention and be off the streets where he could get injured.

I know that may not be the most ideal situation, but it was the best thing I could do at the time.

Answer 7

Geeze the fairies brought some help tonight! How very sad!

I'd take the dogs home and keep it far away from my dogs. I'd kennel it somewhere in my home until morning. I'd feed and water the dog and I'd make sure it was warm.
Then in the AM call the proper people to come and get the dog.

Well if my vet was open I'd bring the dog there or if the dog warden was available I'd call them but at night they are not.
My only other alternative would be to let the dog go again and I couldn't do that.

Answer 8

Well Im sure Im bound to get a thumbs down too, but frankly I dont care. (:

I would most likely be a little hesitant, I mean.. what if the animal had been abused, and was frightened and bit me? Knowing me with my paranoia, these thoughts would be racing through my head, but at the same time, Id probably call the dog over and see if he could come to me. Im not about to go pick up a dog that obviously doesnt want to be touched, that could be dangerous. If this were the case I would call every place I could think of, theres no way Id be able to sleep knowing I just left this animal by the side of the road.

Now, if he was friendly and willing came to me, Id call him into my car and yes, I would take him home with me and put him in the basement for the night with food and water and one of my big pillows. And I would not let me dogs interact with him, just incase he was ill or something..

Like I said, Im realy paranoid.

Answer 9

I would take him home and keep him separated from my dogs, until morning. Luckily for me my shelter here has people on call at all hours but I wouldnt take him there as they do euthanize. So, I would bring him home until the no kill shelter opens. He would go in my basement through the back door so as to not track anything to my dogs. I would give him food water and something warm to lay on, probably in a cage.

although at this moment I would do nothing as I have 3 five week old pups in my house from a chihuahua I rescued. I could do nothing last month when we had a hurt raccoon I had to call another rescuer in.

Answer 10

Quarantine it in a crate in the garage (my dogs never go there). Potty it in the front yard. Get an ad on Craigslist ASAP and call all the shelters in the area as soon as they open. If it appears to be purebred, call closest breed rescue. Vet appointment ASAP... I have Distemper/Parvo shots in my fridge.. give one of those IMMEDIATELY. Put up ads and fliers with "Found Dog".

If the owner isn't found, there is a whole nother series of things for me to do/decide.

Edit: Bassetnut is right. If I had puppies, *I* wouldn't go near it, however I would phone animal control.