It’s A Dog’s Life … Literally

Reader Contribution by Lois Hoffman
Published on June 2, 2015
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Just when we think we are in control of our lives, life throws a curve ball. This is exactly what happened last Friday night. I drove in the driveway with my best-laid plans for working in the yard mapped out in my mind when what stood there staring at me but a dog. I don’t have a dog – or didn’t up until that time.

It had no collar and no ID of any kind and it looked to be about a year-old Black Lab mix. While it was playful and not vicious at all, it was obvious it had been on its own for a while since it was thin and was flea and tick infested. That could only mean it was lost or dropped off. If it was the latter, shame on whoever would commit such a cruel act.

The first thing I did was call the local Animal Control, who is already working limited hours through the week because of being understaffed, under-funded and full to capacity with stray dogs and cats. So, they certainly didn’t work the weekend. All I could think of was “Why me?” and “Why on a Friday night?” I guess Fido and I would spend the weekend together.

All my friends that saw him thought I should just keep him. I do like dogs but, when the timing is right for me, I want to adopt the dog and not the other way around. Sherri, a good friend from work, suggested that I take a photo of him and put it on Facebook. Whether you are a fan of social media or not, this avenue is great for getting the word out in situations like these.

Things do happen for a reason and this was no exception. Through this ordeal I learned a lot about dealing with strays. First of all, if you don’t notify Animal Control within two days of finding a stray, you are breaking the law. If you leave a dog or cat anywhere without permission, including a shelter, you are committing a crime. This next fact blows my mind: If you feed and shelter a dog for four days, it becomes your property and your responsibility. What was I supposed to do over the weekend?

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