Stray Dog

medders2604

Hi all,

Just looking for a bit of advice please a friend of mine lives on a main road with bushes and trees on far side of the road. For the last couple of weeks a dog has been living in these bushes.

Several people have been feeding it so no problem there however it does keep running across the road and has several times nearly caused an accident with cars swerving to miss it and nearly hitting cars coming the other way.

They have called RSPCA, dog warden, police and no-one will help catch the dog my friend has been feeding it along with lots of other people but noone can get near enough to put a lead and collar on. It does seem to be very very nervous of people.

Any suggestions on how to catch it or of someone that can help catch it and save there being a nasty accident? There are at least half a dozen people that are more than happy to rehome it after getting it checked over by a vet so it's not just going to end up in a kennel.

Thanks in advance

foreign_correspondent

ideally you need to borrow a humane dog trap and put food in it - but someone needs to be able to check it very frequently, as there is always a risk a fox or other wild animal could get trapped in it. The RSPCA have access to these, nationally at least.

The other thing is, when you do catch it, it may be scared enough to bite - it does not know you are there to help it, and it is not about to be killed - so it would be best if the rspca or DW could captue it as they have the kit to hold it safely with minimal risk.

Where in the country are you?

medders2604

My friend is in Sheffield she has called dog warden three times nand was told they would call back still nothing., RSPCA said if its not injured they cannot help just catch it and they will collect if necessary but the catching is the problem. Local vets said same as RSPCA and another charity said they are not allowed to come and catch it they have done before and ended up in trouble over it.
They have set up a large dog cage all covered over with blankets and food inside but it will not go inside, they managed to get it onto the patio that they though was secure but it found a tiny gap squeezed through and ran away again.
Think they need someone with one of the big hoops on a stick things to catch it as has just run over the road again and missed being hit by centimetres as car swerved if a car had been coming other way there would have been one hell of a smash and prob ended up with more than the dog hurt.

foreign_correspondent

i think if I was getting no joy from the DW, I would ring the police and raise the potential for a serous accident with them.

Bear in mind that if the DW catches it, it will have to serve its seven days in the pound, then will only be released to your friend if someone is willing to pay for it - may be as much as £100.

mrcol1000

If the dog is running around in the road or there is potential for it running across the road it is a police matter. However your be lucky to find a police officer who would get involved with a stray dog which on occasion runs across the road.
The dog warden also probably doesn't have the resources to come out everytime the dog is seen.
The best way forward is to get the dogs trust by feeding it and then get the dog warden to come once you have got its trust and it will come to you.
The big loops are more for catching dangerous dogs and controlling them while keep them at a distance. They wouldn't be much good for a fast moving dog.

YorkiePud_3

.. and with the loop catchers, you are relying on the dog staying still whilst you get the loop over its head and tighten it ... it's a VERY fiddly job to use one.

Do you think it is getting more nervy with all those different people trying to get it? Maybe it would be an idea just to have one person put food out for it ... then it can (hopefully) come to recognise that one person and not feel threatened by a "mob" if you see what I mean.

If there are problems with loose dogs on the road here, our fab Dog Warden makes a point of driving round each day to try and get them. Like she says, it's the damage that could occur to the dog AND to whoever is in the car that it forces off the road because everyone's instincts is to swerve if they see a dog in the road.

Btw I am only in a small town, so I guess my Dog Warden isn't as stretched as some and perhaps that is why she is so accessible and able to help that way.

Basically the only people who will sit out and watch for it and try to catch it is yourselves ... but I would really think about just having one person going over to leave food out for it ... the animal must be scared being beside a road but to have different strangers coming over like that might just be making it worse.

dieselhead

Sorry can't be of help but I am shocked out of all these agency's no-one will help, thats what they are all supposed to be there for, shocking!!!!

medders2604

Thanks for your help everyone, my friend has been telling everyone to leave it alone and just let one person feed it to gain trust but she is struggling to catch everyone and tell them as there are now so many people stopping off every day to feed it. (Will def not starve at this rate its eating loads - maybe worms so will need to be sorted once it gets caught)
It has been in same area now for a couple of weeks at least prob staying there as knows it will get fed!
I've trawled the internet and given my mate a nice long list of dog charities in the area to see if any can help the police were as much use as RSPCA and just said no get in touch with DW they would refer it to them even if (more likely when) it causes an accident as they no longer have anything to do with dogs!
Grrrrrrr so frustrating my mate was sat out in the rain till 2am this morning trying to gain its trust by sitting still and just giving it little treats but it never gets quite close enough to be grabbed.

lavidaloca

Will it come near to any other dogs? Just thinking if it is a male and you can find someone with a female dog in season you may be able to entice it into a closed area in order to catch it. Good luck.

hethmar

It is the dog warden who should be coming to collect the dog. Ring your council department about it. Remember dogs that are taken in as strays are giving 7 days to be collected and are then put to sleep.

medders2604

Its a female already had that idea thanks.
Council will only send the dog warden to collect once it has been caught, once its caught no problem as there are plenty of people willing to take it to the vets then take it home with them if no chip found but its the catching it thats the problem.