Contributing Post by: Aleka Smith
Sandstone Falls, the largest waterfall on the New River
Gorge, spans 1500 feet wide and is a huge attraction among local West
Virginians and tourists alike. The falls are stunning, the boardwalk walkway suitable
for those who want an easy tread, and the atmosphere perfect for a day out. The
location, however, is ideal for animal abandonment due to its middle-of-nowhere
location.
On Saturday, May 14th, I took one of my best
friends there to walk my own dogs and show her some of the beauty in this state
I now call home. Upon our arrival, we noticed two female dogs, obviously pregnant
or at least recently had given birth, lying in the parking lot chewing on
sticks. My first thought was, “those dogs better not have been abandoned.”
Well, we soon realized they were.
One, a stunning older black mix, was injured and struggling
to walk. The other, a tan possibly Shar Pei, had a severe case of mange, a
serious skin condition caused by parasitic mites. Mange is highly contagious to
other dogs. It was evident both dogs hadn’t been well cared for in a long time.
I had taken my own dogs out of the car and proceeded on our walk, only to
realize these two stray dogs were tagging along behind us. We turned back and put my dogs back into the
car, upon which the black dog jumped right along in with them. Not knowing how
any of the dogs would react to each other and concerned about exposing my dogs
to the mange, we got her back out of the car and began what would become a
three hour ordeal to get some help.
Between phone calls to a non-emergency line, the local humane
society, park rangers, and an on-call Animal Control Officer (hereby referred
to as ACO), both pups were finally rescued on that chilly Saturday and taken to
the local no-kill shelter for medical evaluation. Later that day I contacted
the humane society and although the dogs required a great deal of medical
treatment, they were thankfully safe.
I am grateful for not only an iPhone where I could use the
4G Internet, but also an area where I had service. Not many places in the back
woods of West Virginia have cell phone service. I am also fortunate enough to
have friends who provided me with important numbers to try and get these dogs
saved and a best friend who sat beside me in my car for three hours to keep me
calm.
Here a few tips to
keep in mind if you come upon a stray animal wandering in an area:
Consider your options
to either get involved yourself in handling the animal(s) or to call for
assistance.
1) You do not know the temperament or health of the animal
you have stumbled upon. If you have pets, have them keep their distance and try
to not let them near the stray animal. I was fortunate the two I came across
were friendly, but if they weren’t, it could have escalated into a dogfight
situation I may not have been able to control. Also, if the dog with mange got
in contact with my dogs, I may have ended up with a serious case of mange in my
house, costing me my wallet at the vet and constant worry over their health.
2) Keep treats, a leash and gloves in your car AT ALL TIMES.
It would be a good idea to keep a cat carrier in the car as well. Not all lost
or abandoned animals are dogs.
Thanks to those goodies, I was able to help the ACO lure the
dogs into his vehicle for safe traveling. Those two dogs were obviously very
wary of men, and without the use of treats to gain their trust it could have
taken even longer to get them to safety.
3) Use your resources:
Make a note of contact numbers and non-emergency numbers for
the areas you frequently visit, and keep them stored on your phone as well as
written on an actual piece of paper and kept in the glove box. Without cell
service your phone’s contact list won’t be of much use.
4) Know your county’s rules and regulations:
I could not have
taken those dogs to the local humane society because I was not a resident of
that county. I could only take them to my county’s humane society, which I would
have done if I didn’t have my dogs in the backseat. Many counties restrict who
can drop off animals and time frames to do so.
Rabies regulations have to be enforced and every county has
its rules. So unless you are willing to transport the stray back to your own
local shelter, you’ll need to find someone who can help. Hopefully, someone from
that area can transport the animal to the closest shelter or perhaps even keep
them for the night just to get them out of weather.
5) Report a stray animal.
Although the animal may not appear dangerous, don’t assume
you can predict how a scared, injured animal will react. You don’t want to put
yourself or any pets you may have with you at risk. Should the situation call
for a hands off approach, call for assistance and wait for help to come. Don’t
just call and leave, try to keep an eye on the animal and use treats to keep it
nearby.
6) Know if an ACO (Animal Control Officer) is on duty 24/7
or if only 5 days a week. An on-call ACO came that afternoon due to the dogs
being in a public place and possibly being a threat to others. If no one would
have deemed the situation an emergency, those dogs would have waited until
Monday, where there is the hope a friendly citizen would have sought help.
7) DO NOT ASSUME ANOTHER PERSON IS GOING TO HELP. My friend
and I witnessed at least 12 people walk by those dogs without a care in the
world. The dogs were following people to their cars and getting doors shut in
their faces. It was heartbreaking to witness. If you won’t help, who will?
Please, please don’t let your fears or unwillingness to take
the time and get involved, result in your doing nothing in these situations.
Animals cannot speak for themselves and to just assume someone else will come
upon the animal and help is an assumption that may cost the stray dearly. It’s
a very real possibility that a sick, injured or neglected animal that requires
immediate medical attention would die if left alone without food or shelter.
A REMINDER FOR ALL
8) Please spay and neuter your pets. Local humane societies
often have voucher programs where pets can be fixed at a discounted rate. Help
keep the population down by decreasing the puppies that are bred every day. Did
you know that one female dog can produce up to 100 puppies in her lifetime and
a male dog can father thousands? Do you know thousands of individuals who want
puppies at any given time due to one male dog? I don’t, but I do know that the
2-4 million dogs who are euthanized in shelters every year will never get the
forever homes they deserve.
9) Lastly, adopt, don’t shop. Do your research into puppy
mills and the horror of the industry. Realize that puppy auctions do exist and
females are bred over and over again just to produce the cute puppies sold in
pet stores at a price that could rescue multiple animals at a humane society.
An animal is a forever friend, not a possession that can be discarded when it’s
no longer wanted.
This article was not meant as a lecture, but rather an
informative piece for those who don’t know the animal welfare system. I hope
you learned something, and I encourage you to ask questions, get involved in
your community (whether that’s a humane society, rescue group, or by adopting
your next pet), and stand up for those who need us to be their voice. Thank
you.
