This really RIPS my cord!

[Randy Privett]

:soapbox:We live outside of a small town of about 350 people. It seems like lately, people have been dumping their unwanted animals out in our area of the county. It is not uncommon to have 4 or 5 different dogs running through the area each week. The local area dog shelter has quit taking in dogs that are no longer wanted, they have taken the policy of attending some sort of classes and giving advice on taking care of your animal, before they'll take your dog in for adoption. It has become a mess. Yesterday, I seen a couple in a truck stop behind the shop and dump off a couple of dogs; the guy made them set and stay, got in the truck a sped away down the road. Of course the dogs started running after them. I jumped into the shop truck and after them I went. Them, not being familiar with the area didn't realize that there wasn't that many ways out of the area they were in, I just went to the main road and waited. As they went by I pulled in behind them and followed at a distance. I followed them to a town south of us right up to there door. I than turned around and came home. I went looking for the two dogs and they were down the road from the shop about 2 miles, stranded and lost. After what seemed like a forever, I convinced them to get into the back of the truck. I called my neighbor, who happens to be a Deputy Sheriff, and explained to him what I had seen and I had the dogs with me. Long story shorter, we took the dogs back to the people that had dumped them. The dogs belonged to their kids and they were going to tell them they ran away. They just didn't want to take the responsibility for caring for them. What is wrong with people...

[Frank Fusco]

Some folks think they are doing the dogs a favor by dumping them. Others are simply ignorant and uncaring. IMHO, it is much better to take an unwanted animal to the woods and kill it quickly and humanely. Did you get the license number of the truck and give to Sheriff?

[Matt Meiser]

It doesn't sound like this is the case here, but a big part of the problem is the foreclosure situation. People lose their house and have to move somewhere they can't take the pet.

[Dale Johnson]

Growing up on a farm we always ended up with a stray dog or two, but the school bus driver had a knack for killing them on a regular basis so I never got too attached to them. It was pure luck we ever made it to school. Some people do not deserve to be a pet owner, especially the ones who think cats in town are free range animals.

Randy, good idea with the suspenders on your racal setup. I'll have to do that with mine so it quits pulling my pants off.

[Jonathan Shively]

Randy I am sure it isn't just an Indiana thing. But about two months ago I had two large dogs (shepherd mixes) come towards me as I was out back feeding horses. By the way, in an aggressive mode. Well, they won't do that again. A couple of weeks later, my youngest daughter had a pup die from being kicked by one of her 4H heifers so she was going to bury it back at our pond. Four dogs jumped up and came towards her growling. That day one of them died. A couple of weeks later two of the others (golden retriever types) quite being mean towards people also. Have the spotted one to see since the first day although we had another black dog in the back last Sunday. Since then read in the county paper that many people are complaining of packs of dogs creating havoc in their neighborhoods. Terrible and costly. My dad always preached to us kids not to dump an animal, if we couldn't sell it, give it away, if we couldn't give it away, take it out back and shoot it mercifully. Don't make them someone else's problem.

[Randy Privett]

Frank,

We took the dogs back to them, I guess there's some kind of ordinance about dumping animals. Anyway its out of my hands now, they have the dogs and I'll have to get with my neighbor to find out what happened.

Dale,

I got tired of the belt pulling me down, so I added the helpers. I have a 12 volt DC adapter that converts down to 5V they put out for use with a vehicle and sometimes I use that. I have a 110 AC to 12V DC adapter to get away from the heavy battery, but with that, I'm always tethered to the 110 outlet. But it's a lot lighter.

[Steve Schlumpf]

Randy - I understand your 'controlled' anger at the situation and want to congrat you on taking action. You saved the dogs from a life of misery and also prevented someone from being harmed once these animals became aggressive.

Jonathan - been in your situation and took the same action you did! Years ago I lived on the coast of Alabama and for some reason folks would drive down our dirt road, drop off their dogs and then leave. After a while the dogs started running in packs and became very aggressive towards people. The year before I moved there (1977) a pack attacked and killed a 3 year old boy and then disappeared into the woods/swamp. Oh - there were multiple packs. I was always concerned as my son was 3 at the time and he would play outside with his young cousins. I remember being out squirrel hunting one day and was walking back towards the house on our dirt road and had the pack come running out of the woods - between me and the house - and the leader decided to charge me. Looked like a rott/mix, about 80 to 90 lb male and he definately wanted a piece of me! That was his last memory! I figured that if the pack had gotten to the point they were willing to take on an adult male - our kids had no chance! I declared war! Within 2 weeks we no longer had a pack problem. Don't get me wrong - I love dogs but when left to fend for themselves they become unpredictable and dangerous. I am glad that neither you or your daughter were harmed!

[Mark Kosmowski]

Randy:

You were a much better man than I fear I would have been tempted to be in the situation. Those people should be behind bars.

Now you done got the anger sharks swimming around in my head!

[allen levine]

Randy - I understand your 'controlled' anger at the situation and want to congrat you on taking action. You saved the dogs from a life of misery and also prevented someone from being harmed once these animals became aggressive.

Jonathan - been in your situation and took the same action you did! Years ago I lived on the coast of Alabama and for some reason folks would drive down our dirt road, drop off their dogs and then leave. After a while the dogs started running in packs and became very aggressive towards people. The year before I moved there (1977) a pack attacked and killed a 3 year old boy and then disappeared into the woods/swamp. Oh - there were multiple packs. I was always concerned as my son was 3 at the time and he would play outside with his young cousins. I remember being out squirrel hunting one day and was walking back towards the house on our dirt road and had the pack come running out of the woods - between me and the house - and the leader decided to charge me. Looked like a rott/mix, about 80 to 90 lb male and he definately wanted a piece of me! That was his last memory! I figured that if the pack had gotten to the point they were willing to take on an adult male - our kids had no chance! I declared war! Within 2 weeks we no longer had a pack problem. Don't get me wrong - I love dogs but when left to fend for themselves they become unpredictable and dangerous. I am glad that neither you or your daughter were harmed!

my grandparents back in the 50s, owned one if not the last listed(deeded ?)farm property in New York City.(the city purchased the land from the next owners, and in the 70s built a place called Starrett City on part of the land)
I remember the reason why they didnt keep the property, or actually were forced to leave it.
People living in Brooklyn would abandon their unwanted dogs on the farmland property, and the pack of dogs grew in numbers and eventually attacked two children on seperate occasions. The children survived, but the insurance company refused to insure the property anymore because there was no way to control the growing pack of dogs.
What is wrong with people?
There are enough shelters for unwanted animals, these people who abandon animals have problems.

[Travis Johnson]

You guys all know how I feel. Last week my wife was mad at me because I put my dog down. She wanted to take it to the Vet, get meds, and go that route. I will tell you right up front, there was no need to. Kenworth was MY dog and I just knew it was time. No need to get an expensive diagnosis, I just knew it was time.

As we get away from farm life, we get away from the cycle of life. People like Robert Mickley, and Jon and I just grew up around that cycle of life. The fit survive, the unfit don't and the animals that don't contribute to farm life, don't last long either. What you are seeing now is people who are unaccustomed to this cycle of life. They have not seen death, don't know how to deal with it, and thus take the easy way out by running and hiding from it. Really the only thing a dog does wrong is outlive us. Its too bad, but we do outlive our pets, and as hard as it is, being a pet owner does mean seeing the end of its life, whether its by your own hand, or by taking it to a vet.

I will say this, some people can take an animals life and some can't. A few years ago I had the reputation of being able too and people dropped their dogs and cats off to me. One year alone I put down something like 245 animals. It was too much. I finally told people that I "retired" from it, and no longer do that. It was just too much. I came out of retirement for my own dog, but I really don't like doing it. It just had to be done.