This Makes Me Mad!

[Leslie and Halas]

A couple and friends and I are in Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri this weekend.  My friends went outside to get something out of the car, and they found a lost dog.  She had a collar and tags, but the info on the tags was for a vet and a home in Michigan.  The dog looked kind of old, she had a sore on her eye, some flies were hanging around her, she smelled pretty bad, and she was limping a little bit.  We gave her some water and some cheese, which she seemed to really appreciate.  She looked to us like she had been lost for awhile. She's a black dog, and it's already 84 degrees here with a heat index of 98.  So we call the numbers we can find on the tags to try to contact someone.  There apparently isn't an animal control office here, and the shelter doesn't open until a little bit later.  So we leave messages where we can, and we're just thinking about what to do next.  I decide to check with the neighbors to see if they've seen this dog before.  Turns out, it's their dog!  We're in a condo on a lake.  There's no fenced in area or anything for dogs.  She's 17 1/2 years old.  She was kind of in trouble because she'd pooped on the floor, so they put her outside.  Unattended!  At 17.5 years old! In a heat index of 98!  With no drinking water for her outside!  They obviously weren't watching for her, because we were sitting out there for about 30 minutes with her.  If Halas makes it to 17.5 years old, I'd like to think that I wouldn't be too angry with him if he accidentally pooped on the floor.  How long can a 17.5 year old dog hold it anyway?  So I'm angry that they just put her out there. But I'm also angry about the state she was in.  I understand that she's old, but does that mean she can't have a bath?  Based on her appearance, we were concerned that she'd already been lost for a few days.  She's lived this long, so they've obviously taken good care of her.  I'm trying to give them the benefit of the doubt, and assume that she's just kind of a mess because they're on vacation, and not doing their normal grooming, etc.  But it still irritates me.  They were nice about it, and we had a good laugh about how we saved their dog about 10 feet from her own front door.  And explained to them that they'd probably have some phone messages when they got back to home and work.  Also, the dog probably played it up a bit, enjoying the extra attention.  Overall, a good result, because at least she wasn't really lost.  All's well that end well, I guess.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

:( Leslie are you still there right now? Place a bucket of water outside your cabin or better yet befriend her owners with a present, " Here is a nice water bowl just because we love your old dog". That way, they may find watering her a thrill again because the old dog has a new bowl. As for bathing and sores, I'm so sorry.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

I think that would make me upset too. I really hate even imagining seeing the poor dog. I trust your gut, because obviously, this upset you enough to post this. But, like you said, the dog is 17 1/2 years old, so they had to do something right....

[Leslie and Halas]

I should add that the neighbor's car was right there, but it has Illinois plates, not Michigan, so we didn't even have that clue to tell us that the dog belonged to them. I wonder if people with vacation homes also put that phone number and address on dog tags. Or do they just stick with home address and phone number? Maybe some of them will post to this. I think I'd try to add the vacation info, or at least a cell number, but you can only fit so much on those tags.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

It makes me mad, too, Leslie. Worse than mad. This makes me sick. Anyone with the great good fortune to have a dog live to be 17.5 years old better expect to clean up some accidents and thank the Universe for the privilege of doing it.
The problem with leaving water outside for her is that there would most likely be wildlife drinking from it, too, and that's a good way for this poor old girl to get giarda or lepto. Of course if they're letting her run around outdoors loose & unsupervised, she's at risk for those things anyway.
Poor dog. Wanna kidnap her and bring her to me?

[Frannie & Callie]

Now THAT is a good plan! Leslie - you can be like Robin Hood, but instead of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor, steal dogs from undeserving homes and get them to safe places. I like it!

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Oh Oh... Karen would you take a HUGE black old lab? I will run the risk of grand theft if I could find someone to take him. Serious? Any one with ideas?

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Old is the key here. Old usually doesn't do much more than sleep. Old is easy. Sad, messy, and usually very expensive if you're a decent human being, but easy.

[Frannie & Callie]

I don't like those people. At all. You and your friends are AWESOME to help him. He was probably put outside and then got confused because 17.5 is pretty ancient for a dog.

[Adina P]

That's really unfortunate and sad. They really didn't think through the whole vacation and collar idea! Our address is on our dogs' collars, but so is our cell phone. Then again I guess if our dogs escaped while we were somewhere without cell phone coverage...eeek! Bad news.

As to the not bathed thing...I have to say that our late Cass, who was only 'almost 15' HATED baths with a passion. She would totally panic and unless there was something really gross on her ... I wouldn't have put her through a bath her last year. She had too much pain and bad back legs...it would have been misery for her to hold still in a bathtub...or even outside. But she wasn't stinky either so who knows.

[Vicky & Cassidy]

What a wonderful thing you did ~ and for people who probably don't deserve to have a dog. My old Cocker Spaniel lived to be 17 years old ~ much longer than I had expected!

I have our address and phone number on Jamaica's tag, and when we travel I also take an 8.5"x11" poster with her picture, name, what commands she will respond to, a bit about her and a place to write in the number of where we are staying. These can then be copied and distributed. I also state that she is a "much loved member of the family" and that a reward will be given, hopefully to discourage anyone from deciding to keep her.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Wow Vicky, that's a great idea about traveling with the poster made. Another good reminder about adding what she responds too - I have that on Peri's registration for her Home Again tag, but a poster is a great idea.

[Vicky & Cassidy]

Sometimes I really surprise myself (LOL)!