Take Care Of The Stray Dogs And As Close Personal Friend

If you live in lighter residential areas and suburb areas of your community, chances are you have probably seen someone's lost dog wandering around the neighborhood. You probably think about the family that the pet may belong to. Most of us want to be able to help get that dog back to its family, but may be hesitant to take responsibility of the situation. If you follow a few guidelines, handling these situations don't have to be overwhelming.

Well you may look at the animal and feel sympathy with its plight. But before you say yes to your child, consider this. When you take on an animal (of whatever kind) you are taking on a new family member and all the responsibility that go with it. A pet is not another thing in the house. It has a personality, a sense of loyalty to family members (if you treat them right) and has needs just like any person would.

Dog's ancestors were able to take care of themselves in the wild, but modern day dogs have been so domesticated that it is not an option for them in this day and age. Have you ever seen a perfectly healthy stray dog? I think that would be rare unless he wandered into your yard only a few days after being lost.

In this situation your first responsibility is to take care of the dogs immediate needs. You also want to take the dog to the vet to have him checked out. You should then do whatever it takes to find the dogs owners. After all, this is someone's pet and they may be mourning the loss and are desperately looking for it.

Look for posters that have been put up and consider making your own to let people know that a dog has been found. Do everything possible until all efforts have been exhausted.

If the owner has not been found then start looking at your options. If you are entertaining the idea of keeping the dog, then decide who is going to be the main caregiver. Is that you, or the child? If it is the child then realize that the child knows nothing about taking care of a pet. Don't assume that the child will know what to do. Although, one thing you can be sure of in most cases, is that a child will give unconditional love for the dog. As a matter of fact, children won't look at them as pets but as a close personal friend.

If the child is going to take care of the dog then you will have to teach them how to do this.

1) They need food and water daily, obviously. If it is a large dog that eats a lot it can certainly dip into your budget.

2) Dogs need to be exercised daily for good health. A good run in the back yard or a throwing of the Frisbee or stick can be very therapeutic for the dog. Dogs do not respond well if they are not shown affection and are exercised every day.

3) They need regular veterinary shots and flea protection and heartworm medication. Regular baths are a must, and don't forget you need to take care of their teeth. There are simple solutions to that like a tooth biscuit.

4) Dogs will respond to training if you make it a fun and rewarding experience for them. They will look forward to it because it's a game for them. They will follow the rules of your home if you are consistent.

If you are willing to do all this then not only will you enjoy the relationship you build with your dog but you will also earn their loyalty and trust. Don't be surprised just how much of a family member your pet can be. Your child will also learn some important lessons in responsibility for others. It can be a beautiful thing!

Adopting A Stray Dog Can Be A Very Rewarding Experience

Every day people see stray dogs on the streets, wandering neighborhoods, and going from door to door begging for food. Fortunately, there are good hearted people who choose to adopt them, bring them into their families, and give them a chance at a good life.

If you're considering adopting a stray dog, you should know that there are both challenges and rewards. Since you'll be bringing the dog into your home and family, it's important to weigh both sides of it before you make a final decision.

One of the major challenges in adopting a homeless dog is not knowing its background. The dog could have been exposed to almost anything, and you have no way of knowing before you adopt it. This can mean the dog has severe health problems, and you won't know until you take the dog to the vet for an exam. Make sure you take the dog to the vet's office right away, and continue regular check ups to keep it healthy.

We see a lot of stray dogs today being towed away by vans and trucks from the local dog pound. Some of them were unfortunate enough to become victims of speeding cars or even some kids who are looking for someone to vent their anger on. This is a very disconcerting sight for those who love these loyal canine companions.

If you are one of those that wants to give these stray dogs new homes and families to show them the love and affection they deserve, then you are in for a lot of effort in the project since people who are in need of loyal household companies are not quite visible in the community.

You can always go around the neighborhood and asking each and every homeowner in the area if they want to adopt one of your stray dogs to call their own, but this will take a lot of time and effort on your end to successful pull this off.
Another big challenge is his or her behavior. After living on the streets, many dogs revert back to wilder behavior, doing whatever they can to survive. This means they may be wary of humans, defensive, and not know "proper" behavior in a family setting. When you adopt a stray dog, you have to work to be extra gentle with it as you teach it how to socialize with humans (and other animals).

Discipline goes along with behavioral problems a stray dog may have. Depending on how long the dog was on its own, it may have no discipline and not know what proper behavior is. While you're gentle, you must also be firm with the dog, and keep up the training, even if it's difficult. If the dog is an adult, it may be even harder to train, but patience, gentleness, and love will help.

Despite the challenges that come with adopting a stray dog, there are great rewards, as well. One of the most important is the opportunity to give a dog a chance at a good life. And, for many dogs, that second chance literally means the difference between life and death. Saving the life of a stray dog is a pretty big reward!

Another reward to adopting a stray dog is the love and companionship of the pet. One of the big reasons people adopt dogs is for companionship and love. No matter what a dog's background, if you continue to love it and are gentle with it, the dog will eventually show you love and affection, as well.

By adopting a stray dog, you also help reduce the number of strays in the United States. Thousands and thousands of puppies are born to stray dogs every year. By adopting a stray dog (and having it spayed or neutered), you reduce the number of dogs that will eventually end up strays themselves.

Adopting a stray dog can be a very rewarding experience, but it does come with its challenges. If you're considering adopting a stray dog, be sure you fully understand all that comes with it. Adopting any dog can be challenging enough, but adopting a stray can come with added complications. However, the rewards are worth it, and the love you'll get from your rescued dog will help you forget all the challenges along the way!

We Should Protect The Homeless Stray Dogs

Listening to yet another constituent complain about the thousands of neglected, scruffy mutts that prowl the streets of his town, Mosquera Mayor Luis Alvaro Rincon went ballistic. "A street dog," he ground out, "is a dead dog."

His fist pumping and voice rising as applause at the community gathering grew, he said, "It's an order. Round them up and kill them!"

Rincon's exasperation last summer was in some ways understandable. This suburb of Bogota has long been a dumping ground for canines whose owners are too uninterested or financially strapped to care for them. Now there may be 30,000 stray dogs here and in two adjoining suburbs, Madrid and Vaca."I know environmentalists won't like it, but if they don't, they should come to Mosquera and take a dog home with them," Rincon said.

Driving around the Porvenir Rio barrio, one gets the impression that there are more dogs than people. They seem to be everywhere: foraging for food, lounging in the shade or sauntering across streets and alleys.

Animal control has been a foreign concept in Mosquera, a city of 90,000 with no dog pound. One of Colombia's fastest-growing municipalities, Mosquera in recent years has had more pressing budgetary needs, including building a new hospital and roads and buying uniforms and lunches for the growing numbers of poor schoolchildren, the city's health officer, Paola Linares, said in an interview.
As the stray dog population has grown, so has the health and safety crisis. The level of fecal dust is alarming, and rising, and 89 dog bites were reported last year, a 27% increase from 2008. "We had more cases of dog bites than measles last year," Linares said.

Rincon's outburst sparked little outcry at first. But in October, an animal rights activist put the video of Rincon's speech on YouTube. That led to hundreds of angry phone calls and e-mails to City Hall from animal rights groups.
"This kind of discourse contributes to a disrespect for life in Colombia. Is it that much of a leap from mass murder of animals to that of humans?" said Albeiro Ulloa, an animal rights organizer in Bogota.

Protests were capped by a march here last month of 300 animal rights defenders, who were confronted by an equal-sized crowd of Rincon's defenders.

Subsequently, tempers cooled and both sides agreed to work on a happy, or at least more humane, resolution of Mosquera's canine crisis. Rincon retracted his "capture and kill" order and agreed to join a task force with animal rights leaders aimed at raising private funds to build a regional dog pound.

The panel also will try to change laws to restrict the sale of dogs and enforce vaccination laws.

"We have an imbalance in that there are too many dogs," said Ivan Duque, a veterinarian who is advising the task force. "But it's not the dogs' problem, it's ours, the human beings. We are the rational ones."