Stray dog---what should I do?

I live in a neighborhood where there are houses behind ours. In one of the yards behind our house, this man has 3 dogs in his yard. His yard is very trashy--junk is everywhere and he never cleans up his yard. A few months ago, I saw one of his dogs, named Shelby, wander around on his street. I just thought that she got loose or something and thought nothing of it (I dont think he shows the affection for his dogs like I do for my beagle. Alot of times, his dogs get loose but come back). Shelby must have come back home--I didn't see her around anymore until this week.

This past week, 2 of the man's dogs were loose again-this time on our street (mind you, we live one street over). The man knows my father, so I have his phone number. I called the man and told him that his dogs were loose. These 2 dogs were Shelby and a pit bull named Duke. The man came by and it seemed like he acted like he didnt want to get the dogs. He took the pit bull and put him back in the yard, but then he left. Shelby was still on our street. I told my mother that I bet that he is wanting to get rid of Shelby because he didnt take her home. But we werent sure-we thought that Shelby maybe knew her way home.

Now today, my family was eating lunch at Mc Donalds around the corner from our house (3-4 blocks). As we were leaving, we saw Shelby in Wendy's parking lot next door to Mc Donalds just wandering around. We saw her eat something on the ground and we were guessing she was hungry. I told my father that we think that is Shelby, so went went to the man's house and said his dog was loose. The man said that he was missing a dog BUT it was that white dog--the pit ball was loose again. He said nothing about getting Shelby--so we knew right then and there--he was abandoning her. He did say that some people found her a few months ago and brought her hom. He must have released her again.

I love animals, especially dogs, and I hate seeing dogs stray like this. We cant take her in because we have a beagle and she doesnt get along with other dogs. Plus, our house is too small. The sad thing is, she keeps coming around that man's house, so she must be smart. But the poor thing probably doesn't know he doesnt want her. She comes in the yard directly behind us (this yard is right next door to the man's), so I have been giving her dog food and water and treats (this is making my dog jealous LOL).

So my question is, I don't know what to do. My family seems like they dont care and they think I am crazy for trying to care for this dog. All they're saying is call the pound or someone will pick her up. But what if they don't? I dont want to see her starve to death or get hit by a car. I dont want to see her deteriorate physically. It breaks my heart seeing her come around like this and it brings tears to my eyes. I hate seeing dogs ending up like this. Sometimes I wonder if they know what is happening to them.

I dont know what to do with her. She seems friendly, somewhat shy. I dont know her breed--she looks like, though, one of those dogs that resemble a fox. She looks alot like a Shiba Inu. She doesnt bark, she comes up to people. I would love advice from you all--have you all ever been in this situation? If anybody lives in the Louisville area, that would be a plus. The bad thing right now is that my car is in the shop and I wouldnt be able to take her to a shelter or something. Should I call the pound? I dont know what to do. I dont to see things get worse for her. I'm trying my best to make sure she is fed and has water--I cant imagine where she sleeps at night.

Can someone help??????????? Thanks so much

I will try to get a picture of her with my camera phone and post it on here. Maybe someone who is an expert with breeds can tell me what breed they think she could be. She looks alot like a fox and is reddish brown

Daisy is a cutie!

About the neighbor dog - is there a no-kill shelter near you? What happens to animals that get picked up by Animal Contol officers? Do you know anyone else who might be able to take her? Once you post her picture we can try to find a breed rescue for her ...

Karen,


Thanks! Everyone loves Daisy :) She's lying down right now on my bed staring at me as I type! Well, there is the Kentucky Humane Society (I live in Louisville), and I think that is no-kill. There's also the Shamrock Foundation (not sure if that is no-kill)
Where I live, animals that get picked up by Animal Control are taken to the pound. I found that out over the summer when my cousin and I had to search the pound for my grandma's missing yorkie (we did find him!) I'll have to call tomorrow and see.

We officially found out today that the man is getting rid of her for sure, so everything is new right now. I haven't seen her in a few hours. I keep on checking in the yards behind me in case she's wandering around. I keep fresh food and water back there in case she wants it. I know shes hungry

Right now, I cant think of anybody who would be able to take her in. We would, but our house is too small and we have Daisy who may appear cute(LOL) but she NOT get along with other dogs. My neighbor is an animal lover too, so I might contact her and see if she can take her in. She's already got 3 dogs, so I don't know. But, she might be able to find a home for her

I won't be able to post a picture tonight because the sun is slowly going down here in Kentucky! I will try to best to post one of her tomorrow if I see her!

Thanks for your help!

:D

Since it's getting dark here, I cant get a picture of the dog. But here's a couple pictures of dogs that look like her:



http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...e/f5000aaa.jpg

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...8/f5000aa6.jpg



What I know so far about the stray dog I am seeing:

Name: Shelby
Sex: Female
Looks: Reddish brown, really pretty, sweet face
Breed: I am not 100% sure, but she looks alot like a Shiba Inu. She looks like a fox in the face


But you know, I wouldn't live at the place the dog lived beforehand anyways..I mean just look at this man's backyard in the attch. photo. That's all junk back there--we've called the health dept several times too about his yard but they dont do anything. It looks worse when you actually look at it (my camera phone doesnt shoot the best pictures LOL)

It's 10 here in KY, and I went to check to see if I can find her. I didn't see her, which can be good and bad. Good because hopefully someone took her and is going to give her a good home. Bad because she could be anywhere or even worse, injured somewhere.

I wonder where she sleeps at nite and if she's going to be OK. Here in KY, it's about 45 right now-not too cold but it sure isn't beautiful weather LOL. She's been loose for a few days I am guessing, so if shes coming back and I can see her, then she must be sleeping somewhere safe. I wonder if she's cold when she sleeps, etc. My dad said that dogs have an instinct to find safe places to sleep, etc. I believe him since he's had dogs his whole life and was raised country style, but I still worry.

My dad works with a guy who is an animal lover. He lost his rottie over the fall, so we are going to see if he wants her..that is, if shes still around. I'll keep anyone who is interested about this situation updated on the dog's whereabouts,etc...sort of like a doggie watch.

And if it's bedtime for your doggie, kittie, etc, tell them me and Daisy the hound said goodnite. Daisy's already out for the nite (yeah she was already out a few hours ago, when I made another post--gotta love beaglehounds!!!) :p

You might want to get her and tie her up outside your house until you find somebody to take her. Or put her inside your fence if you have one - wouldn't want her to get hit by a car or anything.

I wouldn't think it would be difficult for her to be adopted if you called the animal shelter - it sounds like she's a pretty dog and well-behaved. Since it's a no-kill shelter, I'd feel better about bringing her there than letting her roam around.

Good luck, whatever you decide!

Thanks for the advice stacwase! Well, as of now I havent see her around, which can be good and bad. If I see her around, I'm going to call the humane society and see what their guidelines are about bringing in stray dogs. If they can accept her, I will have to find a way to take her since my family car is unfortunately at the shop right now with major mechanic problems(of all times!). I think it will be hard to find someone who will take me since it seems that nobody around here cares that the dog is a stray. If this happens, my second plan of action is calling the animal control people (the pound). They can come get her and I think they often send dogs to the humane society. I too think she is very adoptable--she seems a little shy but she has a gorgeous color and sweet disposition. She's been with 2 other dogs, so I think she could work well with people who have additional pets.

We actually do have a fenced in yard and would love taking her in until we find a home for her, but I don't think I will be able to do that because A) I have another dog who gets jealous of other dogs and most importantly B) My parents do not want another dog in the yard. They feel bad for her roaming around, but they said keeping her might be a hassel. I'm trying to do the next best thing by feeding her and giving her water in bowls in the yard behind us near the fence that divides our yards. She sometimes comes around there, so at least I have an eye on her. The lady who owns this yard is an elderly woman who I dont think mind me feeding the dog from her yard (she hasnt said anything yet about it)

So my main goal for today is to see if I can find her. Thanks for everyone's help so far!;)

Please tell Daisy that her Mom is something very special and has a heart of gold. How kind and caring of you to be concerned about Shelby and be her advocate. Bless you for offering Shelby some food and fresh water. I do think with the sweet disposition you describe as Shelby as having added to her being an attractive animal, she would have a chance at finding a good home under the right circumstances. The only suggestion I have is to keep on doing what you are doing right now. Find out as much information as you can about any animal welfare groups that may be functioning in your area. Search the web! Call people you know who love animals and find out what they know. The person you contact may not be able to help but may know someone who can.

I do hope that you will be able to find some resolution to Shelby's situation. If you are able to find someone to help, the next time you see Shelby, be prepared to act on the matter in one way or another. You are correct to be concerned about Shelby's fate as a stray.

And I have to agree. Daisy is adorable.

I did see the dog again this morning,on the street where she used to live. She's gotta be smart if she's hanging around like that. I saw her with a little girl,playing. I thought maybe the little girl's family took her in.

Well, after we came home from the grocery today, my father said that she was in the yard behind us again, probably eating the foot/water I gave her. He said he called some people he knew and said that nobody wanted to take her. So this is the last straw. I am about to call the humane society and see what I should do with her. I dont know if they are open 24-7. If they suggest calling animal control, I'll do that. But before I do anything, do you think I need to see if she'll come around? I'm sure I'll see her again if she's still wandering-when, I dont know.
If I see her in the yard again,I'm going to try to keep her there until possibly the animal control can get her.

To make her dining experience enjoybale, I bought a new food/water dish, some doggie food JUST for her (and not for Daisy the pig LOL), and some canned dog food. I'm going to try to be the one who feeds her if nobody will.

I hate going through this situation because I never had to do this before. It breaks my heart seeing her stray like this. I hope I see her again soon because I am really going to call for help this time.Whats worse is that I know the man who just abandoned her out in the streets. I wish he could get his sorry butt arrested for animal neglect but nowadays, you cant get anything done for justice.

Keep an extra leash handy, so when you see her, you can put her on the leash - does she have a collar at least?

Thanks Rachel (BTW, I love the name Hannah..that's one of the names I was thinking about naming my daughter if I ever had one!). I appreciate the compliments you gave me :) It's hard trying to save an animal like this..I know for sure I couldn't do it for a career..I'd be crying so much and wanting to take the animals home.


Like I said earlier, if I saw her again, I was going to call the animal control. I just saw her awhile ago, HOWEVER she was back in the yard she used to live in. I came to the conclusion of 2 things: hopefully the man took her back in or she's just hanging around in the yard. I saw the man so I know he sees her. Let's just hope he took her back in.

But, he was the one who let her go in the first place. Why would he let her back in? Is he going to let her go again? These are now the questions in my mind. I dont know if he abuses the animals..they seem healthy looking physically and seem to be active and not pace around all the time. If he is going to keep her, I have the urge to still call animal control but I just don't know. Ugh! I dont want to cause problems.

See, I never have really turned in an animal to the shelter so I don't have alot of experience in deciding what to do. Where I live, I never see any stray dogs. If I see one loose, it's one of the neighbor's dogs. Now that she is back "home" for the time being, I am going to keep a close eye on the situation.

Everyone loves Daisy LOL. I think it's those "sad" eyes she gives people. She's happy today--she got to stick her nose in the grocery bags since it's store day! And she found hot dogs, so she's going to have a good week..............

I'll let everyone know what happens..hopefully this man is going to rethink his dumb decision of letting her go and keep her this time. But this situation isnt over YET!!

Karen,


I do have a leash..not an extra one but it's actually Daisy's. She doesn't use it unless she goes out to the (gasp) vet, takes a walk (yeah right!), or etc. I'm sure she won't *mind* me borrowing it. She knows what her leash it, so I couldnt imagine that scenario it is was to happen!


I never even noticed if she had a collar or not. This actually brings me to something I never mentioned before in my story. She had gotten loose before and was brought home by some people who found her probably a few miles away. So she must of had a collar on at that time. Maybe the man took it off so nobody would contact him if someone found her. Kinda mean dont you think?


I said awhile ago that I found her at her home again, but the situation is far from over. If she happened to be set free again, I can probably use Daisy's collar (I think it will fit the dog) since it would only be temporary. Daisy needs to learn to share LOL

Daisy? Share? Surely not - she is the queen of the world - at least her world, right? ;) She's got those heart-melting beagle eyes ...

In any case, maybe see if your Dad or someone has an old belt they wouldn't mind you temporarily borrowing - in an emergency, it can be a collar/leash all in one! Buckle it to be collar length, then the leftover is what you can hang on to!

Bless you for caring for poor Shelby.

Karen,


Thanks for the suggestion about using a belt.What a smart idea! I didn't even think about that! I recently saw her back in her yard--a surprise for me because I thought the owner didnt want her. Maybe he saw me feeding her and being angry that he let her go. Maybe he changed his mind. I'm still keeping a lookout on her--things could change!

Yes, Daisy is the queen of our family at least and she knows it. I always wanted a rabbit (love them!) but can't get one because of course Daisy is a beagle (beagle+rabbit=not good LOL). My cousin next door has one named Skippy, so he's my buddy :) Daisy is famous for those sad eyes and gets away with using them alot...especially when she sees lunchmeat :P You gotta feel sorry for her!

Thanks for the support everyone :)

Thanks for keeping a lookout for her. I hope he's changed his mind for good, but often that's now how it works. But we'll hope for the best. Thanks for caring! :)

Thanks for your concern as well! This isn't over yet...I will still make sure the dog is treated properly. If not, I'm making some phone calls! I will let you all know tomorrow how she's doing. But for now, I'm going to watch the rest of the Oscars (Daisy is already in bed...she was hoping the food film 'Super Size Me' would win an Oscar but it didn't, so she is kind of angry and went to bed LOL)

Hey everyone, not good news. I said yesterday that I saw Shelby in her previous owner's yard yesterday. Well, about an hour ago, I found her again in the yard behind us. Apparently, the man must have kicked her out again. But there is good news...the person who works with my dad (I'll call this person M) is going to take Shelby in.

The problem? We cant get ahold of Shelby so she can go home with M.

We tried putting a leash around her neck. After several attempts, we got it on but it came off. M tried to jump the fence and pet her/talk to her but she was so scared to come to him most of the time. She would run off whenever he tried to get her to come to him. Why would this be? Because she was abused in the past?
We tried to get her to come in our backyard but she was too scared. She does jump fences, so shes pretty athletic :)

M is going to try to get her tomorrow because it was so hard to catch her. I've got door/water in the back again. The worse thing is that tonight its supposed to be in the teens outside and snow...I dont want her to freeze to death.

After dinner, Im going to try and get her. If I am lucky to, M will come and pick her up.

So the good news is that she has a home waiting for her. The bad news is that we cant get ahold of her. She keeps on backing up and running off. What can we do? She doesnt seem mean, just scared. Poor thing

Sadly, the Harder M tries to "catch" her, the more fearful she may become.

It may be best if YOU, and only you, try to approach her -
she may be very much afraid of "men" in general due to her
previous "owner".

Get some very small (bite-sized) treats, and try "tossing" them in
her direction - LOTS of treats BEFORE you try to touch her.
And if she'll follow you to get treats, try getting her to
follow you into a garage or enclosed porch - so you can close
a door and confine her.

And when you do manage to "capture" her - don't rush to touch her
for a while - just sit down and keep "tossin treats" - let
her come to you.

After you capture her - be sure Mr. M repeats the "treat tossin"
BEFORE he tries to touch her.

Good Luck!

/s/ Phred
.

Hi Cinder & Smoke--thanks for the tips! We do have some puppy treats that I could try giving to the dog (they're Daisys treats but she has to learn to share!). I've tried calling her name (it is a good thing I know it) and it does seem she is more approachable to females.

As you were saying about trying to capture her into a garage/enclosed porch, we tried to do that actually by bribing her with a bowl of dog food. We were trying to get her to come into our backyard (which it gated in). We all hid in the garage so she wouldnt see us, but I guess she did. She ran off and I havent seen her since. I hope she makes it out here in the cold tonight.

I'll try using treats and using your suggestions C&S--thanks for your help! BTW, are those German Shepherds in your picture? They are very pretty :) My grandparents had a sweet German Shepherd named Duke when I was little who was so friendly. He died of old age unfortunately. I remember my cousins and I trying to ride Duke like a horse but he wouldnt let us LOL

Don't give up on your mission of mercy. You have surmounted the biggest hurdle by finding M. The rest will take a bit of patience. Despite the cold, Shelby will probably be okay for the time being. C&S had excellent advice. You must be careful so not to scare Shelby, because -no matter how nice - a scared dog could bite. The process of gaining the trust of Shelby may take several days. The tastier the treats the better.

Thanks for the advice Rachel! I know, one of the reasons I hope I am doing the right thing is because one of my goals is for her to not bite me! I havent seen her since I saw her yesterday when we were trying to catch her. My father said it looked like she had some husky in her, so she might be suitable for the cold weather we are having here in KY. But no dog should be out in the cold wandering around like this right??? Her food bowl was almost empty this morning so I refilled it, and the cold weather froze the water, so thanks to an end to a broom and fresh water, I fixed that problem! If I see her again, I'll try to bribe her with treats. I dont know how long it'll be until she trusts us but I hope it works. I dont want to see her starve to death or get hurt. Thanks for the advice you all! I really appreciate it!!

Ahh... I just found this thread!!

Oh please keep trying to get her so M can take her and give her a wonderful home!!

Keep us updated!!!

Paws Crossed!!!

Thanks for your support pitc9!! BTW, your dogs are gorgeous!! They're German Shepherds right? I told someone earlier that my grandparents who had one named Duke. Not sure how old he was when he went to doggie heaven but he lived a long life! I visit the animal rescue site everyday and contribute my "click"! I just wish we can click as many times we want to provide food.

I havent seen her in a day, I still keep my eyes open for her. I thought I saw her this afternoon (my hound kept barking at something back where Shelby hangs out, but you never know my dog barks when the wind blows!).

Hope she's OK out there is she's still out there--its cold here in KY and snowing (we got the edge of the snowstorm that the Northeast people got...you poor folks always get the brunt of the storms). I told M (my dads friend who wants to take shelby in) that if i saw her, i would let him know. But as I have told everyone, that's not easy. She wont let anyone grab her. I'm going to try to use treats to lure her in

Hey everyone, just wanted to give an update on Shelby. This post has gone to 2 pages, so for the ones who just found about this post, I'll give a recap:


**********The man behind us had 3 dogs, including one named Shelby (she looks like a fox--maybe a shiba inu?really sweet face and gorgeous red coat). Last week, I found her and another dog(pit bull) belonging to the man roaming around our street, the next street over from the man. I called him and told him that his dogs were loose. He took the pit bull and brought him home but left and Shelby was still roaming.This concerned me,but I didnt see her since. Fast forward a few days later..we found shelby again-this time at a restaurant parking lot a few blocks from her home. We went by the man's house to tell him his dog was loose again, and he said he was missing a dog but it was that pit bull..just said that shelby was found by some people awhile back and they brought her back to her home. I figured he just let her go. My family knows the man, and I had a feeling he was that type. He has a very junky backyard (we can see it from our kitchen window). There's no telling how he treats his animals.

I didn't know what to do with the dog--I already have one dog, a beagle, who doesnt get along with other dogs.Putting shelby in our yard couldnt work anyways-she jumps fences. I saw her still roaming around every 1-2 days. I kept some water/food in the yard behind ours b/c that was where i usually saw shelby (this yard is right next door to her "home") so she would be fed. On Mon, I found someone who would give shelby a home but we had a hard time trying to catch her..she was very scared and would run off if anybody approached her.We werent able to get her because she ran off, and I havent' seen her since. Some members on the board gave me many suggestions on how to capture shelby. *************


Now, for the ones who have read this story, I had said that I last saw her monday after running off when M (the man trying to give her a home) and I were trying to catch her. Never saw her again. I thought (and hoped) somebody took her in. BUT, this evening (Wed) around 10pm my father said he saw Shelby once again outside (she was across the street sniffing garbage or something). I was like 'her we go again'. It was too late to call M and get her. So, I took some food and water and went to my front yard and called her to eat the food. She ate about half the food. I then through a rib out for her to eat (which made MY hound jealous b/c that rib was supposed to be saved for *her* LOL), which she ate quickly. I tried to see if I could lure her into my backyard (its gated in) and keep her there in the morning so M can get her. But once again, she was scared to come to me. I took some dog food and made like a "trail" along my driveway--she followed the food which made me happy because i thought i would be able to finally get her contained, but about 6 feet from my b-yard, she turned around and ran off. The last time I saw her, she was across the street somewhere. I tried to look out my front door and saw her walking around but then i lost sight of here. I kept the food and water in the front in case she came around.

I had the best opportunity to get pictures of her for you all to see BUT it was dark (10 pm)..maybe tomorrow!

Something else though about shelby, and my dad told me this tonight after seeing shelby. He knows the man who owns shelby (or who owned her..heck i dont know--read the rest!) and said that this man usually has his gate open, and his dogs often get loose. He added that shelby probably still belongs to him and he's the kind of guy who doesnt care whether his dogs come in or out of the yard. My dad leaves in the morning for work and said the past 3 days, he has seen shelby in the man's yard with the other dogs. So he's thinking that shelby is still the man's dog, but she escapes but is smart enough to come back home when she needs to. He said that this morning, the other dog was out and at the end of the street. So with this, I dont know what to believe. Sure, my dad is concerned about the dog, but he thinks that she still lives with the man but just roams around as she pleases and then comes home. But I told him that why was it recent that shelby has been on our street and in the yards. He said that the man might have had his gates open recently and the dogs started escaping. Truthfully, I dont know the real story about this. First I am thinking the man just abandoned shelby, but now we are finding out shes in her yard at times like normal. Sounds kind of mean, but i dont know if i believe my dad LOL. I think hes making stuff up so I wont feel bad about the dog running around in the streets, but i myself did see her one day in her yard (then i saw her back on the street and figured he kicked her out of the yard). Dad said when he was little, dogs from the neighborhood would roam around and follow him to school, but they always went home...and he thinks shelby's like that.

After he pointed this out to me, i wondered if i should still call the pound and go through all that. I mean, i dont want to give the man's dog away. Maybe he's the type who lets his dogs run around but always know they will come home. But then again, I hate seeing her roam around like this. I dont want to call the man and ask if he's letting her go..he's a loser and theres no telling what he'll say to me. I'm still feeding her now and keeping an eye on her like usual. But my father had a new insight that makes me think differently now. What do you all think about this? Ever heard of dogs who had homes but kind of just roamed around? I've seen alot of dogs in the country do this.

1 comment and 1 question. first the question Do you have leash laws in your town.? you could use that as ammo for your dad.
Comment listen well to Cinder and smoke Phred is a terrific with this kind of thing. He got one of his dogs this way also read the thread "plea for Help" Its the stroy of capturing and rescuing another PTers old freind. Tear warning though.

Thanks for the advice Corinna! Actually I tried using dog food (i need to get more dog treats...3 dogs share them, so they go quickly!!), and it seemed like it helped but then she ran off!! I'll have to read that story you referred me to..I might get some pointers from there :)

I'm not quite sure what you mean by leash laws. I live in Louisville--as far as I know, i never hear any strict enforcement of leashes. It's such a big city, so probably not. They have other issues to deal with LOL.

Thanks for your help!

Can you get her to follow you with the food in your hands BEFORE you let her eat? Maybe you could lead her near a gate to your yard, then move the food closer to the gate every time you feed her, and eventually into the yard.

I don't think I'd let her continue to wander the neighborhood. I'd surely hate to be the one to hit her with my car.

I fed a stray dog for a week, sitting 10 feet from the food until she decided to come to me. She followed me home finally--and had three puppies a few days later.

Patience is the key.

Mary

Thanks for the advice Mary! Well, I have some news for everyone...it looks like shelby does belong to the man--he is the type though that doesnt care that she comes in or out of his yard. He said she also gets loose time to time but always comes home. Its sad that he is that kind of dog owner. But there's more to the story, and it's good:

Remember I mentioned M, the man who wants to give Shelby a home? Well, Shelby's previous owner is going to let M (his name is Melvin) take Shelby. The previous owner is even going to come over and help us capture Shelby today. Melvin's backyard is fenced in with 8 ft tall picket fencing, so there's no way she should get out (dad said unless shelby used a ladder to escape LOL). Melvin and his wife are huge animal lovers--they lost one of their dogs, a rottie named bear, to cancer in fall of 2004. They do have another dog, a lab mix named bear. Since shelby lived with other dogs, having a new home with another dog shouldn't be a problem. I know for a fact that shelby is going to have a loving home with lots of yard to run in and treats to eat :)

Yes, it is going to be hard trying to get shelby (the man said that he had a hard time getting her to come to him also), but I am going to use the advice that many wonderful people on this post had given me in trying to get her. Wish us luck! I'll let you know how it goes!!!

Guess what everyone? Shelby has found her forever home!!!

Yes you heard it right...M (otherwise known as Melvin) was able to get ahold of Shelby and take her home with him. Melvin is the guy willing to give Shelby a home. At first, I thought Shelby's previous owner had just abandoned her, but come and find out, she was still his dog but she had a habit of getting loose and ending up in the next yard over or allll the way to the next street (my house is on). Today, the man said she was hard to handle anyways and told us if Melvin wanted her, he could have her. So here's the story (pics FINALLY included...not good ones though-it's with my camera phone)


************************************************** **

My mother said shelby was out on the street again, so i tried to keep her around until melvin was able to come and get her. I tried talking to her, luring her with food, but she still ran away. In the meantime, Daisy the hound saw her through our front door and went nuts:

My brother trying to shush Daisy up, threatening her with phrases like 'If you don't shut up, you're going to the pound" and "be quiet d*** it!".

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...4/f4f17d20.jpg

But knowing Daisy, other dogs made her jealous, thus she kept barking at the presence of Shelby. My brother tried holding her head to quiet her(poor thing's head looks squished here)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...7/f4f17d21.jpg

By the time we shut Daisy up, Shelby went off. So I went in my backyard and saw her in her usual spot, the yard behind us...

So here's Shelby just walking around...I found out she may have chow in her, since i saw some tiny blue specks on her tongue. Her previous owner said she is 3

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...3/f4f18b2f.jpg

this was the best picture i could get of her


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...9/f4f174d7.jpg


She must have been hungry, so she had a snack

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...5/f4f174d5.jpg


Now, the real party started. Another dog of the man, Duke the white pit bull, managed to slip under a fence and join Shelby in the yard. But no, it doesnt end there. My next door neighbor has a chocolate lab, Cody, who also managed to slip under a fence and join the duo. Now we have a party happenin' (for those of you wondering about Daisy, she was in the house WITH THE DOOR CLOSED so she wouldnt see what was happening. The minute she would see those dogs, BAM she would shoot out the house like a rocket (imagine that..my fat hound running fast LOL) and bark like crazy at the fence.

I tried getting some more pictures of shelby but of course cody wanted to play with me and got his big body in front of the camera (mind you, he's only 1.5 years old). Friendly dog (and he knows his way home..he just is nosy!!) but big dog too :)

Cody says hi--what a tongue!

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...8/f4f18b2c.jpg

Isnt he a cutie?This is him trying to get in my face. Yep, that's the fence

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...2/f4f17d1e.jpg

So everyone is barking at each other, wondering what's going on. Duke and Shelby keep barking at one another and trying to fight/play, heck i dont know what they're doing. Cody just wants his picture taken....

It's me again!It was sunny today--I think thats shelby behind him

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...7/f4f18073.jpg

Time to check everyone out--Cody(brown) and Duke(white) sniffs each other out while shelby takes a whiff of dukes hiney hole

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...2/f4f18b2b.jpg


And then Melvin came to our house. Shelby was still back there, so we knew where she was

**************************************************

I dont have any pics of us trying to get her. My dad and I got into his truck (Daisy came too..dad wanted her to help he said) and Melvin took his car, and the 3 (er, 4) of us went to the man's house to get shelby. We had no problem at all getting shelby because the man's friend had her in his arms when we got there. Melvin took her in his arms (she didnt squirm or anything..maybe a little scared) and put her in his car. I swear, it looked like Shelby was smiling in the car!! She was next to Melvin in the front of the car, just a sitting like a human. Then they left. She seemed so much happier. And believe me, Melvin is a big animal lover and would do nothing to hurt her. She's going to be in the best hands and more than likely her forever home. Melvin has a 7 ft fenced backyard, so she shouldnt be escaping (unless she's digging..hope not!)

Daisy was a good girl. She was somewhat nosey about everyone fooling with shelby but she behaved nonetheless. While dad talked to the man (they are friends), Daisy tried to stick her head out the window. When we left, my dad said that we ought to have an animal rescue business (he was joking...dont get me wrong, he loves animals too--but he was talking about how we all went out for this dog. he's got his own plumbing business, so he would be too busy anyways). Then we talked about how proud we were for daisy, being good during the ride and in getting shelby. We had to go to mc donalds and pick up some burgers, and daisy went with us. She got some doggie treats and managed to eat all 4 in a 2 minute span (I think she really wanted burgers too!) I think she was worn out with the whole ordeal we had today LOL

I see Melvin everyday, so I can always see how shelby is doing. And of course, I'll let you know too if you're interested on how shelby is doing. I appreciate everyone's guidance, advice, kind words, etc while we tried to find shelby a home where she would be protected, loved, and be paid attention to more. And we succeeded! That makes me feel good :) Now I wish we can do the same for the rest of the homeless animals we have in this world. It's hard to do, but as I say, one more animal rescued is one less that is homeless. Thanks again everyone..this is such great news, now I can sleep happy tonight. I'll keep everyone updated as time goes by.....and for a final thought, here is Daisy's reaction to this whole day:





WHEW! I am tired. Now get that d@m% camera outta my face!!!(It's hard to tell, but she is looking at me)

http://www.imagestation.com/picture/...6/f4f18b33.jpg

What a perfect ending to this account. I do think that Daisy will be a bit relieved too that her Mom's attention is no longer diverted to {gasp} another dog. The pictures are wonderful. You do have a dog friendly neighborhood, don't you?

A special thanks to the cast of supporting characters in this story, including, Daisy, your dad and mom, and especially to Melvin. Even the questionable neighbor turned out to have some decency when he let Shelby go to a better place. But you, my dear, will always be remembered as the leading lady. Good work, well done!

Yay! Good job!

As Rachel said, all of the supporting cast get a thanks for their help. And you get the biggest.

Great job all around.

Mary

Thanks Mary and Rachel for the kind words! Boy, by the way you're talking, it feels like I am being nominated for an Oscar LOL.
Geez, I'm so embarrassed by the honor...I don't have a speech written :D

Daisy slept good last night, knowing that Shelby found a home (but I really think she's glad that our family is going to continue paying all their attention to just *her* now!)

Shelby's doing great in her new home...dad said melvin told him that she slept on the back porch all night long with the other dog he has(a lab mix named shadow). He has a cat also, who scared Shelby, so I can imagine that LOL. But she's happy where she is and everything. Tomorrow they are going to give her a B-A-T-H!!

For anyone who's been wanting to know how Shelby is since she was taken in by Melvin, she is doing WONDERFUL! Melvin said yesterday she is adjusting well in his and his wife's home. They have another dog, a lab mix named Shadow, who apparently just "stares at Shelby and nothing else", so at least there's no trouble between the 2! However, Shelby is afraid of the family cat, probably a DUH since she never lived with a cat (she may be wondering what the heck this thing with whiskers is!)LOL.

Melvin says Shelby is quite the active girl...wanting to play when everyone is settled for the night. When it's time to go to sleep, Melvin mentioned, Shelby thinks it's playtime. Daisy does the same thing, wanting to play or worse, using the potty.

But all in all, Shelby's doing great in her new home--I'll keep you informed as time goes by! :)

DH, Thanks for the uppydate. Once we get involved in these scenerios, we kind of get attached to these pups, and it is good to know how things are going. It sounds like this was a good match. Hopefully things will continue to be copasetic. Now aren't you glad you got involved?

Congrats on finding Shelby and wonderful home!! Sounds like she is adjusting well!

Job Well Done!!

You should be proud of yourself!!

Great job! I just found this story and it was awesome of what you did! Personally, I think she is a chow mixed with an akita. Maybe Husky. If Shelby has blue spots on her tongue, she definetley has chow in her! Once again that is amazing of what you did for Shelby!

Congrats on helping find Shelby a new home. :)