PAWS TO PONDER

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by Suzyn Barron, President of Warwick Valley Humane Society, Inc. 

Did you know that despite over 34 years of seeing stray dogs become unclaimed strays, it still amazes me that there are people who choose not to look for their missing dogs, especially the senior ones!   We have no way of locating owners if the pet is not carrying any identification.  License tags help only Monday through Friday when Town Hall is open.  Unregistered microchips are useless.  ID tags with the dog’s name and current phone number are helpful as long as the dog is wearing the collar, and they are still affixed to it because tags are known to fall off.  Writing the information on the collar or having a grommeted inscription plate with the pertinent information is the easiest way for us to contact the owner.  

When we intake an unidentified stray we have to wait for the owner to contact the shelter.  After 24 hours it usually means the dog will be unclaimed. Generally, about 67% of the stray dogs are returned to the families, leaving a third of them homeless.  

There are no “wild” dogs in our County or even our State.  Every stray dog was once someone’s pet.  Many are frightened by their circumstances, others are in poor condition, like Maggie.  That’s the name given to her by staff after the required five-day hold for an owner to redeem her.  No one called.  It was obvious that her prior owner either couldn’t or wouldn’t provide the medical care she needed judging by her overall condition.  On October 24th at 9:30 pm Warwick Police called Animal Control about a large stray dog meandering around Ball Road, a dark, winding back road in the Town.  The Animal Control Officer on duty picked her up and settled her in at the shelter for the night. 

Maggie is a very friendly older female German Shepherd.  She presented with an itchy, scaly skin condition causing scabs and fur loss.  Although she was uncomfortable, we had to wait to take her to the vet for medical treatment during the hold period.   The vet prescribed antibiotics and medicated baths every other day for several weeks to help her skin recover from an untreated infection.  Maggie started looking and feeling better within a week and continues to improve as we adhere to veterinary instructions.  She is one of the sweetest dogs allowed to suffer for far too long and end up homeless.  

For those without the means to care for their pets, there are ways to obtain help.  There are organizations that assist with veterinary expenses and Care Credit, a credit card specifically for a pet’s medical needs.  So why was Maggie in such poor condition?  Why was she “lost and not found”? Unclaimed pets are basically abandoned and unwanted pets.  They may unintentionally wander from home but are dependent on you finding them because ““A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.” – Josh Billings.    

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