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Here's the scenario going on at this moment:
My husband came home from work tonite and one of the neighborhood kids told my husband that there was a PREGNANT PIT BULL roaming our street. We had to walk our own dogs, so we headed that way to see if we could spot her.
We did find her on the street. I went home and secured our dogs and my husband lured the female back to our house.
She is currently in a spare bedroom so we could take a better look at her (it is pitch black outside and she's a black dog).
Here is her condition:
DEFINITELY recently pregnant - she has milk (but she's already given birth).
SCARRED up, but not too major - small to medium scars all over and a torn ear, but her eyes and mouth look good, seems like she's just been scrapping on the street, not used as a fighter.
OVERALL, HEALTHY, VERY YOUNG, FRIENDLY WITH PEOPLE, SEEMS TO BE OWNED - NOT FERAL.
HERE'S MY QUESTION:
Do I hold onto her until morning and call Animal Control (I don't think she'd mix with our dogs, I have one female pit of my own that would love to fight her and mine is twice her size )?
Do I let her back out in case her pups are in the woods (our neighborhood is surrounded by woods)?
One idea we had: Open my garage for a few hours (my husband will sit out there) and see if she brings pups back to us?
MY CONCERN:
She might be out looking for pups that have already been taken away from her and I might let her out only for her to roam the streets again.
Ideas? Is anyone online who can help me figure out what is the right thing to do for this dog?
Do I hold onto her until morning and call Animal Control (I don't think she'd mix with our dogs, I have one female pit of my own that would love to fight her and mine is twice her size )?
Do I let her back out in case her pups are in the woods (our neighborhood is surrounded by woods)?
One idea we had: Open my garage for a few hours (my husband will sit out there) and see if she brings pups back to us?
MY CONCERN:
She might be out looking for pups that have already been taken away from her and I might let her out only for her to roam the streets again.
Ideas? Is anyone online who can help me figure out what is the right thing to do for this dog?
Thank you in advance .
I have never had experience with that but I would opt for her finding her young ones. I would hate for them to starve and die out in the forest or worse, unable to protect themselves.
I suppose that you could feed her in the garage and leave some extra food there, a water bowl, some blankets for her to lie on, turn the lights off and leave the doors open. Then see if she brings back her pups.
I dunno, I've never been in this situation before.
I have really no experience with pregnant dogs either.
Right now, my husband decided to walk her and see if she'd take lead him somewhere (to her pups if they're in the woods), so they are out walking right now (her first time on a leash, apparently).
Ayersd1, do you know how long pups could last without milk? I'm not sure. That's our concern with containing her - are we doing the right thing for her pups if they're out there??
(For all I know, she's searching for pups that have already been pulled from her ).
I suppose that you could feed her in the garage and leave some extra food there, a water bowl, some blankets for her to lie on, turn the lights off and leave the doors open. Then see if she brings back her pups.
I dunno, I've never been in this situation before.
We could do that for a few hours, but unfortunately not overnight without the garage door being closed (though my garage would certainly be "clean" by morning if I did leave it open overnight !).
This in one of those situations where I just don't feel confident in my decision.
I have really no experience with pregnant dogs either.
Right now, my husband decided to walk her and see if she'd take lead him somewhere (to her pups if they're in the woods), so they are out walking right now (her first time on a leash, apparently).
Ayersd1, do you know how long pups could last without milk? I'm not sure. That's our concern with containing her - are we doing the right thing for her pups if they're out there??
(For all I know, she's searching for pups that have already been pulled from her ).
I think this is where you let nature take it's course.
give her awesome treats and leave the garage open for her w/ a blanket and essentials and let her leave if she needs too. she might wanna go home or find her pups. Or give her treats and water at your front door w/ a blanket and get her cozy there. She might be there in the morning and if not, you helped her in her travels.
I'm a werid-o in the stray dog department. My old neighborhood was full of roamers and there was nothign we coudl do about it, but they were always home by night.
I think this is where you let nature take it's course.
give her awesome treats and leave the garage open for her w/ a blanket and essentials and let her leave if she needs too. she might wanna go home or find her pups. Or give her treats and water at your front door w/ a blanket and get her cozy there. She might be there in the morning and if not, you helped her in her travels.
I'm a werid-o in the stray dog department. My old neighborhood was full of roamers and there was nothign we coudl do about it, but they were always home by night.
Thanks Kelly.
We have an awesome vet right down the road, so we're thinking now that if we held her until 7am, our vet would be able to determine how recently she gave birth, etc.
But we're on the fence with holding her until morning or just letting her go now.
She's in the garage right now with my husband, still on a lead. She's drinking lots of water and she's taking food from us (but hiding it, not eating it yet). She appears to be well-fed anyway, she's not starving.
She's calming down considerably, but seemed terrified when we walked her past our own dogs' bowls, she also did not like the dog bed I offered her (it smells like my male dog I guess). She took to a plain clean sheet fine though.
Another neighborhood kid told my husband (when he was walking the little pit just a while ago) that this same dog was lying under his car all afternoon, but no pups in sight.
I'm really starting to think her pups are gone and she's wandered off looking for them....
She's super-sweet though, and tiny (maybe 30 lbs at best), probably needs to be in an only-dog household........TitaniumMD, I know you're looking for a dog....whatta ya' think?!
Since she has been roaming and the boy said she was under the car she probably doesn't have access to her pups. Would she leave them that long?
You are so sweet to be concerned and taking care of her. I wonder if somebody dumped her because she had pups? Sad. I hope she gets a nice home.
Since she has been roaming and the boy said she was under the car she probably doesn't have access to her pups. Would she leave them that long?
You are so sweet to be concerned and taking care of her. I wonder if somebody dumped her because she had pups? Sad. I hope she gets a nice home.
Tama - it really could be just that .
We are now up to 3 people in my neighborhood that have told us they've seen her today for the first time (she's not a dog that lives in my neighborhood....small neighborhood, we pretty much know all the dogs).
2 teenage boys and one adult my husband spoke to when he was out walking on his own just a bit ago. He took her out on a lead to see if she could lead him to her pups, then he brought her back to our garage and went looking on his own.
Nearly all on neighbors have fences, so she does not have much access to the woods except for those rare few houses. All 3 of the people we've spoken to this evening (we're an active bunch at night over here !) have said they've seen her roaming on our street all day - just up and down the street (and the one boy who said she was laying under his car, to cool off I suppose).
Husband just took her outside in our yard, but she was a nervous wreck and would not leave his side (I wanted her to relieve herself...we'll try again in a bit). She was all too happy to come back into the garage (no leash, she walked back in on her own).
So......
We've still got her for right now.....my husband thinking is that if we let her go, she's just going to end up pregnant again . But we are torn and still want to hear feedback......this is very sad . I noticed her neck is crusty too (dried blood ).
What to do, what to do.......
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