The Growing Crisis of Stray Dogs in Our Country

Any dog lover, or any human with normal emotions, feels their heart drop and their stomach knot up when they see a dog running loose, or searching for food. Few dogs are born in the wild any longer… most of the dogs roaming the cities and towns of our country are former pets who, for a variety of reasons, are lost or have lost their homes. As our society becomes more and more pet friendly, as dogs become more a part of the family than a possession, as the choice to pamper and spoil pets like human children is the norm, we are also seeing a massive increase in the number of stray pets. The numbers have been on the rise since the start of the pandemic in 2020 and it continues to grow during inflation and higher cost of housing for most Americans. Animal Shelters and Rescues are overwhelmed, short of staff/volunteers, bleeding funds, seeing lower donations, and having to more and more with less and less due to the higher cost of pet related supplies and healthcare. Regardless how the heart hurts for the animals on the street, most people are not in a position to help them, and if they are they are uncertain how to approach or corral a stray dog.

Today’s blog will examine the reason why dogs are abandoned and on the street, what you can do to make a strays world better, how you can safely approach a stray dog, and what we can do to start to shrink the number of strays and make life better for those who are already out in the world.

Why Are there SO MANY Stray Dogs?

We know, right? This is the richest nation in the world, the most advanced nation that has ever existed, the most pet friendly domain that has ever been created, but still there are an estimated 30 to 35 million stray dogs in the United States.  That number is an “on the street” number and does not count the millions of dogs that are in shelters and rescues at any current day of the year. These numbers represent an .02% increase over last year, and a rise of approximately 7% since 2020’s reported number. The reasons that dogs are on the street vary, but here are a few of the most common…

  • Improper, faulty, or inadequate fencing or restraint at their home

    Most dogs are curious by nature and will go exploring if they get loose from their yards. They are also magicians who can find weak points or holes in your fences or enclosures designed to contain them. Tie downs stakes can weaken or dislodge from the ground if they are under significant stress from pulling on them or digging around them. Collars can fray or the “clip ring” can bend/become weak. Some dogs look for opportunity to run if a door is opened, screen door left ajar, or if a latch becomes weak or broken. Once a dog is free, they will explore where the smells, or excitement, take them. There is no guarantee they will find their way back home if they wander too far.

  • The Old “Drive in the Country” Ploy

    People will load the family dog into the car, drive them miles away, and dump them on the side of the road… then drive away and leave the dogs to fend for themselves. This is still done today, with people finding farms, rural communities, animal shelter parking lots, or just a different neighborhood in the same town, and set their dog free. We’re not sure how someone can make the choice just leave a dog, who thinks that the devotion they feel runs as strong in the human as it does in their heart. Imagine the feeling of disappointment, confusion, sadness, and betrayal a dog feels when they realize their family is NOT coming back for them.

  • Lost Dogs Who Have Family that is Missing Them

    Sometimes dogs get loose on walks, or on fun drives, on trips or visits to other places and find themselves lost and on the streets. This is not a case of people leaving the dog, its a simple accident that turns horrible. The family may search, offer rewards, check shelters and rescues, put up signs and posters, and post of social media platforms, but the dog never returns home again.

Shelter and Rescue Dogs are nothing more than Stray Dogs with Slightly Better Circumstances!

Animal Shelters and Rescues are overrun with intake of animals. It’s no longer “mutts” that fill the cages of shelters. More and more designer breeds, pure bred dogs, and small dogs are finding themselves homeless and in shelters. Whereas, 48% of the 3.3 million dogs in Animal Shelters are stray dogs found running loose, the second largest segment are owner/family turn in’s due to various reasons like;

  • Lack of, or an inability to pay for Veterinary Care

  • Tried and failed to integrate into the home environment (often people give up in days or weeks, not months. You’ll find dogs that “need too much attention” “they are just too much” or “not a good fit with my kids and family” are in this category. Really, this is just another glaring example of a lack of proper planning by the owner)

  • Moving to a place that does not accept pets (chances are the owners didn’t try hard enough to find someplace that accepts pets. Would they have turned their human kids over to an orphanage?)

  • Life Change or Financial Hardship (truthfully this is a lack of pre-planning. Every dog parent should have a plan in place to “home” their pet should their humans die, become ill, have a family emergency or hardship, or in case of emergency. Find a trusted friend, family member, or even a reliable co-worker who is willing to be your fur kids lifeline should disaster strike the home.

Some of these dog that are labeled as “bad dogs”, “trouble”, and “behavioral problems” when the reality is that they were never properly trained or integrated into a human home. Some are just overly excited and playful puppies, and puppies destroy possessions teething and romping. Dogs like this were never given a fair chance at a Forever Life due to the owners lack of patience or understanding of the commitment and time it takes to raise a dog.

Another sobering fact is that nearly 400,000 dogs a year are euthanized at shelters. A lot of those living beings are strays that were on the streets and owner turn ins. Better planning and a little more patience would lower this number substantially, as would larger numbers of humans who spay/neuter their animals. If you look over this list, nearly every one of the reasons or categories of stray and abandon dogs listed are directly linked to poor planning and/or understanding of the responsibility of a pet.

Let’s Say I Come Across A Stray Dog… What Should I Do?

The wrong answer here is to rush the dog, or attempt to “capture” them immediately. You need to understand the mindset of that dog. Many are friendly, but distrustful of humans. After all, they were abandoned and/or alone, likely ran off by loud and unfriendly people, they are scared of the noises and smells of the streets, and they are tired… so very tired.

  • Check out the dog from a distance, note their body language, notice their physical condition (are they malnourished, injured, wounded, or obviously in distress?) A dogs “fight or flee” mechanism will kick in if they are afraid, concerned, or spooked.

  • Open your car door, or get on your knees. Show hands and be relaxed. They have to know that you mean no harm and that this is not a trick.

  • Call for them to see if they will come to you… DO NOT GRAB OR PULL… gain trust and let them see you are not a threat. If you have food, that is a good peace offering. DO NOT CHASE THEM, that does not build trust! The animal will either see you as a threat or think you are playing with them.

    If you have a rope or a spare dog leash, you can slowly attempt to slide it over the dogs head and onto the neck. We advise that you let them smell the constraint before you try to put it on them. If it is a female dog, could she have puppies in the area? You would not want to take the stray dog off the streets and abandon a litter of puppies. Mom might have been out on a food scavenge hunt and needs to return to the babies. This could be a reason the dog is aloof, allusive, and seemingly aggressive.

If you get the dog into your possession, into your car, and can take them to a safe place… look for a tag with their owners information. If they do not have a collar or tag, you can contact your trusted veterinarian to see if they will scan the dog for a microchip ID. With luck, that will tie to an owner who can be called to come get their fur kids. If there is no chip, no collar, and no ID, then you could offer to make that dog a member of your family. After all, possession is 9/10ths of the law. You can also make the hard choice to take them to a rescue or dog shelter for help finding the pets family or rehabbing and re-homing them. Consider that once you’ve given up control of the animal, their choices and life is out of your control.

If the dog is aggressive, angry, confrontational, or obviously scared/injured, you do not want to force the interaction. You can call Animal Control, keep them in sight, put out food and water, continue to talk to them in clam and loving tones from a distance. Once Animal Control has them in their possession, ask the officer for more information on their facility. Are they a “kill shelter”, do they work with local rescues, how long will the dog have till it is destroyed. If you are interested in homing the dog, or know people that might want to foster or home the dog, ask for the shelter information and let them know you’ll be coming for the dog.

The best case scenario is that your efforts will reunite the stray dog with their loving family, who is missing them. If not, you have helped take a hunger, potentially sick, tired, and lonely dog off the streets and into a place where they can get care, food, and a potential second chance at life. Whatever happens, it has to be better than a life on the streets.

(Did you know that you can build or purchase a “stray dog kit” to keep in your car. It would have treats, a can of wet dog food, bottled water, a dog ladle or collapsible bowl, sterile gloves, and a rope)

 

How Do We Reduce the Number of Stray Animals on the Streets and in Shelters/Rescues?

We discussed the plight and cure for over crowded shelters and rescues in a previous blog. We would invite you to check out that post for more information. You can find it here; The Gift of Forever – Freddie’s Place (freddiesplaceanimalhospital.com)

As far as reducing the raw numbers of abandoned, turned in, or lost pets… a lot of that is better planning and foresight by humans. Having a pet is not a spur-of-the-moment decision. So much goes into taking another living being under your roof, even more when the animal is not human and has no direct way to speak to you.  Always remember, dogs never mentally age much higher than a 2 or 3 year old human child. You’ll always have a furry toddler in your home, one who has so much love and a deep bond to you. Think of that before you decide to offer up your home to them… be committed to the long run and don’t give up if the going gets tough. The rewards for making it through the terrible times and into the relaxed version of the same animal in adulthood is well worth it. Your dog is a friend for life, their life. Don’t throw that away in a moment of uncertainty or weakness.

Do not move to a place that won’t take animals. Have a plan to re-home, or hand off your pet for temporary care to someone you would trust with your life. Make sure your pet has plenty of time and interaction with this person(s). Search, find, and contact local rescues that could be in your re-home plan. A dog in a rescue has a much better and completely different path in life than a shelter dog.

If you do decided to keep this stray dog, for a while or for a lifetime… be aware of the time it will take for them to trust again. Make it easy for the dog. Cage them at night, at first, until they become familiar with your home and routine. Once they see that you’re not abandoning them and that your home is their space, too… they should vibe with the situation.  You might need to provide them medical attention or at least get them a checkup.  This is a new financial burden on you, but if a dog has been on the streets, they need a good “once over” to assure they are healthy and have no physical effects of their time alone.

Just live this motto… “Be the Human this Dog Deserves. Be the Person that This Dog Needs” and everything else will play out. Give the gift of life to one that lost everything. Be a hero to this living soul. Do your part with this one being and you’ve moved the needle of the stray dog problem.

That’s it for this weeks Dog Blog, we hope it provided some new information and helpful tips. Since October is the scariest time of the year, we would invite you to stop by our “just for fun” social media site called Freddie’s Fun Place, where we are currently in the midst our “31 Days of Horror Movie Makeovers” where Freddie appears each day as monster from a well known movie. You’ll be shocked and, frankly, maybe a bit afraid, of how Freddie approaches each character. You can find our Facebook site at this link; Facebook.

We will see you next week for another edition of our Dog Blog. Until then, remember that the temperatures are getting cooler, the days shorter, the Holidays closer, and your patience could be getting lower. Just make a promise to spend time with your best fur friends, they will help you to cope and lower your stress level. Be good to each other, be kind to a stranger, and always be sure to Be Pet Friendly… #FreddieSez!

Research Sources