So a pretty uneventful morning, didn't take a nap. I went outside and 3 large German Shepherds showed up, I went back in the house. I looked on Nextdoor and learned some interesting things:
- They have gotten aggressive with people.
- Some do gooders who "love animals" but don't want any responsibility have been giving them food and water but no other care. "They're a family, we can't separate them at a shelter!"
- One of the dogs appears to be pregnant, which is probably feeding the aggression.
- They have killed a cat in front of witnesses.
I put up a notice they were by my house and gave the "rescue" crowd a couple of hours to come get them, because that was the biggest excuse "We don't know where they are". No one came. One guy kept whining about how they were "good" dogs and "just scared". A scared dog is even more dangerous. And these are not fearful dogs they have been exploring the front yard and sleeping by my neighbor's trash cans.
What pushed me over the edge? The mail lady had a package for me she could not deliver due to the dogs. And I can't go out in my yard because they are there, unpredictable, and all I know is they have killed cats (I smell like cats) and are aggressive with do-gooder humans how much more someone who is uncomfortable with large dogs? So I called the shelter. I made sure to talk about the dead cat and growling at people and she said they would send someone RIGHT out.
Thank God my cats stayed away. Most of them were inside but I couldn't find Cleo. On a sick and depressing note I didn't hear anything like a dog killing her so she is safe somewhere. Baby Girl had a good look at them out the window but didn't go out of the backyard (thank God my uncle fixed my fence).
Hopefully they will be out to get the dogs pretty quick. It's a huge safety hazard, I kept thinking I have 2 little girls, one lives one side one across the street. Each of the girls has a small, yappy, dog. If the shepherds were killing cats I would bet money they would attack a small dog, the girls would try to "save" their pet and get mauled. Not to mention me I need to be able to go out in my yard and be safe. I don't want to hear that, or see some poor child all mauled up. I am not overly worried about the cats but I am for myself and passersby.
I just don't think dogs have any place roaming the neighborhood, that is why I live in a deed restricted subdivision, in a county that has leash laws. I know many people have lived their whole lives in the country with a big pack of dogs roaming all over... that is fine in the country if you know to expect that but I want to be safe.
Yes, I am wary around dogs. I had some bad experiences coming up. According to my brother my sister had a really hard time, a shepherd bit her on the face! You can't tell but I can only imagine what that did to her sense of security.
Interestingly enough, I have heard from both siblings my mother had a habit of gifting puppies to people. She must have known Dad would never allow that with me. So I grew up in a house without pets. Then we eventually got a bird, later on a cat. But that was it, the bird and the cat. And Dad has never been comfortable with cats. He told my stepmother it would only ever be the one cat and that's how it's been. No more cats for Mom.
At least, my Dad reminds her, until he dies, then she can go get one. She will probably adopt a nice old calico she loves calicos and older cats (she will love Torbie).
Now, do I hate dogs? No. I actually offered more than once to care for any service dog Ron might want, a Guide Dog or a service dog (more to help him in wheelchair which was a bigger issue to us than blind). Both times he said no. More than once he told me he dated a woman with a Guide Dog and it was horrible when they had to put the dog down. He was still broken up about that but is happily reunited with the pup.
And Ron had a dog when he was a boy, a large dog. She was very protective of Ron and would attack Ron's brother if he bullied Ron. Their dad eventually gave her away because they didn't have any low cost spay options. It broke Ron's heart. They had other dogs but she was special.
On the other hand, his mother had a dog that was so vicious the vet called it "The Louisiana Gator Dog" because it was always biting and snapping. It would attack anyone who got near Ron's mother, she would chuckle and pet him when he did so (rewarding him). It was constantly biting Ron. He got sick of it and stopped visiting his mother because she refused to put the dog up when he came. They (both parents) would chuckle every time the dog attacked someone. It was a chihuahua but had it been bigger people would have reported it to animal control and had it put down.
So me, personally? I don't really have good experiences with dogs, particularly large ones, particularly shepherds, as I saw one mauling a neighbor boy when I was about 8. Horrible animal. They put her down of course. But that has just been my wheelhouse, dogs are erratic and aggressive, avoid if at all possible. I sure don't want a pack of them in my yard and I absolutely do not want to get sued because someone thought they were "mine".
So I am just waiting for animal control to come. The mail lady swung by again but still a large dog in my yard so she kept going. But I commend her for at least trying. Some people wouldn't even try to deliver a package once. She tried at least twice that I saw.
Hopefully people will be more careful with their animals if they realize they will be picked up, that not everyone feels sorry for the large aggressive dog pack growling at people and killing small animals. It was just STUPID for people to gang up and feed them...they would never leave after that. Much better to trap them and get them to a shelter or rescue vs. let them roam the neighborhood killing pets and growling at people.
So that was my day. I will edit when they're gone.
I am not stupid if they are all aggressive they are going to be put down, but better that than have them attack a small child out walking her (small) dog (on a leash).
