[Petnanny]

I stumbled upon this poem, which I found extremely upsetting, but very thought provoking!

Today is the death day of nobody's dog
Nothing will mark it but a note in the log
I'm faceless and nameless and no tears will fall
For I know in your world I have no worth at all
To you, my sweet someone, I'm a friend and a dear
We ran the wind daily and you held me so near
But the gate was left open - I chanced a walk on my own
I'd have cowered in fear if only I'd known
I know how you cried on the night that I strayed
I know how you searched, I know how you prayed
But I went to a pound far far from our home
Where I crouched in despair in my kennel alone
I know that you phoned for I heard your dear voice
And I hoped you would hear me so I barked myself hoarse
Although I'm a Lab cross with stockings all white
On their form I'm a Staff cross - the description's not right
So they said I'm not here and I sank to my bed
My kennel cough's worse and I can't raise my head
The rescue came yesterday but they hadn't a place
For an un-neutered cross breed with his mucus-streaked face
If only you'd come to search for me here
You would have known me at once, you would have sensed I was near
You would have sorted my ills, you would have carried me home
And I promise our God no more would I roam
Now my eyes plead for mercy for my seven days are done
And I am waiting with dread for the final vet run
No arms will caress me as they inject me to death
No words will comfort me as I take my last breath
When the body man comes, it is fitting I'm found
In a bin bag in the freezer in the depths of the pound
Thrown away like the rubbish - no respect and no shame
Denied even the time to find you again
My loyalty and devotion they did cruelly betray
Without microchip or nametag, I am just a dispensable stray
Once waggy-tailed, once proud, beloved and free
Oh Dad look with pain at what mankind's done to me!

Rescue dogs - if we can't get them out they will die!!

[Calibre Designs]

[Indizine]

dog licences should be brought back and cost at least £250 per dog IMHO to stop people buying dogs willy nilly and without thorough inspection.

[CPLTD]

I agree there are too many people buying dogs for a status symbol it makes me sick especially when you see a 11 year old walking a staffordshire bull terrier or should I say the dog was walking her!

[Petnanny]

For people with dogs they really should take the time to have them micro chipped. However, not all rescue centres, dog wardens or vets will scan and this should be made law.

If people take the time and money to micro chip their pets, all organisations dealing with lost dogs/cats should scan as a matter of course.

I hope this poem will also encourage people to consider re homing a dog, rather than buying. However, you all know that we have just put a deposit down on a GSD puppy!

Since losing Zak, we visited two GSD Rescue centres, but could not find a cat friendly one, and despite having our name down with Battersea, and other rescue centres for a cat friendly German Shepherd, or puppy, nothing came in.

[sally]

OMG that made me cry. I had no idea all vets couldn't scan for microchips and yes it should be law.

In my area of cumbria the council do a discount scheme for chipping and people on welfare can get it done free. The local dog wardens have scanners and thank the lord because my dog went missing twice and they brought her back (of course she was delighted to get a ride in a big van). Yes I had to pay them for their trouble but I would have paid ten times as much to get her back.

[Fuzzy]

Fuzzy speechless

I agree with Indi!

[hi-de-hi]

Originally Posted by Petnanny

For people with dogs they really should take the time to have them micro chipped. However, not all rescue centres, dog wardens or vets will scan and this should be made law.

If people take the time and money to micro chip their pets, all organisations dealing with lost dogs/cats should scan as a matter of course.

I agree and I hope this story, which only happened to me last weekend, will help prove the point.

I was on my way to our local DIY centre (yes the big one), when I spotted what appeared to be a stray dog by the roadside looking to cross the road, and so being me, I stopped the car as there was no owner nearby. The dog was friendly and willingly came to me and so I tried several times to ring the number on the tag but it only went to voicemail:sad1:. The tag said she was chipped and after waiting a few mins to see whether an owner turned up (they didn't) I popped her in the car and took her home so that I could contact the vets or local police station for scanning. I thought once she was scanned I could return her to her owners, but here's where the fun starts...

Once home I phoned our vets and explained the situation but they just said it was the responsibility of the police...so I phoned the police who said it was the responsibility of the dog warden...I then phoned the dog warden but they were only open during office hrs ie. Mon-Fri (this was Sunday).

Now we have 2 dogs of our own and weren't able to hang on to this little gal indefinitely so we decided to stop ringing round and take the dog to the local police station for scanning, but the guy on the desk said they had no scanner but suggested that we take her to another police station who did have a scanner approx 10 miles away...so we then duly drove her to said police station who then replied that their scanner was broken!!

After some thought and deliberation, they phoned a local vets who agreed to scan her...so we took her to the vets who duly scanned her to reveal an owners name and address, but because the owners weren't available, they housed her until they could be contacted. Later on that day, the owners were reunited with their pet and then came round to us with a bottle of bubbly as a thank you, so all ended well.

The police mentioned that the law changes on 6 April (yesterday) which states that all responsibility for stray dogs goes to the local council, ie dog warden...I just hope they change their opening hours!!

[Petnanny]

[quote=hi-de-hi;23995]I agree and I hope this story, which only happened to me last weekend, will help prove the point.

Thank you for sharing that with us, it proves my point beautifully.

If only everyone who saw a stray dog would offer help, there would be a lot less dogs roaming the streets, some of which are eventually found in the most horrific way. Anyway who watched the dog rescue programme on Sunday, would note my point.

You are right in that the law is changing, and police stations will no longer be housing dogs until the warden can collect them. This means that any dogs found out of hours may stay on the streets, just another example of our uncaring society! :sad1: