I don't WANT to take your Dog....

Dear Angry Dog Owner,

No.

I don't want to take your dog. My goal at the end of my shift each day is to go back to the shelter with an empty truck.

But due to you not being a responsible dog owner, I may have your dog on my truck. If your really lucky your dog is not in my tailgate box. This is the box of no return. The few that have tags or microchip that are up to date will at least get a phone call, and will know the fate of their pet.

Too many others will not.

But if your dog is in my truck in one of the dog boxes on the side, you have failed your pet somehow. You have allowed your dog to run loose, and most likely with no ID whatsoever. I know there are flukes when a dog accidentally gets out. But I also know that responsible dog owners put collars, tags and microchips to ID their dogs. Just in Case. They may never think their dog will get out, but it CAN happen even to the most responsible owner. These cases are easy. With dogs that have current licenses especially, I will made every effort to contact the owner, go to their house, call all phone numbers available.

I don't WANT to take your dog to the shelter. I will return dogs to owners who have ID, Microchip, phone numbers and tags. Most of the time I am going to just give a warning. Maybe the worst that will happen is I will cite for the dog running loose. I usually only do this if the dog had be difficult to catch, was running in and out of traffic. This is a public safety hazard, and a deadly hazard to the dog!

But if your an irresponsible pet owner. Your fences are in poor condition, or you just don't give a hang that your dog is running loose, is un-neutered/un-spayed, no tags, aggressive because it's unsocialized or territorial because it's un-neutered. It's going in my truck.

If your dog has bitten someone, has no rabies vaccinations and was running loose when it bit someone, it's going on my truck.

If you have failed to provide your dog with proper care, Food, Water, Shelter and Veterinary Care, your dog will go on my truck.

There are too many of these types of dogs.

I feel bad for the Dog when I have to take it to the shelter. Especially the old ones. It breaks my heart to find an old dog wandering the streets, obviously lost, but having no ID. I had a 13 year old Golden Reteriever who was microchipped. He couldn't even make it halfway across the yard to potty, but he had ID!

There is no excuse for dogs to NOT have some form of ID.

The OLDEST excuse I hear? "I took his collar off to give him a bath." And then you left him OUTSIDE??

Or the completely oblivious owners. Thier dog is running loose on the streets outside thier house chasing people, cars, bikes, dogs being walked on leashes. Dog is barking and raising a ruckus so loud that several neighbors call it in. I get there and dog is sure enough out running amuck and tries to charge me snarling like it's going to eat my face. I don't take that BS. I chase him back through the open gate or HUGE hole in gate or fence, or the open garage door. Or just onto the front porch. FINALLY the owner comes to check on thier dog and find me getting ready to catch pole thier dog. Did you not hear your dog for the last several hours barking, snarling, growling? Your getting a citation. Your lucky your dog isn't going on my truck. Next time it will.

Now don't assume that when I roll up in front of your house, I am there to take your dog.

I don't WANT to take your dog. Your irresponsibility forces me to take your dog.

                                                                                                     Sincerely,

                                                                                          The Dog Catcher