Sorry to hear about your very tragic morning.

Our local animal control is a department within the police department and also in charge of the city shelter. My husband happens to be the officer assigned to animal control. I am the office manager, temperament tester, dog trainer for the shelter.

While I don't understand some of the policies you were facing today --

(after hours, if you had made that call in our town, my husband would been woken by a telephone call from dispatch, got dressed, relied on me to figure out where he had put his badge, and been at your house to retrieve the dog. At that point, it would have been taken to our shelter and more likely than not euthanized on the spot - we don't have a big vet budget, so if an injured dog comes in and first aid won't do it, and we don't know who the owner is to contact, we put them down.)

-- I can tell you that like anything else animal control comes in the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's never an easy job and cities are frequently not terribly generous budget-wise to make staff available for every emergency.

Many of us are trying hard in trenches of government regs, an endless stream of bad dog owners, and an endless supply of pit bull mixes (age 7 - 10 months) that nobody wants anymore.

It's kitten season now, full force from here through October. I'll be assisting in the deaths of several hundred perfectly nice kittens and cats over the next few months. Sometimes, all my compassion is used up gently holding a cat who looks just like mine, and would be as fine a companion and friend as mine, and it's hard to deal kindly with the next human who calls to tell me our policies suck. I still try.

Just another pov. I'm glad the little dog had you for his last hours.

Thank you for all you said, everyone. I can't tell you how much I appreciate the support and help and direction you all gave.

I just called the closest emergency vet clinic and they do take dead dogs. The gal was supportive too, through my tears, and told me that if this ever happened again, I could bring the dog in and if they can save it, they will. I wouldn't be responsible for the bill for any treatment or even for euthanasia. The Humane Society would pay for it.

Only thing about taking him to them now is when the little dog died, I had put him in a clean plastic bag and when I went to put him on the sidewalk, he had bled out. I'm afraid I can't handle that. Emotionally. It was all I could do to pick him up and take him to the sidewalk. I think I need to leave things as they are. I don't deal well with this type of thing.

Pam, thanks for your post. I understand what you're saying. I'll keep that in mind.

Sandy: I'm so sorry for what you have been through. I'm really frustrated with the quality of animal control in my area too. I've had a few encounters with them, but nothing on the scale of what you went through today. A neighbor down the street left their dog in the sun all day everyday last summer. We had many consecutive days of over 100F. One day the dog was barking like crazy for a long time, so I went over to take a look. What little water he had was slimey with bugs in it. I called Animal Control &they said they would send someone right over. When I asked if I should put a bucket of water over for him they said no because then they would not be able to seize the dog. AFter a few hours the dog was still barking so I went over & took a look. All they had done was put a frigging note on the idiots fence. Needless to say I took a bucket of water over to the poor pup.

Sandy,
What a sad story - I'm here at work and tears are falling on my desk! I'm so sorry this happened to you this morning.

As far as the thought of burying him on your property and being afraid that your dog would get into the gravesite - over the past 20 years, we have buried 6 cats in our backyard (4 of ours and 2 for friends who lived in apartments). We had a dog for 10 years and a friend's two dogs for a year and there was never any problem with them even approaching the area (my husband buried all of them at least 2 feet).

Just a thought . . .

For those of you frustrated with the quality of your local Animal Control agency, I have a suggestion.

Join them.

Most often a local Animal Control agency has elected slots. Run for one of them and then you your knowledge to make needed changes.

I ended up the Chairman of my local Animal Control Board when I lived in Georgia and I drug them ( kicking and screaming ) into the 21st century. It wasn't pretty to get massive changes done but by the time I left a lot of out-dated policies were changed for the good of the animals.
I still am really proud of doing that, and I strongly urge people to do this.

 Quote: Will Rambeau

For those of you frustrated with the quality of your local Animal Control agency, I have a suggestion.

Join them.

Very wise, Will. Thanks.

~Natalya

Omg, Sandy that's so incredibly depressing! I'm so sorry you had to go through all that and that it ended so sadly.
I agree with the others though; that dog probably had no chance of survival.

It's lucky to have had you comforting it in its last moments instead of dying while baking in the sun on the side of the road. Wow, I just want to cry. I hope that wasn't someone's beloved pet. What a way to lose a dog

I can understand your frustration. It's horrible that no one was there to give medical care to such a badly injured dog. And that they told you to just leave the little body to rot away on the street... unbelievable.

This is beyond depressing, I admire your strength for dealing with it all.

I'm wishing I hadn't read this now. I was already upset from having returned from the vet this morning with a sick puppy (poor Aja), this makes me feel even worse.


Stay strong Sandy... and have a hug ) You should be proud for giving all you had to that poor dog.

Hard not to empathize for the little thing. Rest in peace little guy.

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

You should have zero guilt.

Sandy, I’m a firm believer in things happening for a reason. There was a reason you found that little baby that was hit. I doubt that very many people would have done what you did, and continued to do, to help.

Absolutely no guilt – that little guy had a special angel with him when he crossed over.

I would have driven the dead dog to Humane society's front door and left him there for them to get him...They are ridiculous...
We had a cat hit by a car in our neighbor hood, I picked it up and drove him to our emergency clinic, he ended up dying there but it was a quicker response.The clinic took him and ended up putting him to sleep(he was on his way anyway) but at least he was not in pain and at the right place.
Sorry you had to go through that sandy , that is terrible but you did what you could.

that is a terrible shame...apathy...is all that is....

isn't that place that is on animal planet in AZ...uh, Alameda East animal hospital...but..you may not be near phoenix....from what i have seen, they are supposed to be the best around...and will take on any case...

it is truly a shame that you had to go through that...

personally, i would keep the dog, and bury it peacefully in a spot where my dog would not get to it and give it a pretty name on a make shift tombstone...something like "here lies 'Fluffy', hit by a car and ignored by XX & XX...." take a pic b4 and after, and mail it to the agencies that did nothing....