Pit Bull trapped in my back yard...Breaking News!!!

[stevie_d_64]

Speaking of dogs...You guys are going to love this...

Most of the late afternoon and early evening I spent trying to figure out what to do, and what my options were, since the City of Houston has failed once again in resolving a situation that could have easily been solved if it had any sense...But that is preaching to the choir...

Setting this up...

Ok, I’m sitting in our bedroom, hallway door open, windows in the rooms are all open letting the nice afternoon air waft through the house...

On days like this we often leave the backdoor to the backyard open so our dog can run in and out at his leisure...No problems till today...BTW, our backyard is relatively secure, you can only get in legitimately if I open the gates from the inside, and there are no appreciable holes (dog sized) to let anything in, that we don’t want in...

But that didn’t happen today...

I was in the bedroom, cleaning the arsenal (ironically), and out of the corner of my eye I saw a dark shape move quickly down the hall in front of our bedroom doorway towards the back bedroom of the house...Followed very quickly by our dog...I thought maybe he had chased a cat inside the house from the backyard, and I got up to see what the story was...

As soon as I got up and rounded the corner looking into the back bedroom, I saw a large brown dog do a vertical leap right into the window (4 feet in the air) and fall back into my dog...

I quickly grabbed my dog and pulled him out of the room, and got him and “Wife Unit� secured into our bedroom...I took the only pistol I had ready, loaded, and in service to see if we had a problem...I am embarrassed, it was "Wife Unit's" Bersa .380, shows how prepared I was...

We did have a problem...

The dog breed was a Pit Bull, female, with a nice collar and ID tag...She was scared and crawling behind a couch we had in the bedroom, so I stood there to see if she was injured, or aggitated more than I figured I could handle...I have zero fear of dogs, so I figured this looked like it wouldn't escalate if I kept my head and made sure she didn't feel cornered or threatened...

I managed to back off, and let her find her way into the backyard a few minutes later, and shut the door...Dog secured...House secure...

I tried to call Animal Control, but the timing stunk as they had just shut down for the rest of the weekend...ugggg...

So I called HPD (non-emergency) and got two officers to show up about 30 minutes later...They were extremely professional and later very personable after we figured out what I needed to do...

What did happened, is the Pit Bull managed to find a nice hiding place in the backyard underneath my deck...No way to get her out unless Animal Control comes out to harness her and haul her out from under there...

So, the first officers left after calling A.C. and got the obligatory, “we’ll be there as soon as we can line...� which we calculated to be about 9pm this evening...We figured if they didn’t show up by 9pm, give the HPD non-emergency number a call again and see what the ETA would be...No problem...

Well, I called the non-emergency number again at 9pm and got the “B� shift I figured...They sounded like rejects...Yawning, making all sorts of wierd sounds as they brought my file up and telling me my file was closed and no further action would be taken...

Well, I got a little bit more of the run around (after three more calls and disconnects) and finally the last “communications specialist� dispatched another officer to come out (code 2) to re-establish contact...

So, I’m sitting on the back of my truck in our driveway (nice evening) when officer “Friendly� showed up about 10 minutes later...Looked to be about 2-3 years on the force (but thats just a guess), he advised me to stay seated on the truck as he stood “ready� for action at the foot of the driveway ...I had our dog sitting nice and calm on the truck bed, and he proceeded to say “hello� to officer “Friendly� in his special way...Whatever dude...

After talking to this guy, he basically told me that A.C. is staffed by about 3 people for the whole county, and that a priority call to a 12 foot alligator 5 miles from our house was not even being taken care of yet...And that he advised that I should just let this Pit bull go and out of our yard...

Yeah, sure...I live right next to the road of death for stray dogs and cats in this nieghborhood...Sure, I want to cause a possible accident, or allow a dog that is scared and potentially agressive to be out there uncontrolled and possibly injure or kill someone...Nope, not going to happen...

I thought to myself this is the stupidest thing I’ve heard in a long time from a Law Enforcement professional...So I told him that is NOT what I am going to do, and that he suggested he and I go back there and try to flush the dog out...At which point he said he would shoot the dog if it made the slightest (aggressive) move towards him...This is a fact, and I have no reason to fabricate this in anyway...I was literally floored by this attitude...But kept the poker face on...

Kill the dog, yeah, sure, I could have done that, but I'd been in a bit of trouble for discharging my weapon inside city limits if there was someone in the DA’s office prissy enough to make an issue out of that...So I figured that was not going to happen...

So at that point, I told him I’ll take care of this, and thanked him for stopping by to help clarify my options...Again, whatever dude...

It's not that I was expecting this to be any form of immediacy, or critical enough, because it was under some control...But I needed support and pretty much got a big "goose egg"...

Anyway, there’s where we are...

I have an idea that I will put a little food out for her, and see if she’ll let me get a good look at the “tag� on her collar...She is in good shape, well fed, relatively good attitude...And I don’t want to mess that up...

If I find the owners, I’ll try to contact them...And get this resolved...tomorrow...

If anyone knows where I can get a “breed� rescue group to come out tomorrow and help me get her out from under the deck and stable enough to safely read her “tag�, I could use that info pretty quick...Maybe she'll be a little better off tomorrow morning, and I can do this without too much trouble...She looks like an inside dog, and maybe a night out will not be too hard on her...

As for now she’s calm and in our backyard...To me its not her fault, and that she deserves a chance to not be tramatized anymore this weekend if we can help it...

Needless to say I am not impressed with the HPD or City of Houston, not that I was expecting SWAT to show up or anything rediculous like that, but you’d have thought something easy like this could have been supported better...

Any ideas, I am open for suggestions...

Thanks...

[stevie_d_64]

BTW, the local newspaper has said in recent months several reports of dogs running around our little nieghborhood (Pit Bulls) has been confirmed...And that those nit-wit owners have been fined for lack of control over these animals...

So I do not know what else I am supposed to do...I could make more stink...But that won't do much for the overall problem...

If people are not going to make a good effort to create a safe environment for their pets and the nieghborhood in general, I believe these folks should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law...Its not the pets fault, but this continued gangster-thug-mentality, is again, not winning the hearts and minds of me or some of my nieghbors...

The first officers explained to me that the fines that could be levied against the owners of this dog could be $500 a pop...

If I find out this dog was tossed into my yard this afternoon...I am not going to be very nieghborly if I find out who these folks are...There just wasn't any realistic way for this dog to get into my backyard...At all...

For the most part she's scared, and I would like to get a chance to get her home...But if those folks are a bunch of slugs...Well...We'll have to see...

[lawrnk]

Honestly, you have done more than most would. That is one of the 3 breeds I avoid. I may get one if my career as a rapper pans out.

[stevie_d_64]

Honestly, you have done more than most would. That is one of the 3 breeds I avoid. I may get one if my career as a rapper pans out.

Officer Friendly said the exact thing...I did not take this course of action because I do not believe in harming or killing animals...I did this because I saw the chance to get the situation under control, and when I got it to a point where I needed support from agencies that should be brought in to completely resolve it, they failed to do their part...

I am still pondering options...But thats just the kind of person other people tell me that I am...

I could go out there right now (this second), and take care of it...Absolutely...But that is not necessary at this particular juncture...

[KBCraig]

Thanks for not succumbing to the anti-pit hysteria. As you calmly noted, she was scared, and instead of killing your dog and going for your throat, she's done everything she could to get away from both of you.

Good luck with it. If the owner doesn't want to claim her (with the attendant responsibility for having let her run loose), you might have a new adoptee on your hands.

[stevie_d_64]

Thanks for not succumbing to the anti-pit hysteria. As you calmly noted, she was scared, and instead of killing your dog and going for your throat, she's done everything she could to get away from both of you.

Good luck with it. If the owner doesn't want to claim her (with the attendant responsibility for having let her run loose), you might have a new adoptee on your hands.

After my last post I went out and looked for some "Pit Bull" rescue groups...Since the Dalmatian I have is a rescue from about 8 years ago...I figure this would be a nice bookend to the situation...

I went out this morning and took a big S.S. bowl full of water and some food in another...Left it out by the back door...Yep, she's still under the deck right where she was when we all left her last night...

So I'm thinking by the time A.C. (Harris Coutny) gets around here (if they ever do), I may already have her out and to a rescue group by the end of the day I hope...I will not take her to a shelter...

Ohhh, BTW, since I haven't said anythign about guns, ammo or gunshows, I'll add this to make the thread on-topic...It does cover a wide variety of topical issues the forum has discussed manythimes in the past...

Yes, I went to the Pasadena gunshow yesterday...Yes, something followed me home...Yes, I was armed during all of the encounters with HPD, it was not an issue , the officers asked me were there any good deals to be had on ammo there yesterday...To which I told them, No...Not really...One of the officers liked my support for Kelly Siegler, and the other shoots at PSC...

[DoubleJ]

doooooooooooood, lemme know how the dog ends up!
and whadya get at the gunshow??

[CJATE]

If her temperament is good, might be time for the garden hose out… once she is out from under deck, cover hole so she can’t go back. Once she is dry she will have forgotten all about your water trick

There is a “large dog rescue� hear in Waco, they specialize in dogs other rescues won’t take (pits, boxes, shepherd ect..)


Not to hijack, my grandmother once “thought� she had a feral cat in the house, turns out we found it on Easter morning, whole family (15+ people) herding that thing out the house was funny, wished we had set up camera.

[stevie_d_64]

If her temperament is good, might be time for the garden hose out… once she is out from under deck, cover hole so she can’t go back. Once she is dry she will have forgotten all about your water trick

There is a “large dog rescue� hear in Waco, they specialize in dogs other rescues won’t take (pits, boxes, shepherd ect..)


Not to hijack, my grandmother once “thought� she had a feral cat in the house, turns out we found it on Easter morning, whole family (15+ people) herding that thing out the house was funny, wished we had set up camera.

The entire deck is open all of the way around the perimeter at groiund level...I do not have anything that will go all the way around to seal off her "safe" place...

Looks like Animal Control is not going to make it to us today...

All I can do is leave dome food and water out for her tomorrow during the day...

I borrowed a 6' pike pole (hook on it) from my VFD down the street to see if I could hook her collar enough to drag her out and get a look at her tag...No joy...She backed up just enough to evade capture...

Frustrating...

[Crossfire]

Sounds like you got yourself a new dog, Stevie. What cha gonna name her?

[Venus Pax]

I'm glad you're being kind to this dog. If you don't find her owners, many adoption agencies/breed rescues will help you find a good home for her. And as Linda said, she may have already found her home.

[Bulldawg]

Cheese. Bring out the cheese. No self-respecting dog can resist cheese.

I know I can't.

[CompVest]

Way-to-go Stevie! Irresponsible pet owners are not the animals fault. However, that may not be the case here. It is possible the owners may be out of town and the "pet sitter" was at fault or any other number of possible scenarios. As to getting in your backyard, I have seen dogs do some pretty incredible jumps especially when they are scared and running.

[drw]

It's unlikely that this is a "dropped off" dog, as the tags are still on. As soon as you get the animal out of her hiding place, you'll be able to read the tags and find the owner. That owner should be fined the maximum fine for allowing their dog to roam freely, if that turns out to have been the case.

I'm also very impressed by the kindness you are showing this animal.

[Longtooths]

Mmmmm...Cheeeeeese~!