dogs on Easy Street
part of the tough side of life in rescue work is what to do when the shelter is full and there is a stray that needs rescue and help.that is our situation right now. we are more than full, I have multiple dogs that we are paying for boarding at vet clinics because the need was immediate and dire. we had no room at the inn, so, we scooped them up and took them to the vets office. currently there are 10 dogs being boarded at Dogwood Animal Hospital until we can either make room at the shelter, adopt them out or ship them to another shelter where adoptions happen more frequently.
when the need is not as dire, we try to get the strays to remain in a location out of the way of traffic. We then set up temporary shelter on vacant land and feed them daily.
on the way to the shelter we travel through a depressed part of town where strays are prolific. the poor things are abused, starving and scared. right now I am working with a pack of beautiful mix breed dogs hanging out on Easy Street. that's right Easy Street.
Easy Street is about 4 tenths of a mile long, the only structures on Easy Street are the backs of two warehouses and one abandoned, falling in house. the dogs hang on the front porch and in the yard of the house. all around the house is very tall grass, similar to hay which provides warmth. we have put out blankets in the tall grass and feed them daily and sprinkle wormer on the feed.
earlier this week on the way to the shelter, my heart stopped for a beat. one of the dogs was hit and died in the middle of the road. he was a beautiful big red dog with some shepard in him. long wavy red hairs. a strong body and kind soft eyes. he was the most responsive and the one I had thought would be the easiest to catch. he would hang back when we came down Easy Street, and look at us as if he were considering coming up to us.
tonight it will be 19 degrees in Jackson, Mississippi. we have put out food and water for the remaining dogs and hope they continue to hang on Easy Street away from the busy road that took away the big red dog.
7 Comments:
I have no idea how you do it Pippa. I hope you all get more room real soon, so you can do what your heart is telling you to do.
What is it about Jackson, that you have so many damned strays? Why doesn't the city do something to help? We don't have this problem where I live at ALL. We have full shelters and rescues, but we just don't seem to have the stray problem that Jackson, MS does.
I just don't get it.
the real elizabeth here.
Mississippi doesn't have spay/neuter laws, and unfortunately many people don't understand the need for spay neuter.
one man came into the shelter with a dog that happened upon his business. was going to leave it with us. when he found out we were going to neuter him, he refused to surrender the dog to us. said it was inhumane to neuter a dog. that type of mentality is the norm rather than not.
also, there is a misconception that dogs won't hunt if they are spayed or neutered. then when the hunters take the dogs to the woods, if the dog won't hunt, they leave them in the woods.
so, what's a dog to do? try to survive and pack up with other strays or abandoned dogs. then they come in heat and we are facing more strays. it is a vicious cycle
Pippa - I, like Kelly, have no idea how you do this day after day. To say that I admire this work is an understatement. Thank you for being who are; you make a real difference.
You are so good. I think I will go pet Sadie, the dog I am babysitting for this week. Love you!
Easy Street? Nasty Street!
Lookee here I found the paypal page! I shall sponser Rocky now (give me until after Jackson) then I can start paypalling hoorah!
Okay, Sali, then I'll take Wells & his wonky neck.
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