🚀 go-pugleaf

Dutch has a savior.  A buddy of mine with an outdoor dog decided his
dog might like some company.  Dutch has to wait for a "health check"
before he can be eligible for adoption; perhaps for liability reasons.
The adoption request earned him a gold star on the card on his pen, so
he supposedly won't get killed.

Just to help anyone considering this avoid some of the mistakes I
made today out of ignorance, be advised:

 - the SPCA in Cedar Park was a very tiny place with no facilities
   for holding "big" dogs. (they told me to go next door to the 
   Williamson County animal control facility).

 - the Williamson County animal control facility "doesn't house dogs".
   (they told me to go to the Williamson County Humane Society)

 - the Williamson County Humane Society will take dogs.  but they
   told me today that "owner released" dogs will get killed very
   quickly when the facility is full.  By law, stray dogs that get
   picked up by animal control have preferential treatment.  They
   get 72 hours (time for the owner to come claim them) before they
   are eligible for death-row.  Owner released dogs are already
   deemed unwanted, and are kept around based on facility space and
   adoptability.  Also, be advised that they have a policy where
   they won't release an owner released dog back to the owner.  A
   vet told me tonight that this is because the owner has already
   proven unreliable.

 - the Humane Society-SPCA of Austin on Anderson Lane has a "no
   kill" policy.  But their recording says admissions are by 
   appointment only.  I can understand this, since a vet who had 
   worked there said the facility in Austin where they do kill
   animals was putting down 120 per day !  I tried to get an
   appointment, but never received a return call (it wouldn't 
   have mattered, because Williamson County told me later that 
   they wouldn't release my dog back to me).
   
I spared everyone the details of the attempts we made to turn Dutch
into a suitable indoor dog -- because many folks have a tendency to
junk long posts.  But now that he's "safe", I'll fill you in.  We tried
bitter apple, tons of chew toys, and consulted with our vet, and
obedience instructors.  We've been putting Dutch in a kennel at night
since last Thanksgiving.  Every couple months we've been letting him
out on a trial basis.  Each time, Dutch would chew furniture.  Dutch
has been increasingly unhappy to spend the night in the kennel (even
though I usually put him in after 1 AM and he's back out by 7 AM).

Thanks to those folks who helped us out ...
-- 
internet: konopik@austin.ibm.com          |  Brad Konopik
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