Community Can Learn From Dog Story

In a nutshell, in case you’ve been living in a cave and don’t already know the story, a Chihuahua named Lucy by her original owners, escaped from the yard of the friend who was minding it and ran off, eventually finding her way to another home where she was taken in and cared for.

The dog had no identification of any kind. The finder tried to locate the original owner, without success, and adopted the stray pup, naming her Gracie. After nearly 5 months, the original owner spotted the dog, and is now demanding her return, vilifying the new owner in the process.

As with so many issues, people are making up their minds, or rather, jumping on a bandwagon, with only one side of the story. Seeing so many comments and letters from friends and neighbors of the original owners only, it’s easy to jump to agreement that the dog should be returned to the original owner.

But let’s look at the larger story, and what the community can learn from this experience. It’s of special and relevant interest that this all blew up around the Responsible Dog Ownership Day. This whole story shows how important it is to be a Responsible Dog Owner.

The American Kennel Club has many suggestions which are found at http://www.akc.org/public_education/responsible_dog_owner.cfm

Among the most important points and especially relevant in Lucy’s case are:

• Your pet should wear a collar with an ID tag at all times.

• Lucy had no collar, no Identification tag of any kind.

• Get regular veterinary care, including all vaccines to protect your pet’s health and the health of other pets and people it will come in contact with. You will then have a rabies tag for the collar which verifies that your pet has been vaccinated against this deadly disease, and the number will serve to identify your pet through vet records.

• Lucy had no rabies tag to indicate she had had the legally required vaccines.

Yes, she’s a small dog and could get through a small opening, but she was unsupervised in an area with inadequate fencing for her. If the friend did not have an adequate enclosure, the owner should have chosen a licensed boarding facility where Lucy would have been properly cared for, but they didn’t.

Lucy escaped from the friend’s yard, and wandered some distance to show up eventually on the porch of the Watson’s home. This was not a tragedy for Lucy, but easily could have been.

Lucy could have become prey and a meal to a coyote, an owl, hawk or vulture or other wildlife.

She could have been bitten by a rabid animal and contracted rabies.

She could have been hit by a car.

She could have been attacked by another dog and injured or killed.

She could have been attacked and become pregnant.

She could have been stolen and sold to a research lab.

She could have been legally picked up by animal control, taken to the shelter, and euthanized.

So many things could have happened to Lucy, but she was lucky. She found the back porch of a dog lover who cared for her. He didn’t call animal control to have her taken to the shelter; he tried to find her owner.

Most of us have probably encountered a stray dog over the years and cared for it, fed and watered it, and tried to find the owner. Usually a stray will have a collar and if you can approach it to read the collar tag, you make a phone call and are able to return the dog to the owner. Lucy had no collar and no vaccines. She was a tragedy waiting to happen.

South Carolina state law requires that animals must be contained in an adequate enclosure, http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stusscst47_3_10_47_7_170.htm#s47_3_20 and it says that allowing a dog to run at large is a misdemeanor and brings a fine of $50 for the first offense.

It says that pets are required to be vaccinated against rabies and to wear the rabies ID tag at all times.

Pickens County law http://www.co.pickens.sc.us/AnimalControl/default.aspx provides that an animal running at large is to be picked up and impounded and if without identification, held for 5 days. It then becomes the property of the county animal shelter and may be placed for adoption. If the animal is claimed the owner must present veterinary certification of rabies vaccination and pay the costs, fees and fines.

Lucy was very lucky. In spite of the negligence of her original owners and the pet sitting friend, she survived her ordeal uninjured. The Watsons took her in, loved her, cared for her, provided for her veterinary care, and basically spoiled her rotten as most of us do with our “fur kids.” They performed due diligence to find the owner, but were unsuccessful. Gracie now has a loving, nurturing home, with responsible dog owners. She wears a collar with identification. She gets regular veterinary care.

When I saw Gracie at the Responsible Dog Ownership Day in Easley, she was wearing a silly dress with Clemson colors and symbols, obviously a purchase made by a doting owner. And she didn’t even look embarrassed!

No, the tragedy of this story is not for Gracie. She’s a sweet, very lucky little dog.

The tragedy is what is happening to Dave Watson. He found a stray dog, took it in and cared for it. He did everything right.

As a result he is being vilified, his character and business are being attacked, and his political career is likely over. Other individuals who have been connected in any way with the events are also suffering as businesses and reputations are being attacked with groundless accusations. These actions on the part of these individuals are bullying at the least, and probably rise to actionable slander.

Should Mr. Watson return Gracie to the Blantons? Legally he has no obligation to do so.

And in my opinion, if the children really were so distraught by the loss of their dog, why haven’t the Blantons adopted another dog from the local shelter, saving a life and filling the void for the kids? It’s been nearly 5 months.

Dr. Loey Krause

Pickens