stray animals

[Gerianne]

Cats and dogs seem to stray the most compared to other animals.
I don't understand why someone's pet would stray.

I do know there are implications when you find a stray animal on apartment building property.
The spread of disease from that animal is a factor because you don't know where it came from.
Sickness that spreads through an apartment building's residents is an unpleasant situation.

Out west, around the Arizona area, a lady will take in any stray animal that finds its way near here home.

[countrygirl12]

Just because an animal is considered a "stray" does not mean it is sick.  Sometimes animals get lost.  People travel and the dog gets away and then is lost and they have to go on with out it.  Could not imagine that happening to me.  I personally have a hard enough time taking care of me and the pets I have.  I don't want to see anything hungry but I can't afford to feed any more.

[vickysue]

Don't feed it or it will stay. Call the animal control and have them pick it up. Maybe the can find the owner. Stray dogs can get to be bad. If they get to packing up. 4 or more. I lived on a farm and they were so bad. Killing my newborn calves. The farmers and ranchers started shooting them.  A pack had cornered a neighbors little girl. She was able to climb up a ladder quite a ways from them. Scary. And then some of them were rabid.  We were  scared to let our children play or wander too far from the house. So watch your children around them and yourselves.

[CharmedPhoenix]

All four of my current cats, most of my previous cats and a previous dog were all stray born.  They are/were wonderful.    Adopted animals are grateful to get a loving home.  Unfortunately the county I live in is rural and the people don't seem to believe in containing their pets or fixing them. 

[BlackSheepNY]

Cats and dogs seem to stray the most compared to other animals.
I don't understand why someone's pet would stray.

I do know there are implications when you find a stray animal on apartment building property.
The spread of disease from that animal is a factor because you don't know where it came from.
Sickness that spreads through an apartment building's residents is an unpleasant situation.

Out west, around the Arizona area, a lady will take in any stray animal that finds its way near here home.

I'll agree with you that some animals "get out" and are never to be found again.  However, the bigger problem is that people will adopt an animal that they have no intention on loving and caring for like a family member.  Too many people DUMP their animals just because a problem arises that they feel they can't afford to fix, or the animal gets "old" and these people feel that the animal is not worth keeping anymore because doggie can't "play" like he used to or kitty went blind and can't see anymore.

Are we not supposed to be the ones with a thinking brain?  Animals are not toys to keep your kids entertained while you gab on the phone all day.  They're living, breathing, beings that need care and love, just like an infant, and throughout their lives, just like your children.  People need to know before they adopt any animal that this is a LIFE-LONG PROPOSITION and if you're not prepared to deal with what may come, you need to back off and NOT adopt AT ALL.

As far as "strays" having diseases, this is, most of the time, not the case.  If people are so concerned with the number of strays in their neighborhoods, these people need to get together to find a way to contribute and have these strays spayed or neutered so that they don't reproduce in to unmanageable numbers.  There are many rescues out there who will help spay and neuter these animals for a DONATION.  Why don't the people of a neighborhood contribute just $5 each and make that donation to a rescue who can help with a stray population?  You'd be surprised all of the things you'd learn and learning should be a human being's life-long pursuit.  If there's something we don't like, CHANGE IT, but don't expect CHANGE to happen until WE take the steps to MAKE it happen.

[ahmedrocks234]

 Stray can mean abandoned or neglected.

[countrygirl12]

Don't feed it or it will stay. Call the animal control and have them pick it up. Maybe the can find the owner. Stray dogs can get to be bad. If they get to packing up. 4 or more. I lived on a farm and they were so bad. Killing my newborn calves. The farmers and ranchers started shooting them.  A pack had cornered a neighbors little girl. She was able to climb up a ladder quite a ways from them. Scary. And then some of them were rabid.  We were  scared to let our children play or wander too far from the house. So watch your children around them and yourselves.

I would never call animal control.  They will just kill them.  They don't try to find an owner.  As far as being rabid - At least where I live I don't think I have ever heard of a dog having rabies.  I honestly think that is pretty rare.  So is joining up in packs.  Most stray dogs are just looking for something to eat and someone to love them or help getting back home.  We found one in the dead of winter on top of the mountain and brought it back down with us and by the tag was able to find the owner.  The dog had been missing for about 6 months.  His owner an elderly man was over joyed to find his buddy.

[countrygirl12]

All four of my current cats, most of my previous cats and a previous dog were all stray born.  They are/were wonderful.    Adopted animals are grateful to get a loving home.  Unfortunately the county I live in is rural and the people don't seem to believe in containing their pets or fixing them. 

LOL.  All of mine right now except for one was just dumped and we kept them.