h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

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Don't get me wrong--I like dogs (and Faith absolutely loves them) and if circumstances (finances, the extra kids, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera() were different, I probably wouldn't have cried on the phone when Tom called.

Like I mentioned in passing the other night, Tom's been out of town this weekend. He called while I was reading Faith's bedtime story (ironically enough, she'd chosen _Go_Dog_Go_ ) and sprang the news on me. He'd seen a dog along the highway, and wondered if he was supposed to help her (turned out to be a female, so I'll skip calling her 'it'). He decided to turn around and, if she was still there, to try to get her in the car. She was, and she nearly got hit by an RV as he arrived While he was trying to get her, a lady pulled up and helped round the dog up--not the dog's owner, though. The lady didn't want the dog, so Tom put her in the car. He's fed her, and got a collar, and she's been really well behaved the couple hours she's been with him. We're going to put her in the bathroom for the night (because I want to be sure she's housebroken, and the bathroom's the only non-carpeted room with a door) Tom says that she definitely appears to be used to people, and is quite affectionate (the type that would lick you to death) Apparently she's a medium-sized dog--so probably she's big enough that Faith won't call her a kitty (The first dog Faith ever got to know is an American Bulldog (http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/amy_p1/detail?.dir=c32b&.dnm=2dde.jpg&.src=ph is a bad picture quality-wise, but good for sizing) and she's also been around Great Danes)

We're going to see how this goes--we're going to tell Faith that the doggie's just visiting, and if we decide to keep her, then we'll tell Faith that the doggie decided to stay. If things don't work out, we'll do our best to find her a good home.

You really should try to find out if her owners are looking for her first. If she's used to being around people, it's very possible that she's an outdoor dog who just slipped her collar and got lost. Or maybe her owners have one of those electronic fences, and forgot to put her collar on her before sending her out in the yard to play. Or she may have slipped out an open door, popped out a window screen, or jumped a fence.

Take her to the animal shelter/humane society/whatever, and tell them that if her owner doesn't show up in time to claim her, that you'd like to be notified so you can adopt her.

If you're trying to buy more time, run an ad in the paper for a week or so before turning her in.

I second that, dogs can get very lost and far from where they should be. Maybe someone is missing her and if not you will always know that you checked. Good luck either way.

Yeah, another me too here... Have you checked ears for tattoo with ID? Are electronic ID's used in US - a chip under the skin which is read by some scanner?

Good luck!
Milla

It might not be so easy to find her owner--the place Tom found her is a couple hundred miles away (He told me where, but I don't remember--it was 6 hours or so before he got home, though, so that's what I'm basing my distance estimate on)

She seems to be in pretty good shape, though she really needs a bath, which we'll so when Tom gets home from w*rk. And, unless Tom took her out before he went to w*rk, she's not peed since he found her 10 hours without going isn't good, is it? *looks at time* Eep, almost time for G to get here--I'd better go...

*note to self--don't try to do math when not awake*

It was 14 hours at that point, not 10...

My brother got a kitten last week. His name is Lucky, and he sleeps in my brother's lap at mealtime.

Just took her out to the backyard again, and still no result... Should I be concerned? No 'output' from around 5:30 pm yesterday, and it's 10:30 am now...

I guess I'll go ahead and describe her (likely take a pic *after* Tom gets home and she has a bath) She looks like she's a mutt. She's slender--about the size and build of a Dalmation. She's got a short coat. She's mostly a deep caramel, with a bit darker shading on her back, maybe her legs (or that could be dirt...) and her mask is milk . There're white hairs around her muzzle and eyes, but I'm not sure if that's just regular or if she's an older dog. Her tail has a dark brown/black tip, with a line of shading going up to her back. I'm trying hard not to get attached, because I know we should at least try to find her owner, but she's *really* sweet... Faith thinks it's really that there's a here, but the dog hasn't gotten close enough to touch, yet (And I'd rather wait to let Faith pet her until after the bath, anyway--Tom and I know to wash our hands after, but Faith doesn't) The dog soesn't seem to dislike children, but she does seem cautious. Didn't phaze her when the girls were screaming And no, that's not because of deafness--the dog comes when called (though confused because I've just been calling her 'girl') and sits (half the time) on command.

It's been a long time since I've been around a dog for long periods--is it normal for a dog to sleep almost as much as a ?

There's no way to know what exertions this dog had been through before you found her, Amy. Maybe she needs extra sleep now.

This is true And if she's an older dog, then that'd mean extra sleep too. I'm more concerned about the lack of urination--though with how she's been drinking, maybe she was dehydrated.

Looking at breed photos, she looks like a ridgeless Rhodesian Ridgeback

We know someone IRL that knows a *lot* about dogs--she breeds, trains, and boards them, as well as owning quite a pack herself. She's likely at w*rk right now, but I'm planning on talking to her tonight Maybe she'll know of an inexpensive vet we can have examine the dog--when I try googling for low cost vets in Sacramento, I just get low cost and free spaying/neutering information

Maybe your friend can check out the dog.
The dog should pee soon People are known to abandon pets when they are sick

More than likely she is someones pet.

If you have an animal shelter close you might have them post the information on the internet. All of the shelters have pictures now and stories if available. You could also look into the county or state shelter sites and see if you find her picture somewhere.

In some cases you can report and register her at a shelter then taker her home as the intended adoptee. After a set period of time exposing the dogs info with no response she then officially becomes yours.

There have been stories if several truckers who lost their dogs because they went over a small hill and people "rescued" them as strays. They were returned due to pleas and in one case a chip ID.
Both had ended up a state or more away.

I would hate to see you all get attatched only to have the owner show up. I had a basset hound that was an escape artist. He was found in many places under many different circumstances. A friend had her basset gone for a week. He ended up sitting in a field and howling until the neighbors who were afraid to approach a howling dog ( sick of listening too) caled animal control.

Good luck to the and you with this situation!

Tom just got home, and said that she peed this morning (He had to be at w*rk at 6, so he was gone when I got up)

She is now clean(er). We're going to give it another go tomorrow, with some flea shampoo (used some of Faith's baby shampoo today, as I read last night that that is acceptable, and she hadn't been scratching--flea jumped on Tom as she was being dried, though...) Definitely a 2 person job! You can do just about anything you want to her as long as you're rubbing, but rinsing's interesting

There is no downside to cleaning the and getting rid of the fleas.

That's right though probably we'll wash her outside, if it's warm enough--and maybe we got her clean enough today that I won't get muddy once she's wet

If anyone's interested, a photo of the dog can be seen at http://www.livejournal.com/users/amy_paperlady/27159.html Not a great picture, but the best of the 3 I took--she kept coming to me when I'd get down to her level trying to get a good pic

What the...? Nevermind, it can't be seen there. It was there a minute ago, I swear!

Awe, I was all excited about seeing the picture

You can see all 3 photos at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/amy_p1/album?.dir=98fc&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

Or just the one photo at http://www.geocities.com/amy_p1/photosforsites.html

She's a cutie!