How to avoid stray dog blues

THE dog in the picture is a typical example of the sad story that affects thousands of dogs in Ireland every year. He is an unwanted stray dog. In the normal course of events, this dog would have been picked up by the dog warden and taken to the dog pound. If nobody had claimed him within five days, he would have been killed with a lethal injection. Ireland destroys nearly 10,000 unwanted dogs every year, a figure which, per capita, is around 20 times as bad as our nearest neighbours in the UK. There are two reasons for the stray dog problem. The first is that many humans in our society refuse to accept responsibility for their dogs. The second reason is that many dog owners refuse to have their pets neutered. Both of these reasons need to be tackled. It's difficult to make humans accept responsibility for dogs. There is still a belief out there that if a dog wants to go for a walk, the gate should be opened, and he should be set free. This is very convenient, relieving dog owners from their duty of taking the dog for a walk. How much simpler just to open the gate and let him go for his own walk. This attitude needs to be changed. It may have been acceptable in the days of small villages and sparse population. In a modern, densely populated country, free ranging dogs cause many problems, including traffic hazards and harassing livestock. People need to be more outspoken about this issue. If your neighbour lets his dog free-range, discuss it with him, and politely ask him to stop. If you do not want to ruffle neighbourly relationships, an anonymous tip off to the dog warden is another possibility. The dog warden will remind any offenders that it is a crime to allow a dog out by itself, punishable by hefty fines. A warning from an official in uniform is often a good way of changing people's behaviour. Neutering is the second answer to solving the stray dog problem. If unwanted puppies were prevented, the stray dog problem would stop. Some people feel that neutering might spoil their dog's good personality and physique. This is a myth. Neutered animals are exactly the same individuals as they were before they were neutered. Obesity in neutered pets only happens when owners are over-generous with food. Other people feel that their pet needs to have a litter of pups for 'fulfilment'. There is no evidence at all for this belief. Dogs do not need to have puppies. All female dogs should be neutered before they are a year of age. The only exception to this should be animals that are going to be used for planned breeding, when it is certain that good homes will be found for the pups. There is a cost to neutering, but there are always ways of resolving the money issue. Discount neutering schemes are available for the needy. Ask your local vet about such schemes if you feel you might qualify. Money is often an excuse, not a reason, for refusing to have pets neutered. If people agreed to have their young female dogs neutered, and if irresponsible owners stopped letting their dogs roam freely, the stray dog problem could be solved in less than a year. Meanwhile, what happened to the dog in the photograph? He was one of the lucky ones. He was fostered by the lady who found him. She had him vaccinated, wormed, neutered and microchipped, and he is now looking for a home.