Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Stray in Baltimore

The other day Florian was driving around Baltimore after teaching his class at a university, and he saw a dog running around in a grassy area near the train tracks. 

When he got out of the car, the dog ran away from him but when he squatted down and waited a few minutes, the dog cautiously approached and he was able to give him some of his lunch. But when he tried to touch him, the dog ran away again.

A neighbor showed up, and told Florian the dog has been running around there for a couple of months.

Florian said he looked just like Fozzie and we had to rescue him. He picked me up after work and we went back.

As soon as we got there a couple of neighbors leaned out of their windows and struck up a conversation about the dog, and told us that a few people come regularly to feed him but no one has been able to catch him. We didn't see the dog at first, but a neighbor said he was probably looking right at us. Sure enough, there was movement in the bushes and there he was.

A large dog, brindled and with a white chest like Fozzie but more stocky and with a bigger head. Maybe a mastiff/boxer/presa canario something. He wouldn't come anywhere near us this time. 

A few days later we came back and this time we met a woman who said she comes a few times a day to feed him and that he sometimes comes and eats out of her hand. She said he likes rice, likes carrots and peas and baked chicken and dog food mixed together, but doesn't like fried food. She said animal control has tried a few times to catch him with no luck. Someone set up a crate with blankets in the trees for him, but this woman said he never goes inside anything enclosed.

I was so happy to hear that there are people caring for this dog and that the people who live around him--in a poor section of West Baltimore--are trying to help him!  Restores my faith in humans a bit.

But we still need to find a way to get him before it gets too cold and before he gets hit by a car!  

Coordinating now among rescues and trappers and neighbors.

8 comments:

  1. I look forward to hearing what happens next in this story.

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  2. This reminds me of a dog that used to run around Callan Park where Georgia goes quite often. It happened at least 2 years back. He was definitely homeless and very shy. People left food for him as well. After a few months, someone must have called animal control. They didn't have any luck catching him because he was so wary. The only dog he came up to was Georgia. So using Georgia as "bait", animal control finally caught the fella and brought him to the SPCA. Many locals put their names on the list to adopt him and within a couple of weeks, someone brought him home. Unfortunately, the dog turned out to be more feral than anyone thought. At least this was what we were told. That the new owners couldn't handle him and he was temperamental. They gave him back to the shelter after hardly any time rehabilitating him and he was put down. It happened so quickly. Although other people offered to give him a go, the SPCA refused. We were gutted to hear it, especially since Georgia had helped him get caught.

    I hope your dog has a happier ending X

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  3. Oh my gosh! I sure hope someone can get him to a safe place before it gets too cold. How wonderful to have so many people care!

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  4. I fostered a stray dog a few years ago that had been fed by neighbors, but it took months before they could trap him. He was such a street smart dog and I found the perfect home for him with people that were actually smarter than he was. Looking forward to him learning to trust humans.

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  5. That's so nice that people are caring for him! Sometimes fearful dogs feel more comfortable with other dogs. Maybe Fozzie or another dog could help. When I found Shaka, the only reason she walked up to me was because I had my dogs with me.

    I hope he finds a way out of the cold!

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  6. Glad to hear about the kind people feeding him. Hope he can find a safe home before the winter - woofs and licks from Magic xx

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  7. We are hoping this dog gets saved soon. Our boy Bill was a stray with a broken leg for a while (possibly months) and our girl Azule, who is deaf was also a stray. My first ever foster dog was one I found in a ditch on a country road. A really sweet nursing momma with no pups. She was adopted and now lives in luxury! Fingers and paws crossed for a happy ending.

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