Now 2 pups

Not sure where to post this but I had to bring two puppies inside this evening. There was a feral dog who gave birth to 7 pups in the back garden abut 10 weeks ago, and I asked the landlord what to do about her. He was non-committal, and then last week after I got back from a week away, she and the pups had gone. Everyone denied knowing anything, and I thought that sadly maybe animal control had got them, as the van was in the street a few days ago. Then tonight I saw two of the pups in my front garden, looking very bedraggled. They let me go close to them, but didn't want the food I brought out. I was able to get both of them easily into a large cat carrier and transfer them to my downstairs bathroom, where I bathed them (they stank and were filthy), rubbed them and left them cuddled up on an old pillow. Apart from a few squeaks they have not made a noise and did not attack me at all. I have left them there with puppy food (which I went out and got) and water. Now I haven't a clue what to do. I will call the vet tomorrow. My friend who rescues dogs has just taken in a litter of 6! I know I am now responsible for them, and I know it is harsh, but I would rather see them PTS humanely by my vet than gassed by animal control, or, even worse in my view, living the life of a street dog. But I really hope it won't come to that.

You sure you don't want to adopt them yourself?? just a suggestion but aside from that, are they no other rescue organizations in your area? I'd hate to them PTS, they seem like sweet little pups, good for you for taking them in and getting them fed and washed up, I hope you can find a solution

Originally Posted by jennyranson

Now I haven't a clue what to do. I will call the vet tomorrow. My friend who rescues dogs has just taken in a litter of 6! I know I am now responsible for them, and I know it is harsh, but I would rather see them PTS humanely by my vet than gassed by animal control, or, even worse in my view, living the life of a street dog. But I really hope it won't come to that.

Click to expand...

Oh no!!! Maybe animal control did get the mom and the other five puppies and these two managed to avoid capture. Surely such young dogs will make excellent pets. Is there anyway you can keep them yourself? Or maybe either you or the vet can find good homes for them?

Oh no Jenny!. Things certainly come in pairs for you don't they We'll have to start calling you Noah shortly.

I can see your point as well though because i couldn't have them gassed, or even worse by living rough on the streets

Hopefully you won't have to have them pts, but i can understand if you did.

Their strict over there when it comes to having animals roam the streets etc.. so you'd have thought they would have been stricter with animal owners on spaying and neutering?!.

Oh Jenny, your getting the be the Queen of saving them in pairs, aren't you? I'd take them myself if I could............please know that whatever you decide, you did your best by them, but I'm hoping they worm their way into your heart!

It is a bit crazy - animal control have vans that catch dogs, but the streets (and especially where I live up on the hill above the city) are full of strays and ferals - there is currently a pack of six that I see regularly running through our fields. Bosnians tend to only have pedigreed animals as pets but let then go when they are sick of them, and many dogs still go back to the war days. There are no animal organisations or shelters - only my friend Vicki, who tries to rescue dogs and rehomes them in other countries. But it takes four months to get the papers to do that, and she only has limited space. The last foster home she had killed a puppy I had found by letting it out in the street to be run over. So now she has no one. I am leaving in 8 weeks, so I can't take them, and honestly, it is going to be hard enough for me moving the cats across Europe and getting them used to a new home. Vet Haris has two cats at the Faculty right now that were dumped on him, so I don't think he could take two pups. But at least I will get him to look at them and check them over - they have worms and maybe either mange or ringworm - they have bare patches. So I am being very careful handling them and keeping them away from the cats. But they are sweet and would make wonderful pets. I will take some pix tomorrow when maybe they will be less frightened.

Jenny, what a horrible predicament! I don't think the rest of us can fathom what it would be like living where you are where resources are limited, if not non-existent. You have rescued so many kitties already, I can completely understand where two puppies would be way too much, especially in light of your moving in just a couple of short months.

I'm sure you'll make the best choice for the pups, regardless of what that is.

I feel it for you Jenny, i really do I hope someone is able to give them a home bless them

What a trial you are having to go through, Jenny! Good for you for taking them in though!

I truely wish that there was something I could do to help or some advice that I could offer!

I know that any choice that you make will be the right one, but I am sending many }}}VIBES{{{ that you are able to find loving homes for these little ones and that they are able to get back to full health!

I'm thinking of you all!

I hope you find them good homes and if you have them PTS I will not object. Yu are doing your best.

Thanks for moving the thread - I wasn't quite sure where to put it. It is now 2 AM here, and I have been down to check on them. They have not eaten or pooped or peed, but I got 100cc of goat milk inside each one using a syringe, and they seemed to like it. I don't know if dogs are lactose intolerant but I wanted to be safe. They don't seem very active - all they really do is make for the nearest corner or back into the cat carrier, and that is usually after just staying for a few minutes on the floor wherever I have put them. I don't kno if this is because they are scared or if there is something wrong. But fortunately Vicki, my dog person friend, is coming tomorrow to look at them, and so is Haris, the vet. They are not thin, just in bad condition, but I don't know if that could be due to parasites. I am wondering if maybe they escaped when and if animal control took their mom and siblings a week or so ago, and they could have been starving since. I don't know enough about dogs to know if that would make them eat or not want to. Can anyone suggest a dog site like this one so I can ask some basic questions? By the way, they are both little boys.

Vet Haris came today to look at the pups and I am now itching all over! I was worried about the many little 'scabs' I could feel on their fur and he said they have the worst infestation of ticks he has ever seen. There are hundreds if not thousands. The only ticks I have seen before were large sheep ticks but these are tiny and whitish/grey. The pups also of course have fleas and worms. So after he dosed them with Frontline and worm pills I rushed upstairs and gave all the cats a dose too, a little earlier than due, but I felt we needed to be safe. He wants to wait for other shots for the dogs till they are parasite free. The good news is that my friend Vicki may be able to take them into her rehoming programme, which would mean that she will socialise and train them, and then they will probably get homed in Germany or Austria. I would sponsor them for that period, which is fine. That would be such a relief to me, as I really can't handle all that plus my move to France.

I just started itching just reading this! Wonderful news that there's a chance for these 2 puppies. The found exactly the right place to get what they needed!

Those poor little guys! I'm glad you took them in, Jenny. Great news that your friend may be able to take them in so they have a chance at a good life.

Oh, the poor babies!!! All of those parasites, plus being so scared would certainly explain their behavior!

I really hope your friend Vicki will be able to take them into her program. These pups have had such a hard time, and it would do your heart good to have saved them, and see that they got a good home!

Here are the pictures I took tonight of both of them. You can clearly see the ticks on their faces and the places where their fur has fallen out. Poor things, but I hope there will be some good 'after' pix in a week or so.

They are so cute! I have a real soft spot for black pups. Poor things look just miserable with all of the ticks, though.

Oh Jenny, as darling as those pics are, it just makes me nuts to see animals like that........I guess I live the impossible dream that I want every animal to have a loving home like ours do.........boy how I wish that could come true!

So glad to hear your friend can possibly take them. I just wish I could.

They are making progress at last! I was despairing of them until this afternoon as they would only lie curled up together and didn't even seem to want to walk across the floor, though their food always disappeared and they pooped and peed everywhere!

But today one of them decided that he would greet me by wagging his tail - I guess the canine version of a headbutt. I have been trying to see if they were interested in any toys - a rubber ball, some large stuffed mice, but nothing until this afternoon when the bigger one picked up a mouse and started to worry it. Then gradually I was able to join the game and have a tug of war, gently, with him wagging furiously all the time. The other is still very lethargic. Nearly all the ticks have gone and they had a good meal tonight of lightly cooked chicken livers, which one actually ate in front of me. So I think all is well. I do wish I could find some way to guide their peeing/pooping behaviour but I guess dogs are not cats! I am disinfecting the bathroom floor 4 times a day.

I'm just catching up on this thread, Jenny. Have you tried "paper training" the pups? I doubt that "puppy pads" are available in Bosnia, and they look a bit too young to be housebroken. As far as toys are concerned, most dogs love anything that squeaks, but a lot of dog toys aren't safe, as the whistles, etc., can be too easily swallowed. If you can find some squeaky baby toys, that's the way to go.