Should I take these kittens in?

[MarealMurr]

A stray mother had kittens in my yard two months ago. Two of the five survived until now. They both have thick green discharge coming out of their eyes as well as flea infestations but other than that they are acting fine. The other issue is the pitbull wandering the streets. The owner lets the dog out knowing full well it has already killed both kittens and cats and does not care. Animal control wont help me at all and just hangs up on me now. I had to pick the kittens up twice today temporarily due to the dog finding them and trying to attack them and then the mother. I don't know what to do in this situation and would appreciate any advice.

 

[StefanZ]

A stray mother had kittens in my yard two months ago. Two of the five survived until now. They both have thick green discharge coming out of their eyes as well as flea infestations but other than that they are acting fine. The other issue is the pitbull wandering the streets. The owner lets the dog out knowing full well it has already killed both kittens and cats and does not care. Animal control wont help me at all and just hangs up on me now. I had to pick the kittens up twice today temporarily due to the dog finding them and trying to attack them and then the mother. I don't know what to do in this situation and would appreciate any advice.

Now, I dont think you dont know. You know pretty well.... I suppose you want some extra encoragement...

Yes, if its feasible, please take them in... And help them with the eyes.

As you HAD taken them in, I suppose they are handleable? See!
Also, 8 weeks is a good age to get them fostering and get them sociale.

IF its diffucult for you to keep them, contact som animal shelter. If nothing else, you will perhaps get help with vet costs.
But handleable kittens, whom dont longer need personal care to survive, and dont need dedicated fostering, are hot for shelters... Because they are easy to adopt out...

While helpless, weak kittens (and semiferale, unhandeable cats) are often pts after arrival, if the shelter doesnt happen to have free fostering homes lined up...

So, take them in to save from this pitbull, whom already knows there is easy prey...
If you can adopt them, nice and swell.... - Yes, we will continue to give you advices and moral support.

Or if you know someone else wishing to have them to adopt.

OR try with some shelter or rescue group...

You can contact a shelter anyway, to hopefully get help from their vet...

There are OTC medicines, SArthur is more knowleable here than I, but the best is if a vet prescribes them. He knows what is to get locally.

 

[StefanZ]

Ps. Terramycin ointment is often used for eye problems... Its sold OTC in many places. The Tractor Supply, among others...

They will also need some dewormer, (can prob be bought OTC if you know which - there are some shady brands)
and soon enough should have vaccinationes... Vaccinations are done by vets.

So you must contact a vet for the vaccinations, but its good if the vet helps you with the other problems too.

 

[nurseangel]

I agree. Please take them in. As someone whose cat was attacked by pit bulls that roamed my neighborhood when I was a child, you would be doing them a great kindness. My cat had to be put to sleep because they broke her back. Maybe a rescue could help with vet expenses? Bless you for caring.

 

[cmshap]

I don't want to necessarily suggest starting a feud with a neighbor, but if a neighbor is letting a dog out to roam free, and it is coming onto your property, you have every right to call the police. That is unacceptable behavior, in my opinion. And it is also unsafe for the dog, and totally irresponsible of the dog's owner.

I don't know where you live, but that's what I would do.

 

[maggie101]

A stray mother had kittens in my yard two months ago. Two of the five survived until now. They both have thick green discharge coming out of their eyes as well as flea infestations but other than that they are acting fine. The other issue is the pitbull wandering the streets. The owner lets the dog out knowing full well it has already killed both kittens and cats and does not care. Animal control wont help me at all and just hangs up on me now. I had to pick the kittens up twice today temporarily due to the dog finding them and trying to attack them and then the mother. I don't know what to do in this situation and would appreciate any advice.
[/Q. The UOTE]
Where I live it is illegal to have dogs roaming without collars so leave a message when you call animal control or even the police if it's illegal. Set traps. Google to find shelters. Join the next door app if in US or canada. Trap,take to vet,have them treated

 

[CyberTiger]

It's good to want to keep the kittens with their mother. But in this case, they are in clear danger.

Maybe something here this could help with the dog situation: What Can I Do if My Neighbor's Animals are Creating a Problem? - FindLaw

Going forward, I would include fear of your own safety regarding this dog and complaints of it on your property. It sounds like people in your area just don't care about animal lives. Hopefully, the advice in the article helps though.

 

[Alldara]

My way of usually dealing with a dog and an irresponsible owner is this: bring the dog and secure it somehow. (This is different for different dogs and how I feel about safety. Sometimes I can make a slip collar and leash and other times I've just shut it in my yard.

Next notify owner and then absolutely 100% flat out refuse to do anything other than escort the owner to my home where the dog is secured to retrieve it.

My neighbour had kept bringing a dog back to another neighbour. Once we started shutting it in my backyard and making them come get it, it became an annoyance to the owner and they stopped him getting out.

Kittens
Definitely bring them in. If you can contact a local TNR (trap, neuter, release) to help with the cat population in your area, that's a great long-term solution! Sometimes they can't help right away.

If you have a fence and are comfortable with it, you can also build some safe spaces for the feral cats to go in the meantime.

 

[Caspers Human]

Most municipalities have "Animals at Large" ordinances and "Dangerous Animal" ordinances.

Any animal that is allowed to roam off the owner's property, out of their direct control is considered to be "at large." Most of these ordinances include cats as well as dogs. In my town, "dogs" and "cats" are specifically listed as well as "livestock," including horses, cows goats and chickens.

If an animal is found to be at large, local law enforcement can capture the animal and hold it until the owner can be contacted. In order to retrieve the animal, the owner must pay a fine plus any costs of feeding and upkeep. Those fines and fees can stack up pretty quickly!

If the owner can not be contacted, the local authorities can keep it for up to a certain time limit (48-72 hrs.) and then it is turned over to the local animal shelter or whatever organization handles animals in your area. If the owner doesn't retrieve the animal and pay any fines, fees and costs of upkeep within a certain time, the animal is considered to be abandoned and is dealt with in the manner prescribed by local law. (Either put up for adoption or euthanized.)

I'm almost certain that your town has an ordinance like this. It's pretty standard in most localities throughout the US and I'm sure that most European countries have similar laws. If you have a dog in your neighborhood, roaming freely, causing damage and harassing people or other animals, it is certainly in violation of an "Animals at Large" ordinance and should be dealt with in a manner according to law.

If the dog is a Pit Bull, you might want to look into your local laws to see if there is a "Dangerous Animals" ordinance. Wild animals like lions, tigers and bears (Oh, MY! ) are considered "dangerous" and can't be kept by private individuals without a special permit. Venomous snakes or reptiles are also considered dangerous and, in some places, dogs like Pit Bulls and Rottweilers are also included.

Check to see if your municipality, county or state, etc. have such ordinances. If so, the person who owns that dog might be in violation of TWO laws. Once you have done your homework, contact your local police. Animal control officers don't often have arrest powers and can't act unless the police or other authorities authorize it. The only exception I can think of would be "imminent danger." (e.g. If a dog is actively chasing people or if a wild animal like a lion is on the loose.)

I suggest you do some homework to see what laws, ordinances or regulations apply to the place where you live and print them out. Next, make a list of the dates, times and places where you have seen that dog roaming free. If you have seen the dog, threatening people, damaging property or chasing cats, put that on your list and, if you can get pictures or video.

Take your printouts and any evidence to your local police station or municipal office and ASK them what can be done.

I also recommend that you take in those cats. Get their health issues taken care of. Have them neutered, if possible, and put in microchips. This way, you have paperwork to prove that they are YOUR cats. If that dog harms one hair on your cats' heads, you can sue them. This also gives you a little bit more leverage to compel your local constabulary to act on any "At Large" or "Dangerous Animal" ordinances that might exist.

Oh! BTW! If that dog takes a dump anywhere that's not on the owner's property it might also be in violation of a "Pooper Scooper" ordinance, too!