Is this your lost puppy? If so, Ann C. Harlan has her somewhere in Texas and has recruited the fans at Pawsitively Texas on FB (who indicates this puppy is in the Houston area) to help her find your dog a NEW home.
The photo above was posted by Ann C. Harlan on July 1, 2011, on Facebook so she's had this puppy at least that long.
"This sweet, sweet doggy was scavenging for scraps by the side of the road - she ran across BUSY traffic to meet me as soon as she saw me, before I actually tried to beckon her; I screamed and covered my eyes - and she made it! Came right to me, tail wagging. Hard to tell for sure the breed(s?), looks like a juvenile with a ways to grow. We'll get her cleaned up but need to find her a home. She's SOOOO sweet and playful!! Serious inquiries please email me at ann_harlan@yahoo.com I really want to find her a home!"
"Please, please share with anyone you know who may be interested. A lovebug like this one should not be homeless, she will bring somebody a lot of joy."
"she has a wonderful temperament and loves to play, but lays down at my feet and dozes between romps. She's learning the house rules, her housetraining is coming along pretty well considering she's only been with us for 2 days. I need to make a decision about her soon. Hoping to find her a home today!"
What we have here is a sweet, adorable puppy who hasn't been on the streets long enough to know that cars kill and runs toward the first person looking their way. Sure sounds like a lost puppy to me.
Pawsitively Texas: "Can Anyone Help? Stray Dog in the HOUSTON Area - Good Sam Ann has kept since Friday, but MUST find a place for her to go today. Click her photo below, then click through the album to see more photos. She is a BEAUTIFUL dog. Please help find a place for her to go; no kill rescues have all responded they're FULL. CONTACT: ann_harlan@yahoo.com"
Ann C. Harlan: "Ann C. Harlan thanks everyone - I've received a couple of inquiries, but no commitments yet; keeping our fingers crossed!"
"I am going to have her checked for a chip and get a basic examination in the morning. I can't put much money into this but I'll find out what I can. I've had a couple of emailed inquiries, no commitments yet. *Please* email me if you are interested, even if you're in another city. I don't mind driving a fair distance to get her to a good home. If there's hope that I have a place for her, I have a little more leeway to get it taken care of.... She's such a sweetie, you'd go "wugga-wugga-wugga" and tickle her tummy if you could see her right now! In fact, I'll do it for you~! share this, please or email me if you want this luvamuffin!!"
Yes, a decent person absolutely snatches up a puppy who is loose on the streets and THEN they do their damnedest to find the owner and get that puppy HOME to its OWNER; decent people respect the rights of others. Here we have someone who has had this puppy for several days and began looking for a person to give the dog to immediately and is finally going to get around to checking for a microchip TODAY. In the meantime, there is probably a puppy owner out there desperately searching for this dog; calling shelters, perhaps putting up fliers, walking through neighborhoods calling this puppy's name...
The primary purpose of community animal shelters is so that owners who have lost a pet have a centralized location to look for their missing pets. Ann has clearly decided not to take this puppy to one of those shelters, choosing instead to find it a new home.
"Pearl Boosinger Is she at least registered with local shelters so her real owner can find her if they're looking?" I posted this on the Pawsitively thread about this puppy. Frankly, I'm not expecting to see much of an answer (except perhaps flames for having dared ask such a question).
You see, we have a growing contingent in this country who think any foundling animal was "dumped" or that any owner whose pet gets away from them is a BAD owner who has forfeited their rights. Should your beloved lost pet be found by one of these people, it will be given (or sold) to someone based upon those presumptions and in complete derogation of your rights as an owner and the laws governing property.
If you want to “save” or “rescue” that dog or cat you find along the roadside in Texas, that’s wonderful but you are taking on the obligations without the benefit or rights of ownership. There are LAWS to abide as you do so. We're not 5 year olds claiming "Finder's Keepers" and there is no "72 hours and I can do what I want" law, we're adults who should and must respect the ownership rights of others. If your community has a government shelter, take that found pet to the shelter!
Yeah, yeah, I am fully aware that MANY government animal shelters/pounds STINK. If yours is one of those, then you should get actively involved to help clean it up, perhaps create an alternative where foundling animals are kept by those who find them but registered at the shelter. There are many options you could help create but "think I'll just keep the dog/cat or find it a new home" is NOT acceptable. Keeping the animal or giving it away or selling it is theft and trafficking in stolen property. It's a CRIME, plain and simple.
There is NO law in Texas (or the vast majority of states) which says "found it, get to keep it", Wink, Wink, it's especially OK to do that if the found item is a dog or cat. Not only that but I think it's great if I get on a social networking website and advertise my crime! SERIOUSLY? Would you get on Facebook and say "I found this beautiful leather wallet and would love to find it a new home, please network for placement of this valuable item"? Hell, no. That wallet belongs to someone and so do those foundling dogs and cats and each and every one of you reading this knows that.
Stealing and calling it "rescue" is a CRIME. Stop it.