Operation Scary Dog Rescue

I caught a scary dog O_O Niku ran down the stairs to bark at the door this morning and I went to see what she was barking at. There was this big black dog in our yard pissing on a bush. As he moved away, I noticed that he was dragging a chain behind him. I didn't think that a person walking their dog would be doing it on a chain so I went out in my bathrobe and slippers to look around and maybe coax him over. There was no one in sight and when I approached his chain, he started growling at me o.o So I tried to talk to him and he just kept growling in a very intimidating manner. It's cold out, I was under dressed and he was unfriendly, so I retreated.

I decided to try to coax him over again, but with biscuits. He was across the street and I was still in my robe trying to get his attention and failing completely. Some guy jogged by and stopped. He was slightly more successful in coaxing the dog towards him, but it wouldn't go completely so the guy just jogged off. I went back inside.

Niku started barking at the door again so I ran downstairs and sure enough, that dog was under the porch. Despite my lack of slippers, I went out there to try and catch him again. He growled but I inched forward slowly and managed to step on his chain and pick it up. He was obviously just chained out in somebody's yards and left there. The chain was broken though, so that's how he slipped out. He doesn't have a collar and he's not friendly at all. I bet he's one of those dogs that isn't really a pet, they're just a possession. How sad.

I managed to chain him to the tree in our front yard so now he can't go wandering around the neighborhood getting into trouble. Honestly, I was kind of worried that a car would go by and catch his chain up in its tires and drag him under or something. What a way to go. But he's safe in our yard now, away from the road and the cars and hopefully his owner will come by and find him there in an hour or two. If not, we'll call animal control to come get him.

Scary Dog Update

No one has come by to pick up the dog. I fed him and gave him water, but he still growls and snaps at me. Niku is completely freaked out. She'll just stand by the door and look out with her dander up and growl. I'm trying to keep her upstairs or in my lap. Scutter's generally, indifferent. She's just annoyed that she can't go in the front yard.

I called Animal Control at 4pm to report the dog and have them come get it. I puttered around on the computer and watched CSI, waiting for them to come and they never did. I called back, but they're closed. Their pre-recorded message says that if it's an emergency situation and then I'd have to call 911. I'm not calling frigging 911, but I want the dog out of the yard now. He's digging up the grass. He's been barking almost constantly all afternoon. Niku can't calm down with him out there. Ugh. What was the point of calling Animal Control if they weren't going to send someone out to pick him up? The temperature's going to drop and it's going to storm tomorrow. *sighs*

I dunno what to do. We fed him again and gave him more water, but we can't really move him. He's too hostile. It's not like I can just let him loose to get rid of him! So he's stuck there and we're stuck listening to him. Where are his owners? Where's animal control? Ugh ugh ugh.

Update: It's 7pm now and the dog has escaped. Or rather, it looks like someone let him go. The dog was not wearing a collar, he just had a chain clipped onto his neck and he was dragging the chain around with him, that's how I caught him. Anyway, it held him to whatever he had been tied up to, it stayed with him all day and it kept him tied up for 12 hours in front of my house and now suddenly it lets go? The chain was still on our tree, but the part that had him clipped in the collar was now undone as if someone had opened it...but he's so unfriendly, I don't know how anyone could have gotten close. For a minute, Andrew and I thought his owners might have come to get him. Then the dog comes prancing down the street. We can't exactly chase after him and catch him since he's so mean. Since Animal Control never came out we're sort of out of options. =/

Update Part 2: At 8:45pm, the animal control officer showed up. That's only four hours and 45 minutes after I called them. If they'd just come two hours earlier, they could have had him =/ The officer said they were short handed, so I can't be mad at them for not having enough staff, but I'm still disappointed. She said that if we see him again, to give them a call, but given their response time it's probably not worth it.