# $*ouch*$



## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

Just as I arrived at training yesterday, my wife called to say the wind blew our fence down and three of our dogs were missing .... I skipped training and came right home... took about an hour. Just as I arrived we got a call from the shelter. A neighbor had taken them there.
$150 a dog!!!! Our bill was $340
They charge $150 for intact strays!!
$40 for spayed/neutered 

On the bright side, a lady was picking up a dog that had been stolen three years prior!! Thank goodness for chips!!
...and good thing Judge Judy wasn't involved!!


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## GusGus (Oct 24, 2012)

I would have been FURIOUS that someone charged me for my own dog. Especially since you picked them up the same day AND they weren't strays obviously.. they knew who to call.


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## Todd (Sep 6, 2004)

Calling them a stray in that situation is pretty cold. If they showed up every month because of the fence, I could understand, but once in awhile you have to use your head. 

Glad you got them back...


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## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

We were pissed!! They didn't even pick them up... they were dropped off by a neighbor that didn't know they were ours.... my wife had just come home from the groomers, so they didn't have their tags on,,, all they had was those goofy bandanas around their necks...


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## mandiah89 (Jan 18, 2013)

Wow really? what a money grab... I can understand a small fee, but $340? thats insane! But glad you got them back safe and sound!


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## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

mandiah89 said:


> Wow really? what a money grab... I can understand a small fee, but $340? thats insane! But glad you got them back safe and sound!


 trust me,, it was about an hour and a half from the time they were noticed missing until we got the call... we live across from a greenbelt that houses coyotes and bobcats... we were sick to our stomachs nervous... plus the sun was going down.... the three dogs were two Lhasa's and a 2.5 month old goldendoodle.. all three small dogs


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Its pretty normal to have to pay. Lots of places make you pay for the dogs to get out AND give a ticket. I'm happy to hear they are safe.


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## Anubis_Star (Jul 25, 2012)

Yoschi's_Pet_Human said:


> ...and good thing Judge Judy wasn't involved!!



:spittingcoffee:


That being said, that's INSANE. I do understand paying an impound fee. Maybe it should be lowered if owner picks up ASAP, or lowered a little for multiple dogs. But 150$ a dog?!? That's INSANE! I think the average in my area is about 70$ or so.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

The state of Texas is pretty serious about their leash laws. If a dog isn't contained (fenced yard, on a leash, even on a chain) it's considered a stray. If the dog is sitting on your property in your front yard and it isn't fenced, it could be considered a stray. 

You have to blame all the folks who allow their pets to run loose and destroy property, chase people etc. and not the agency who attempts to protect the animals from their own owners. Same thought train regarding intact animals. Sad, but true. 

I do agree, it's a steep fine. And it would hurt my pocket book if I had to pay it. But looking at the big picture, I'd much rather my dogs be safe in custody of _someone _who was attempting to keep them safe and not someone harboring them in hopes of creating a couple of litters for some extra bucks. Or even worse, have them running the streets and getting hit by traffic or killed by wild life.


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## jourdan (Jul 30, 2012)

Our local shelter charges about €60 ($75) plus €.70 per kilometer driven to pick up the dog. Thankfully the rate is the same for intact dogs, European folks are not all over the spay and neutering programs like the folks in the states. 

While in your case your dogs were properly secured until the wind took off with your fence. It probably is more for a shock for people who don't properly secure their dogs. Or who knows. 


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

Nothing like town government-sactioned extortion.

"Oh, you want your dogs back? PAY US!"

Glad your dogs are safe.


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## jourdan (Jul 30, 2012)

Oh I forgot to add that in the fee without mileage is taken in account for sanitizing the kennel they are held in, any food expenses and phone calls or email time spent trying to locate the owner.


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

jourdan said:


> Oh I forgot to add that in the fee without mileage is taken in account for sanitizing the kennel they are held in, any food expenses and phone calls or email time spent trying to locate the owner.
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


You really think it costs $340 to house three dogs in a kennel for a few hours? The high cost, I'm sure, is at least partly to discourage keeping intact dogs. 

I'm so glad you got them back,though!


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## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

Anitsisqua said:


> You really think it costs $340 to house three dogs in a kennel for a few hours? The high cost, I'm sure, is at least partly to discourage keeping intact dogs.
> 
> I'm so glad you got them back,though!


You should see this facility,, it's a brand new state of the art facility... I was really struck by the intense security measures... 10' high climb proof fencing, cameras everywhere, and a solid steel sliding intake door... I work with Juvenile offenders that are serving up to three years for aggravated offenses... this place seemed more secure than most jails.... not really sure why,, maybe people would rather break their dog out than pay the fees,, lol


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## Anitsisqua (Mar 25, 2012)

Yoschi's_Pet_Human said:


> You should see this facility,, it's a brand new state of the art facility... I was really struck by the intense security measures... 10' high climb proof fencing, cameras everywhere, and a solid steel sliding intake door... I work with Juvenile offenders that are serving up to three years for aggravated offenses... this place seemed more secure than most jails.... not really sure why,, maybe people would rather break their dog out than pay the fees,, lol[/QUOTE]
> 
> Or break in to steal dogs for fighting...


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

They steal dogs for all sorts of reasons.
Get their own dog back, fighting (esp. pit bulls), to resell, etc.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

Wow, that fine is STEEP!!  Would it have made any difference if their collars were on? Didn't you guys just have big storms there? I guess they make money off that when fences are destroyed. Although, it doesn't sound like the most sturdy fence. How do you keep your GSD in with it? Glad you got them back safe and sound... but it sounds like they're really charging a lot. To charge more for an intact pet is all political...


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Our shelter is the same way, and the annual license is also double for intact dogs.

You have to look at it from their perspective....think of all the people that DO let their dogs run at large and might come in and insist it was an accident or only for a few hours.... the stray release fee is what it is and they don't have the time or resources to investigate who is really a negligent owner. It should not be so high that a caring owner legitimately cannot afford to reclaim their pet, but not so low that people will not take it seriously.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

At large + intact = more litters of puppies/kittens.
And that's a fact.
But shelters get the blame for charging more (and it's a law passed by local leaders, not the shelter, in all likelihood), and for euthanizing unwanted surplus of dogs and cats.


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## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

Yeah, it seemed 90% of the dogs were pits... fighting dogs is big in this area


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

I wish someone here would come through and pick up all the loose dogs! Last time we were out walking with Grim, a little pit puppy was running loose. It almost got hit by a car a couple times. These two women were asking if we knew who it belonged to. They said it had been following them for awhile.  I've seen more pits and pit mixes running loose since we moved here than I've ever seen in my life! I need to talk to my MIL about it, because she's on the city council.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Well, some shelters sell dogs to research and if they charge a high re-claim fee, some people just cannot afford it. So the shelter will sell that dog to research if they can't adopt it out.
I think in the OP's case(and others similar) there should be a bit of lenience on reclaiming. 
Recently there was a county that wanted a s/n clause, any stray before it was returned to the owner...can you imagine!? It was shot down, though after 3 incidents then they have power to do so. 
I can see why so many dogs/cats are euth'd instead of re-claimed. Especially if the shelter isn't rescue friendly.

Pits are prevalent around my area too, just so many being bred and they don't end up in good homes.


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## Jag (Jul 27, 2012)

That is really, really sad about selling off dogs like that! 

Apparently, there is a 'drug element' in this tiny farm like town... which may be why there are so many pits running around. They are the one breed of dog that really freaks me out.


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## Yoschi's_Pet_Human (Nov 13, 2012)

Austin is a "no kill" shelter... so I almost don't mind... I really don't know how they stay "no kill"... the place looked completely full... literally hundreds of dogs!! It's a huge, very modern, facility.


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## Mooch (May 23, 2012)

Well maybe look at the money as a donation to the sheller to stay "no Kill" it may be a bit easier to swallow that way


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## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

glad you got your dogs back safe and sound.


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

MichaelE said:


> Nothing like town government-sactioned extortion.
> 
> "Oh, you want your dogs back? PAY US!"
> 
> Glad your dogs are safe.


Exactly what I was thinking.


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## LeoRose (Jan 10, 2013)

The city I live in has a scale of what they charge. First offense for an "at large" dog is fairly cheap, along the lines of $50. Second and third offenses are more expensive. Fourth offense, there's a good chance you won't get your dog back. They also charge a boarding fee if the dog is impounded for more than one day. Dogs with a bite history are even more expensive to reclaim. I called on a neighbor's dog one time (it got loose, they weren't home, and I knew it was a nasty dog) and it would have cost him over $350 to reclaim her, because she had been picked up before and had a bite history.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

Well there's quite an incentive to keep your dog contained 
What's the point of "punishment" if it doesn't hurt a bit? If it isn't a tad painful then it's not a deterrent, is it?

That's the price, too, of living where there's a lot of regulation and legislation. 
Choose the country, where nobody really cares if your dog is loose or not...except the neighbors, who have the "right" to _shoot_ your dog should it wander onto their property.

What's funny is - had the neighbor let the dogs wander, they could have easily wound up dead in the road. Then people would be upset about that. 
Nobody's ever happy unless they have something to complain about :shrug:


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## OffgridAlex (Dec 11, 2012)

Criminal  Holding your dogs ransom and demanding and obscene amount of money - I can't see this any other way. 

I wonder how many poor dogs that should be safe at home are in there because the owners couldn't or wouldn't pay those extortion charges


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## MichaelE (Dec 15, 2012)

It was a random weather event without the owners knowledge at the time. In other words, an accident.

The city wants to extort over $300 dollars from the OP for an hour stay for something beyond their control?

It's no wonder politicians want our guns. Scheisters.


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## msvette2u (Mar 20, 2006)

And again, the whole point is to REDUCE the frequency of dogs getting out and running all over the place.


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