So this guy was wandering around the local park when we arrived today for a game of fetch.
He was friendly and hungry, gobbling treats from my hands and nibbling my fingers. No collar, very thin. Was he dumped? Or just allowed to roam?
I was not prepared for the apparent attitude toward pets in the San Antonio area. Dogs and cats of all shapes and sizes wander freely, at least in the outer neighborhoods we’ve traveled. I lost count of the number of canines and felines I’ve seen on the streets — both alive and deceased — just in the first two weeks.
Back in Michigan, between Shawn and I, we caught a stray dog, on average, every 2 months. Some were returned to owner, some were turned in to authorities. And we fostered nearly 20 dogs in our home over the years – three of whom we kept as our own pets. Yes, we are “foster failures,” and proud of it.
Every single dog or cat I spy darting across the road, digging through the trash, or lounging in a public space worries me a great deal. But living as we do now, I don’t have the contacts or the space to pick up strays. I’ve also been warned by locals that folks don’t take kindly to interference in these matters.
So I’m trying to deliberately turn my head so I don’t turn into a sniveling weepy mess or a self-righteous wrathful banshee.
The shepherd was picked up by the Castroville police before we left the park. I truly hope he finds a good home that will feed him and keep him safe.
40 Foot House 
You guys have helped so many dogs and brought joy to the dogs and their adoptive families. You can only do what you can do!
Thanks Roger.
I am an animal rescuer as well, adopted several dogs and saved many cats who end up coming to my door, it pays off well. However, you can’t take in everyone as much as you would like too but as long as you help get them to a good home where they can be saved is a good thing.
It’s so sad to see people not take care of their pets. Glad you were at least able to give this guy comfort and treats, even if it was only temporary.
Such a sweet story! I know about the heartbreak of seeing abandoned animals or those that are just being mistreated. In my former life, I was an advocate for those without a voice, mainly children and animals.
All my fur babies (ever) have been rescues. Teena Kitty will tell you her story about finding a furrever home at http://realrvliving.com/teena-kitty-find-furrever-home/
She can be a bit long-winded. It took two posts to get the whole story out. Part two is here http://realrvliving.com/poor-sick-kitty/
If you enjoy these, please subscribe to get her take on life every Tuesday morning.
When we were stationary in our sticks-and-bricks in Detroit, we aided in rescue efforts for nearly 15 years, from ministering to chained dogs to fostering and fundraising. I’m hoping to find a new opportunity to volunteer this summer.
I’ve got a friend who fosters cats in San Antonio. There is a very large feral cat population near downtown. There’s a great organization out of Central Texas called Take Me Home Transports (www.facebook.com/takemehometransport) that takes our strays and transports them north to families who are waiting to adopt!! Check them out.
I actually participated in about 20 or so rescue transports when I lived in Detroit. Rescues frequently came out of southern Ohio and we aided in getting them to Ontario – there was a definite dearth of people who could cross the border. This post was written a year ago when we were in San Antonio.