New dog.

^^this

She sounds like a lovely dog, especially the snuggler part! Can we see pics?

I agree with enlisting a vet's help. They can check to see if she's chipped, and might know of some local people or places that could foster her.

If you can't keep her, another option is to send out an appeal to your friends. I'm guessing you know a lot of people who are fellow dog lovers are would consider taking in a nice, friendly dog. You might even be able to wrangle visiting privileges :laugh:

A third option is to look for a no-kill shelter or rescue group in your area.

Hope everything works out well!

My first question: how do you KNOW that taking her to a your local shelter is a death sentence? Have you called them yet? I am an animal control officer and my number one priority in my job is our shelter. I know I probably shouldn't, but I take it extremely personally when a person suggests that by bringing an animal into my shelter it is going to be killed. We are not a no-kill shelter, so yes, sometimes we have to euthanize a dog or cat here or there, but in nearly every case it is NOT an easy decision. Our euthanasia rate for 2013 so far is virtually zero. We have found a home for or sent to rescue nearly every animal that has come through our door, even the pit bulls.

Anyway, I ramble. My point is that this dog might stand a better chance of finding a new home if you take her to a shelter. They may have connections to rescue groups all over the country and be able to contact organizations you never even knew existed. Do your research before you assume that the people in your local shelter are cold and unfeeling. You just might be surprised to find that a lot of us "dog-catchers" actually have hearts, and take the time to care about each and every animal just as much as we do our own pets.


Edited to add: You might also have forgotten that a person's first phone call when their pet goes missing will usually be to the shelter. The shelter might be able to return her to her owners. Don't assume she has no home.

My first question: how do you KNOW that taking her to a your local shelter is a death sentence? Have you called them yet? I am an animal control officer and my number one priority in my job is our shelter. I know I probably shouldn't, but I take it extremely personally when a person suggests that by bringing an animal into my shelter it is going to be killed. We are not a no-kill shelter, so yes, sometimes we have to euthanize a dog or cat here or there, but in nearly every case it is NOT an easy decision. Our euthanasia rate for 2013 so far is virtually zero. We have found a home for or sent to rescue nearly every animal that has come through our door, even the pit bulls.

Anyway, I ramble. My point is that this dog might stand a better chance of finding a new home if you take her to a shelter. They may have connections to rescue groups all over the country and be able to contact organizations you never even knew existed. Do your research before you assume that the people in your local shelter are cold and unfeeling. You just might be surprised to find that a lot of us "dog-catchers" actually have hearts, and take the time to care about each and every animal just as much as we do our own pets.


Edited to add: You might also have forgotten that a person's first phone call when their pet goes missing will usually be to the shelter. The shelter might be able to return her to her owners. Don't assume she has no home.

Most shelters are over run and will kill after 72 hrs of the animal being there and the first ones to go are ones that are ill injured or hard to adopt due to breeding

It is just recently that our spca stopped needlessly killing animals and if she has already taken the dog in then the shelters especially no kill one who do not have space can refuse the animal.

You'd better get her to a vet - soon. If she's in heat and she's been straying, she's likely pregnant. Find someone who will spay her now, before you find yourself with ten puppies.

Post "Found" posters everywhere...put an ad in the local paper...list her on craigslist as "Found".

Take her to a vet clinic and see if she is microchipped. Don't take her to a shelter (especially being a pit bull-they always seem to get the short end of the stick). No kill shelters are just as bad as shelters, they will trade dogs to kill shelters if they can't place them. If she isn't microchipped you can put up signs in your area, don't put her picture on it. If someone calls you about her, have them describe her to you (does she have any specific markings, being an intact female). If no one claims her and you have the room and finances, keep her!

My first question: how do you KNOW that taking her to a your local shelter is a death sentence? Have you called them yet? I am an animal control officer and my number one priority in my job is our shelter. I know I probably shouldn't, but I take it extremely personally when a person suggests that by bringing an animal into my shelter it is going to be killed. We are not a no-kill shelter, so yes, sometimes we have to euthanize a dog or cat here or there, but in nearly every case it is NOT an easy decision. Our euthanasia rate for 2013 so far is virtually zero. We have found a home for or sent to rescue nearly every animal that has come through our door, even the pit bulls.

Anyway, I ramble. My point is that this dog might stand a better chance of finding a new home if you take her to a shelter. They may have connections to rescue groups all over the country and be able to contact organizations you never even knew existed. Do your research before you assume that the people in your local shelter are cold and unfeeling. You just might be surprised to find that a lot of us "dog-catchers" actually have hearts, and take the time to care about each and every animal just as much as we do our own pets.


Edited to add: You might also have forgotten that a person's first phone call when their pet goes missing will usually be to the shelter. The shelter might be able to return her to her owners. Don't assume she has no home.

Most shelters are over run and will kill after 72 hrs of the animal being there and the first ones to go are ones that are ill injured or hard to adopt due to breeding

It is just recently that our spca stopped needlessly killing animals and if she has already taken the dog in then the shelters especially no kill one who do not have space can refuse the animal.

this....we have 1 no kill shelter in our area and they always turn us down when we have found strays. we have a county kennel that does not hold dogs. they check for a chip, if it's not chipped it goes on their website for 3 days. after 3 days it gets killed.

Yes I know this for a fact. I have 3 rescues. 2 of which came from the county kennel. my middle dog was so sick with kennel cough and an infection on her tail from wacking it against the concrete cage that we almost lost her the night we brought her home. when i adopted her her cage had just been cleaned. how did they clean it? with a pressure hose. she was still in the cage when they did this.

we have several cat shelters that are no kill. they are totally over booked. there is one that will pick up the stray cats, spay/neuter them then drop them right back off from where they picked them up from.

Also, In my area, many people use Craigslist for lost animals, found animals, for adoption animals. etc. Try looking through the lost pet ads in your area craigslist or post a picture of her and slight description to post a found ad for her. Maybe someone is already looking for her on there

Wish you luck!

Name her something sweet!

Keep looking for her legitimate owner.
We volunteer at the local no-kill shelter. Pitbulls rarely get adopted. Almost all other dog breeds get adopted in a week or two. Pitbulls just end up living there.

I don't know if dog fighting is an issue in your area, but I would be REALLY careful about advertising her heavily if it is. I have a lovely, snuggly female bully who was almost resigned to blood sport because her former owners wanted someone to adopt her. After they posted her on Craigslist, fight runners tried to force bully's old owners to give her to them. When the old owners said no, the jerks tried to steal bully from the yard. The police had to be called.

If you love her and she meshes with the family, and you have the space and time to care for her, keep her. It kind of sounds like you already want to, and like shelters in your area aren't fantastic. Please just think twice about advertising her (especially if you name her breed, or post a picture). That was almost the end of my precious pitbull.

Within 10 seconds of reading your post I did a quick google search for Pit Bull Rescues in Texas. I found the following:

More Paws 2 Love in Killeen, TX
Lucky Glider Rescue & Sanctuary in Van Alstyne, TX
Treat 'Em Right Rescue in Houston, TX
Saving Grace Pit Bull Rescue in Lubbock, Tx
West Texas Animal Rescue in Breckenridge, TX
Reuse-a-Bull Rescue State Wide Rescue
St. Francis Rescue in Nacogdoches, TX

So there are options, and you only needed to have let the internet do the heavy lifting for you.

Having lived in Texas, I understand that there are counties that are purely dump sites for unwanted dogs; however there are organizations out there willing to help for free. You need only pick up the phone or click on a website link.

www.rescueshelter.com

Good luck

Update: a neighbor came forward and said he had seen her being dumped in a nearby ditch off the highway. The "owner" apparently ran her into the trees behind my house and sped away.

Nobody is looking for this baby. :C

So, her name is Sophia. She is getting a pink collar later today-and will be fully vetted and spayed Friday. Once she is spayed, she will be indoors only (not beeforehand-my male is intact due to aneasthesia allergies).

We discussed it as a family....and managed to find enough room.

Thank you all for the ideas-i had hoped she was being missed by someone. Just another country bumpkin that didnt want to spay hee-but didnt want her in heat either.

YOU will be an infinitely better home for Sophia. Thank goodness she landed on your doorstep, you're an angel.

You my dear are awsome!

<<<Sophia.

Dont know why its sideways >.<

Beautiful girl who has found her forever home. Lucky girl.