Okay, I woke up a few hours ago, and for some reason my brain came up with this question; fully formed and pretty much as you read it =) I have no idea why... but I think your answers will prove interesting, to say the least!

So below is a hypothetical situation. There are no "wrong" answers, so don't worry, just answer it as honestly as you can, and explain why you'd do that, okay?

Above all else, enjoy giving it some thought. This is just a bit of fun =)

Love and Light - Moonlight =)

Okay, here's the scenario;

It is a warm summers morning.

For years, you've walked the same route every day on your way to town, and this route takes you past a house in which lives a dog which is ill-tempered, mean and nasty. This dog (a cross between Cujo, and the Rottweiler in The Omen ) barks like crazy in the back yard whenever you go by, and leaves you in no doubt that, if it could get out, you'd be minus some essential body parts!

However, the past couple of days, it seems to have been more coughing than barking at you. (Perhaps all that barkings made it's throat sore or something...)

However, today you walk past the yard where the dog is, and... no barking. In fact... no dog.

Surprised, you stop and peer through the wire-mesh gate. After a second or two, you see the dog. And something's wrong.

From where you can see, he's lying in the grass, his eyes closed. He isn't moving, and there are flies buzzing around his head. He doesn't react to them, either.

You know the dogs' owners a little, and because of that, know that they're at work all day. Because of the grass, you can't tell if the dog is breathing... or not. But you DO know that by the time they get home, he'll have been lying in blazing hot sunshine for at least 8 hours... and if he's sick, that'll pretty much kill him.

Alternatively, he may just be asleep. You call out, but there's no reaction. Then again... he may be a sound sleeper. Or deaf!

The third possibility, is he's dead. Leaving a dead dog out in the summerheat isn't going to be great for the poor owners, especially with all the flies...

You could climb over the gate to check on the dog, but if he's okay, and he chases after you, you could get badly mauled... at the least.

You have no phone to contact anyone, and no idea if anyone nearby is home. You yourself are some 30 minutes from home. And every minute may count, if he's really sick.

And the job you do? You're a vet. If he's sick, you'd know how to save him.

Question is... what do you do?

[ November 04, 2006, 12:13 AM: Message edited by: Moonlight ]

*thinking* Cool question, Moonlight.

Let me see...

He's always been a huge barker... but those barks got to be more like coughs....

poor thing.

The fact that he's lying there with flies buzzing around his head and not responding to them... and he's not even trying to bark at me makes me the dear thing is in a major amount of trouble. Even if he were deaf, I think a part of him would respond to my presence.

Knowing me, I would take a quick look around for a smallish branch to break off a tree and for something small enough to toss at the dog to see if it responds to that. The branch would not be much protection but it might be some.... and then I'd ask all the powers that be to guide me and I'd climb the fence and help the animal.

Actually, even if I weren't a vet, I'd have to find some way to help the animal even if it meant putting me in danger... it's the way I'm built. =)

[ November 03, 2006, 11:52 PM: Message edited by: Starlight ]

An old "charm" to use for barking dogs is the following; "dog hold thy nose to the ground, for God has made thee, me and hound." I think the idea here is to project loving, sympathetic feelings towards the dog, before attemting to appraoch it. Still, my heart would dictate that I climb the fence to check on the dog, taking necessary precautions, of course, and then making sure he/she recieves proper medical attention. Then, there is the option of calling the humane society to check on the dog for you. Just my thoughts on it.

Ravenheart

I would have to do something, but I would certainly be cautious. I would probably try to make some noise, or throw an object near it, as Starlight suggested, to see if it would awaken. Perhaps knock on a few neighbor's doors to make them aware of the situation and see if they knew what the dog's condition was -- they may be there or not, but it would be worth a chance.

Ill or dead, I would contact the Humane Society as quickly as I could.

As a vet, I would hope I had a few tricks up my sleeve for dealing with animals in an aggitated state; so hopefully, I'd be a little more knowledgeable than what I am about those issues.

Interesting question.

[ November 07, 2006, 06:56 AM: Message edited by: Carrie ]

Nice post Moonlight.

I've always done my best to befriend dogs like this. But you need to keep practical about it.

I'd like to think I would do my best to try to help the dog.

I would try to illicit a response from him/her. Make noised. Wave my arms inside the fence (with me outside the fence). If no response or any response that indicates the dog is ill I would step it up to throwing small objects at the dog to even hit her/him. All the while projecting love and concern. If the dog didn't move at all and I believed him to be dead, I would say a silent prayer for her/him. If dog was alive and I was a vet and felt him/her in danger of dying I would call whatever animal services are there for that area to come over immediately with a police officer so that it can be handled legally. If minutes counted I would go over the fence and do whatever I could.
But I would only go in the yard only if I felt that the dog would not survive until legally protected help could arrive. And only if minutes counted.
Even a sick dog can do serious damage to you. And once you enter another persons property you're open to all kinds of liability.

I am one of those people who pick up any animal on the side of the road........sooooooooo:
Before I climbed the fence, which would be a sight in itself, I would call the humane society. By then one of the neighbors will have called the police about an attempted breakin.......no doubt!
I don't know what might happen, but I could not walk away and do nothing.
Then I am sure I will have to protect the poor dog. I have called police before and they are trigger happy with animals.
Mr. Doggie would end up in my car, looking for a vet to help us and hubby will end up with the bill!
Then whatever else may happen, I will feel good about the fact I did all that I could.
Peg