[animalfarm]

I like to call him Wonder because he wonders around the neighborhood all day. He is kind of like the community dog on our block.Its a cute little beach colored chihuahua . The original owner can't seem to keep him in the home. (small dog) . I always see it lingering outside trying to grab attention from the passbyers. It doesn't bark and is actually very mellow. Its a cute and friendly dog but there are children in the area and the dog follows everybody around. I have already let the neighbor who owns the dog down the block about this situation (I returned the dog to him the first time) but the chihuahua continuously walks around the area without a lease and worst of all its eyes are extremely red and do not look natural for a dog (especially a chihuahua). Should this be something I should be concerned about. Could this dog be diseased or sick or do some dogs have genetic red eyes. There are kid around playing on my block all the time and I am concerned about their safety.

[unstresst]

I think every neighborhood has dog(s) who never stay home.

IF possible, get a close-up photo of his eyes and post it to the board.

If the eyes indicate a serious condition, the dog needs to be reported so he will get treated........since the owners don't care enough, somebody else must step in and be the voice for the dog.

[MrAndrew]

A dog who is allowed to 'wander' free shows the true nature of the owner: someone who doesn't care about the well-being of their dog. Most cities/towns have rules against allowing 'free-roaming' dogs and it seems like the only option would be to contact the authorities, your 'talk' with the owner didn't seem to do any good.

There are two underlying problems that result in an un-restricted dog and they are injury to the dog themselves and injury to other people in the community.

[kountzer]

There was this little white male chihauhau mix dog that wondered into our neighborhood about 2 months ago. He didn't bark, and loved humans. He was really comfortable around people. He tried to follow several people into their houses, including me. No one would take him in as a pet That didn't stop him from being friendly and happy.

I often saw him forraging for food in the busy street just outside the drive in gate. This past Monday I saw him lying dead in the street. His head was crushed from a car hit. Man that hurt. I gave him some scraps when I could. My wife didn't want me to. He was such a nice and friendly dog. I wish I had done more for him. I got a shovel and buried him in a field not far away. I wish I had taken some pictures of him, or shot a video. He was such a nice friendly little dog.

[Corky/Max]

Originally Posted by kountzer

There was this little white male chihauhau mix dog that wondered into our neighborhood about 2 months ago. He didn't bark, and loved humans. He was really comfortable around people. He tried to follow several people into their houses, including me. No one would take him in as a pet That didn't stop him from being friendly and happy.

I often saw him forraging for food in the busy street just outside the drive in gate. This past Monday I saw him lying dead in the street. His head was crushed from a car hit. Man that hurt. I gave him some scraps when I could. My wife didn't want me to. He was such a nice and friendly dog. I wish I had done more for him. I got a shovel and buried him in a field not far away. I wish I had taken some pictures of him, or shot a video. He was such a nice friendly little dog.

That is such a sad story! I wish someone would have taken him to a shelter at least! He prob. would of been adopted with the type of personality you described!

[kountzer]

Originally Posted by Corky/Max

That is such a sad story! I wish someone would have taken him to a shelter at least! He prob. would of been adopted with the type of personality you described!

Yeah you're right. I wish I could go back a few days and do something different. Too late now. I did what everyone else did and turned a cold shoulder to the little dog. I have two jobs. I also have a pet dog that I don't spend enough time with. My dog is big and aggressive, and I am not sure it would of been easy for him to share his home with another dog.

Believe it or not another stray dog showed up in the area also the very next day that the little dog was killed. This new stray is a female pit bull, or pit bull mix. She is full grown or close to it, and has a collar, but no name tag. I don't see this new dog all the time. Maybe she goes back home. So many stray dogs! My goodness.

[Lara's mom]

Allowing a dog to roam at will is not only illegal in most places, it is also completely irresponsible. There are so many things that can happen to a dog roaming at large.

In all honesty, I think the kindest thing one can do if one is not prepared to take the dog into their home is to call your local animal shelter. If the owner is interested enough in finding his/her dog and tracks it down to the shelter, they will pay a fine in order to get the dog back. If the owner simply doesn't care enough to bother, the dog can be put up for adoption and hopefully find a home with people who will keep the dog safe.