Stray Dogs Are Better Off Fending For Themselves *Update*

Mayor James Valley says strays in his town are better off fending for themselves then they are at the local animal shelter.  So on Wednesday June 11th, he released nearly a dozen dogs just yards away from a National Forest and from dozens of homes.

A spokesperson for the St. Francis National Forest tells us dumping personal property or pets here is against the law - it's against federal regulations - so the Mayor of Helena-West Helena chose to dump nearly a dozen dogs on a road across the street.

Mayor James Valley says he had no other choice.  "It's gotten hot.  The animals are housed outside and it has gotten rough to deal with all the things animals need."  For the past 5 months the animal shelter has been located inside of the city's Department of Streets and Sanitation lot.  According to Valley, "it's kind of like putting a coke machine in the middle of a desk and expecting me to work - really ain't no way."  So the city decided to dump the dogs just yards away from the St. Francis National Forest.  And just yards away from Shirley Blair and her grandson.  Once the local animal shelter shut down, the city took the dogs in.  Now Mayor Valley says they've got to go.  "We're in a position where we can't maintain or sustain good animal care at our sanitation shop.  I don't see a problem with these dogs released, they're in no greater harm now, than when we picked them up."

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/st ory.aspx?content_id=d1864d93-efe0-42aa-991a-5 6897fbf38c1

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/national/228472/

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=848525 2&nav=3HvEeYw7

http://www.helena-arkansas.com/news/x14708835 24/Arkansas-city-releases-shelter-dogs-into-n ational-forest

What I'd like to know is who the hell elected that moron?

I really don't know what to say about this........beggers belief!

Wow, what a turd!

How about people **** spay and neuter their pets. When I think of strays that is all I can think of. They had to be born somehow. Not exactly on topic though :P

These dogs are better off fending for themselves?  How did he come up with that one?  There are thousands of rescue organizations in North America.  Did the guy not bother calling any of them?  It was only 10 dogs, surely a couple organizations would have helped.  Especially if he would have told them that these dogs are going to be released into the wild or put down.

The dogs were not spayed/neutered before being released.  Brilliant idea isn’t it?  If nothing is done about this, in a few years time this town could be crawling with feral dogs.

well, I hate to say this cuz it makes me sad and I can imagine I'll hear a lot of fire from it but I'll write it anyway.  the city should have euthanized the animals before letting them loose.

Why would you "let them loose" after you've euthanized them?

jewels....that's funny the way you've written that .......seriously though I think travija meant it would have been kinder to euthanize them, than letting them loose.

Haha, yeah I know.

Original Post by travija:

well, I hate to say this cuz it makes me sad and I can imagine I'll hear a lot of fire from it but I'll write it anyway. the city should have euthanized the animals before letting them loose.

I dunno, I disagree. Being strays already, they would have some survival skills. Not like they're lapdogs that got released.

I do think it's odd they didn't find some other shelter that could take them.

yall got what I meant:

the city should have euthanized the animals before thinking it was ok to let them loose. 

most of the dogs will find enough food, shelter and warmth to survive.  most of the dogs will also contract diseases that will eventually kill them or eat something that will tear up their guts or poison them so that they die.  animals in the wild die horrible, painful and slow deaths.  all animals in the wild suffer bouts of poor health and physical hurts.  that's why i think that euthanization is an option
 better than loosing a dozen domesticated animals into a national forest. 

Original Post by jewelsmcblah:

Mayor James Valley says strays in his town are better off fending for themselves then they are at the local animal shelter.  So on Wednesday June 11th, he released nearly a dozen dogs just yards away from a National Forest and from dozens of homes.

A spokesperson for the St. Francis National Forest tells us dumping personal property or pets here is against the law - it's against federal regulations - so the Mayor of Helena-West Helena chose to dump nearly a dozen dogs on a road across the street.

Mayor James Valley says he had no other choice.  "It's gotten hot.  The animals are housed outside and it has gotten rough to deal with all the things animals need."  For the past 5 months the animal shelter has been located inside of the city's Department of Streets and Sanitation lot.  According to Valley, "it's kind of like putting a coke machine in the middle of a desk and expecting me to work - really ain't no way."  So the city decided to dump the dogs just yards away from the St. Francis National Forest.  And just yards away from Shirley Blair and her grandson.  Once the local animal shelter shut down, the city took the dogs in.  Now Mayor Valley says they've got to go.  "We're in a position where we can't maintain or sustain good animal care at our sanitation shop.  I don't see a problem with these dogs released, they're in no greater harm now, than when we picked them up."

http://www.myeyewitnessnews.com/news/local/st ory.aspx?content_id=d1864d93-efe0-42aa-991a-5 6897fbf38c1

http://www.nwanews.com/adg/national/228472/

http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=848525 2&nav=3HvEeYw7

http://www.helena-arkansas.com/news/x14708835 24/Arkansas-city-releases-shelter-dogs-into-n ational-forest

(sigh)

Hope he doesn't win re-election.

 

Original Post by travija:

yall got what I meant:

the city should have euthanized the animals before thinking it was ok to let them loose.

most of the dogs will find enough food, shelter and warmth to survive. most of the dogs will also contract diseases that will eventually kill them or eat something that will tear up their guts or poison them so that they die. animals in the wild die horrible, painful and slow deaths. all animals in the wild suffer bouts of poor health and physical hurts. that's why i think that euthanization is an option
better than loosing a dozen domesticated animals into a national forest.

Would you rather die now, to avoid getting cancer later? I suppose dogs don't value life the way we do, they wouldn't know what they'll be missing.

what about all the wildlife in that national forest that now has a pack of new predators to worry about?  never mind the small mammals; a pair of dogs can run a deer to death. 

these were not wild dogs, these were stray domesticated animals. There is a big difference between a Timber Wolf and a Terrier. They will starve and die a slow painful death,,,,  that is if they dont eat a rabid wild animal first and then attack a child while going through some garbage. This is irresponsible to the highest degree. A mayor should have the vision and the leadership ability to find a way to get the money to have a proper shelter, or have the animals sent to an alternate shelter in a neighboring town. There are lots of ways to get donations and volunteers to help with issues like this. If this guy cant take care of a dozen dogs properly, how does anyone expect this guy to run an entire town?

any dog will hunt if it's hungry, hooligan.  not saying they'll all be equally successful, but you can bet some of them will kill.

and it's interesting that you should pick terriers as an example.  terriers are hunters; it's what they're bred to do. 

I believe the dogs in question are American Pit Bull Terrier mixes; a breed that's known to have a high prey drive.  These dogs will be able to hunt and scavenge enough to live.  However, that doesn't make the Mayor's decision the right one.

of course not, jewels.  i actually brought that up because of the potential impact on the ecosystem of introducing 10 new predators at the top of the food chain.

I am definitely not a dog person, but even I can see the problems with this idea, from the dog's side -- and the side of the people living adjacent to the release area.   Did he have a really good reason to not find shelter space in another area?

jewels his decision is far from being right, the ideal solution was to take a little time and find somewhere more appropriate whether that be alternative shelters or foster homes.

but....

Once again i find myself totally agreeing with pg....anything introduced into an ecosystem that shouldn't be there has devastating effects and ten ex pet dogs which still very much have the hunting instinct but not the hunt control of  wolves can and will do a lot of damage, if they can't catch the deer they'll turn to farm animals and believe me I have seen dogs out with their owners take off and carnage a field of sheep, so imagine what ten could do.

No, what he did is way out of line and someone needs to do something about it, but who and what?