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Background: In addition to police dispatch, we dispatch for Animal Control. A/C only responds on domesticated animals and there are certain types of animal emergencies we do NOT respond on. Such as, an animal is injured and the owner is on scene. The reason being, if the owner is there, they are the ones responsible for getting the animal medical care, not us. The shelter and A/C's primary function is to control the population of STRAY animals, that is why we don't provide medical care to an animal if the owner is on scene.
That being said...
Three times this month I have had someone call me and say that something was medically wrong with their dog and asked for help. Now, this does sometimes happen because people simply don't know what A/C does, but they usually except this answer and ask for the address of the nearest veterinarian. If I was talking about those people, I would not be posting.
One lady bought a flea treatment for her dog and (obviously) administered it wrong because the dog was having a severe toxic reaction. I told her right off the bat A/C does not respond if the owner is on scene and offered to give her the number and address to the Vet ER. She flipped out on me and started screeching at me how I wanted her dog to die. I understand yelling at me, but don't accuse me of wanting your do to die. If that was my doggy I'd be an epic mess too.
Next person tells me there dog is not breathing and asks us to come save it. I explain why we can't do that. The caller interjects before I can offer vet info and says, "oh well then." Uhhhh, so you're just gonna let it die?? That's not very nice. They hung up before I could say anything else.
Last person tells me she "thinks" her dog is choking. A) I don't know if it's possible for a dog to choke, with the way they inhale food, I would think evolution would dictate that they cannot choke (I'm being facetious). B) How can you "think" a dog is choking? It's either hacking up a lung and will therefore be fine. Or it's not breathing and you should sound slightly more panicked then you do. Either way, it's kinda easy to tell. She wanted me to tell her what to do. So I was good dispatcher, I explained to her how to administer the heimlich maneuver and CPR to a dog. She didn't want anything beyond that.
The last one was today, it's Thanksgiving and A/C being the underfunded department that it is, is not even on today.
My Official Rant: I understand that animals are just so furry and cute and everyone wants one. But really, it's just like a baby. When you see the doctor during you're pregnancy, they typically offer you parenting advice or at least recommend a little reading material. Or maybe a new parent would call someone who has kids and ask for advice. Point being, a parent doesn't stare at it's baby wondering why the hell it's crying. They do everything they can to figure out why it's crying and fix the problem.
So, if you want a pet, do a little research into what it's needs are. Don't get a dog if you are unwilling to deal with the messes, noise, fur, and food stealing. They require a lot of attention and training. If you decide the best place to put your dog is on a tether in the yard for the rest of it's life, you might as well take it to the Humane Society to find it a loving owner. Cats also require training, love, care, and food. But in a different way. If you aren't willing to dedicate a little time and research to your new pet's needs, you sure as hell won't have the time and patience the animal is gonna need to be a good pet.
I may move to a new area in the near future, ya know what I'm gonna do with all THREE of my well loved and tended to beasts?? I'm gonna get them licensed in their new town, find the nearest vet and if necessary, a seperate vet who does afterhours emergencies. I try to be a responsible owner... Oh right, and the nearest dog park.
That being said...
Three times this month I have had someone call me and say that something was medically wrong with their dog and asked for help. Now, this does sometimes happen because people simply don't know what A/C does, but they usually except this answer and ask for the address of the nearest veterinarian. If I was talking about those people, I would not be posting.
One lady bought a flea treatment for her dog and (obviously) administered it wrong because the dog was having a severe toxic reaction. I told her right off the bat A/C does not respond if the owner is on scene and offered to give her the number and address to the Vet ER. She flipped out on me and started screeching at me how I wanted her dog to die. I understand yelling at me, but don't accuse me of wanting your do to die. If that was my doggy I'd be an epic mess too.
Next person tells me there dog is not breathing and asks us to come save it. I explain why we can't do that. The caller interjects before I can offer vet info and says, "oh well then." Uhhhh, so you're just gonna let it die?? That's not very nice. They hung up before I could say anything else.
Last person tells me she "thinks" her dog is choking. A) I don't know if it's possible for a dog to choke, with the way they inhale food, I would think evolution would dictate that they cannot choke (I'm being facetious). B) How can you "think" a dog is choking? It's either hacking up a lung and will therefore be fine. Or it's not breathing and you should sound slightly more panicked then you do. Either way, it's kinda easy to tell. She wanted me to tell her what to do. So I was good dispatcher, I explained to her how to administer the heimlich maneuver and CPR to a dog. She didn't want anything beyond that.
The last one was today, it's Thanksgiving and A/C being the underfunded department that it is, is not even on today.
My Official Rant: I understand that animals are just so furry and cute and everyone wants one. But really, it's just like a baby. When you see the doctor during you're pregnancy, they typically offer you parenting advice or at least recommend a little reading material. Or maybe a new parent would call someone who has kids and ask for advice. Point being, a parent doesn't stare at it's baby wondering why the hell it's crying. They do everything they can to figure out why it's crying and fix the problem.
So, if you want a pet, do a little research into what it's needs are. Don't get a dog if you are unwilling to deal with the messes, noise, fur, and food stealing. They require a lot of attention and training. If you decide the best place to put your dog is on a tether in the yard for the rest of it's life, you might as well take it to the Humane Society to find it a loving owner. Cats also require training, love, care, and food. But in a different way. If you aren't willing to dedicate a little time and research to your new pet's needs, you sure as hell won't have the time and patience the animal is gonna need to be a good pet.
I may move to a new area in the near future, ya know what I'm gonna do with all THREE of my well loved and tended to beasts?? I'm gonna get them licensed in their new town, find the nearest vet and if necessary, a seperate vet who does afterhours emergencies. I try to be a responsible owner... Oh right, and the nearest dog park.
makes me sad... pets are a commitment for THEIR whole lifetime. 
)
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