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Wayward Dog

Steve found a German shepherd mix standing, shivering, in the middle of Division Street in Forks. She seemed to be in a trance. The dog had a collar and tags, so the owner was called and wanted Steve to just let her go and find her way back home. He refused and made the owner pick up the dog. She was very underweight, which the owner claimed was from running around town all day, and because she was part greyhound. This explanation does not hold water: dogs are built to be endurance runners and it does not cause them to become emaciated, and healthy greyhounds are packed with lean muscle, not malnourished.

Further investigation uncovered the fact that the dog was indeed going hungry; she had been found earlier the same day by another concerned citizen who fed her everything she had in her refrigerator, which the dog hungrily consumed.

The dog's owners put her out every day when they go to work, and they take her inside at night when they get home, despite having a large yard that could be fenced. Low-quality dry dog food is left out for her to eat, but we believe it is being eaten by neighborhood cats, other dogs, or crows. Since Forks Police Department will typically not issue citations for dogs running at large, there is little we can do about this situation but catch the dog when we see her and make the owners come pick her up.

Posted on February 23, 2007