unwanted companions

[One Half]

Dogs are not children!

Your dogs, your problem.

I have no obligation to help a dog whether they follow me or not.


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[LittleRock]

However, it did make me wonder...if you've ever had an animal latch on to you for an extended period of time during a long distance hike, what did you do about it?

You're much nicer than me - I once had an underfed hunting dog start following me and I just turned around and shouted at it until it went away.

[peakbagger]

I ran into a few strays while sectioning down south. I asked several rural locals over the years about animal shelters and they pretty much told me that the animals take care of themselves and if they aren't smart enough to get out of the road they deserve to be hit. I also heard from a few that if stray is problem it isn't for very long before it gets lead poisoning. There seems to be lot less responsibility for dogs in the rural southeast than up north based on these limited discussions. Maine and NH animal shelters are always getting van loads of strays from shelters down south for adoption. Apparently spay and neuter seems to be far less popular in the south so the stray population is probably higher. Perhaps folks from "away"may be imposing their values on a different approach to dogs down south?

[Alligator]

I ran into a few strays while sectioning down south. I asked several rural locals over the years about animal shelters and they pretty much told me that the animals take care of themselves and if they aren't smart enough to get out of the road they deserve to be hit. I also heard from a few that if stray is problem it isn't for very long before it gets lead poisoning. There seems to be lot less responsibility for dogs in the rural southeast than up north based on these limited discussions. Maine and NH animal shelters are always getting van loads of strays from shelters down south for adoption. Apparently spay and neuter seems to be far less popular in the south so the stray population is probably higher. Perhaps folks from "away"may be imposing their values on a different approach to dogs down south?

Summarizing-Unrestricted breeding solved by running over or shooting strays...quick to learn strays are free to spread disease, starve, and die from exposure...doesn't quite have a humane ring to it.

How long you got to live in a state before youse ain't considered from away? I know it's just about forever in Maine.

[MuddyWaters]

How long you got to live in a state before youse ain't considered from away? I know it's just about forever in Maine.

This is a frequent topic of discussion about some rural places my employer has facilities in. Basically, its very hard to make inroads into the local community if you transfer there, your always an outsider, doesnt matter if you live there 40 yrs.

A coworker of mine put it this way, her sons were born elsewhere, but grew up, went to school, and graduated HS in their town they transferred to for work. They are outsiders.

Her daughter was born there, and grew up there, shes considered an outsider too.

Her daughters children..if she marries an stays there..might be accepted as locals. If your parents werent born there, grow up and go to school there, youll never be considered a local and invited and included in certain things. Outsiders are seen as transient, transfer in, leave after a few yrs. People are nice to you, they just think of you as temporary.( Many are) In school for instance, on sports teams, locals will be given prefence for playing unless your just outstanding.

Tight knit community of 10,000. Most of the families are from the area for 100+ yrs.

This particular little town has a university, and a couple of mfg plants that bring in employees to area. Basically, the kids from these employers that transfer there, are all outsiders, hang around together, and do sports together that locals werent really interested in, like swim team and band. They dont play football or baseball for the most part, having learned at young age they will not get equal treatment to real locals kids.

[TexasBob]

Summarizing-Unrestricted breeding solved by running over or shooting strays...quick to learn strays are free to spread disease, starve, and die from exposure...doesn't quite have a humane ring to it. ........................

You and I see our animals as beloved companions and virtual family members. Sadly and unfortunately many people see animals as a tool or implement that has a specific purpose or function and when the critter no longer can fulfill that purpose or function they discard the critter the same way you or I would get rid of a broken TV or toaster. A dog that doesn't hunt or a greyhound that too slow to race anymore are seen by some as worthless and a liability rather than an asset. Cheaper to shoot the dog than feed it. A dog that can't reproduce is seen by some as "ruined" and useless. Not a pretty picture and not one I condone. Economic circumstances, upbringing, community norms and education all play into how you view the value of an animal and how you treat them.

[LittleRock]

This is a frequent topic of discussion about some rural places my employer has facilities in. Basically, its very hard to make inroads into the local community if you transfer there, your always an outsider, doesnt matter if you live there 40 yrs.

And this would be one reason why populations in rural America continue to decline. I live in a city where most everyone was born somewhere else, and no one cares. In fact, lots of them grew up in small towns like the one you describe and got the heck out of there as soon as they could.

[LevyTheSoBoHoBo]

I think you did just about right.

Only thing different is maybe you should have given the distressed girl "Buckshot's" number and let her handle it from there.

I bet she would have said it's not her responsibility to clean up your mess. But SJWs rarely use logic.

I'd feel bad, maybe call 2x and a text, but after that, those dogs are smart. They probably chill by the trail knowing they had free handouts of jerky coming.

Plus if they looked clean, fed, and healthy then all is well. If not, maybe a little more effort to help them out.


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[TNGabe]

If the urban North is so much better than the rural South, maybe y'all should stay up North. Would you go to Rome and complain about all the Italians?

[Bronk]

This is a frequent topic of discussion about some rural places my employer has facilities in. Basically, its very hard to make inroads into the local community if you transfer there, your always an outsider, doesnt matter if you live there 40 yrs.

A coworker of mine put it this way, her sons were born elsewhere, but grew up, went to school, and graduated HS in their town they transferred to for work. They are outsiders.

Her daughter was born there, and grew up there, shes considered an outsider too.

Her daughters children..if she marries an stays there..might be accepted as locals. If your parents werent born there, grow up and go to school there, youll never be considered a local and invited and included in certain things. Outsiders are seen as transient, transfer in, leave after a few yrs. People are nice to you, they just think of you as temporary.( Many are) In school for instance, on sports teams, locals will be given prefence for playing unless your just outstanding.

Tight knit community of 10,000. Most of the families are from the area for 100+ yrs.

This particular little town has a university, and a couple of mfg plants that bring in employees to area. Basically, the kids from these employers that transfer there, are all outsiders, hang around together, and do sports together that locals werent really interested in, like swim team and band. They dont play football or baseball for the most part, having learned at young age they will not get equal treatment to real locals kids.

I know a lady who moved here about 25 years ago...she told me that her daughter in law once said "I knew I was going to marry Josh [her son] when I was in first grade." The reason? He was the only boy in her class that she wasn't already related to.

[greensleep]

I know a lady who moved here about 25 years ago...she told me that her daughter in law once said "I knew I was going to marry Josh [her son] when I was in first grade." The reason? He was the only boy in her class that she wasn't already related to.

I've lived in Florida now for more years than anywhere else; over 30 years. I am still considered a "live in tourist" by the occasional local. What a thread drift.

[FatMan]

Around here there are plenty of local dogs that work the trails and campgrounds. What I mean by that is they know hikers and campers will often give them treats. I suspect my dog might be guilty of such behavior. She knows that Gooch Gap is a delicatessen of dropped and dumped food. My advice is to leave any dog you see alone. No need to call the owner as the dog will head back home for dinner. Hikers always think they are out in the wilderness and miles away from civilization but nothing is further from the truth on the AT. If a dog is lost, someone will put up a notice at the road crossings. In that case, call the owner and let them know where you last saw the dog.

[Bronk]

Around here there are plenty of local dogs that work the trails and campgrounds. What I mean by that is they know hikers and campers will often give them treats. I suspect my dog might be guilty of such behavior. She knows that Gooch Gap is a delicatessen of dropped and dumped food. My advice is to leave any dog you see alone. No need to call the owner as the dog will head back home for dinner. Hikers always think they are out in the wilderness and miles away from civilization but nothing is further from the truth on the AT. If a dog is lost, someone will put up a notice at the road crossings. In that case, call the owner and let them know where you last saw the dog.

So true. You think you are miles from civilization but if you camp on a ridgeline or other high place that illusion will be shattered when the sun goes down and you are surrounded by lights. You really aren't that far out, and people who live nearby may have dogs that roam during the day and return home at night.

[BlackCloud]

Only in America would people have nothing more important to freak out about than some K-9s in the woods. I despise the woman the OP described as blaming him for not taking care of those animals. Emotional, irrational, and annoying.

When a stray dog gets too friendly with me it gets me walking stick. Gently at first. Not so gently thereafter. If that doesn't work, it gets rocks. That does it every time. I have seen stray dogs piss on a tent and another try to steal food. Steal my food 10 miles from a road I will hurt you.

I don't like people who release their domestic animals on nature and the community at large. I also cycle, and often get chased by neighborhood pouches. My fav was along the Mickelson Trail, a beautiful Rail Trail in SW So. Dakota. Going through some town or other a dog started to run alongside us. As the trail returned to the woods, the dog continued for several miles. Anytime it started to drop back I rang my bell & that spurred fido on some more. The trail began a loooong downhill and we kept going, me ringing my bell, and the dog's tongue dipping further and further to the ground. All told, fido ran 11 miles with us before the trail descended too steeply and left him behind. I had no idea a dog could run that far w/o stopping! The uphill walk back home hopefully taught him to stay away from cyclists.....

[bushwhacker88]

Years ago my girlfriend at the time, her daughter Ashley (7 yrs. old), and I visited Canada creek falls near Suches. A very adorable dog appeared. It obviously craved attention and the 7 yr. old had a ball playing with it. The dog had a collar with a phone number. This was in the Dark Ages before cell phones. When it came time to go the dog pursued us literally for miles (slow going on a rough F.S. road.) Ashley cried and cried saying it was lost and needed rescuing. Against my better judgement we picked up the dog and retraced our route to the only homes near the area which were a mile or so from the falls. No-one home so we took the dog home with us 40 miles away. We finally got an answer from the owner a couple of days later. They owned one of the houses fairly close by and only came up on weekends, leaving the dog alone all week long. We were the third ones to pick up their dog and bring it home with us. We kept the dog till the next weekend during which time Ash became very attached to it then took it back to its home where no-one was present. Once again it followed us literally for miles down the f.S. rd (this was before the bridge washed out over Canada creek, road is no longer maintained) and shortly after I finally outran the dog I saw a bobcat cross the road in my rear-view mirror (one of the very few I have ever seen up here, I see tons more bears than bobcats.) Hope he made it. I suggested to the owner that he put a sign on the collar indicating that it was not lost. Some people shouldnt have pets!

[peakbagger]

There was a somewhat famous local dog in the whites that would hang out at trailhead and "adopt" a hiking party going up Mt Chocurua a very popular mountain to hike. The dog would usually join them to the summit and then adopt another group to go down with. There are trailheads on all points of the compass and the dog would frequently end up at the wrong trailhead. If the dog wasn't home in the evening they would drive around and pick it up. I think they posted flyers and had a tag on the dogs collar saying it was not a lost dog.

[atraildreamer]

I've lived in Florida now for more years than anywhere else; over 30 years. I am still considered a "live in tourist" by the occasional local. What a thread drift.

I thought all Floridians were from somewhere else!

I am from Providence, RI and was staying at the HoJo in Clermont, Florida. While having dinner at the attached restaurant I struck up a conversation with a pretty blond-haired, blue-eyed waitress with a nice southern dialect. A typical belle of the South, or so I thought.

"Where are y'all from?", she asked.

"Providence", I replied. "Where are you from?" I inquired.

"Richmond", she said.

"Richmond, Virginia?", I asked.

"No, Richmond, Rhode Island", she replied.

You just never know...

[Smithereens]

I seldom ever admit this to anyone so don't spread it around!

Despite my hillbilly looks, attitude and accent, I am a Yankee. Actually, one of the worst kinds of Yankee... a Bostonian! I was very young when we moved to Tennessee and my mother was a native here. But me? I was born "up north" and my dad was a Boston native. So I can rightfully claim to be from Boston, but that doesn't make it accurate.

I thought all Floridians were from somewhere else!

I am from Providence, RI and was staying at the HoJo in Clermont, Florida. While having dinner at the attached restaurant I struck up a conversation with a pretty blond-haired, blue-eyed waitress with a nice southern dialect. A typical belle of the South, or so I thought.

"Where are y'all from?", she asked.

"Providence", I replied. "Where are you from?" I inquired.

"Richmond", she said.

"Richmond, Virginia?", I asked.

"No, Richmond, Rhode Island", she replied.

You just never know...

[BlackCloud]

Florida is a sunny place for shady people...

[Leo L.]

I have a completely different attitude against (stray) dogs, based on experience.
In Southern Europe, as well as in the Middle East, there are very few privately owned dogs, but strays are a serious plague.
They typically live around litter places.
The ones that stray around populated areas do this for begging or stealing food.
As a foot traveller/hiker you many times have to cross the "litter cordon" around towns, by this crossing through the living area of the local stray dogs pack.
This is anything but comfortable, sometimes even dangerous.
Its best practice, and I had to learn this the hard way, to carry a club or some stones when going there.
So whenever I see a (stray) dog, by instinct I bend down to pick a stone.
I would never come near the idea to take care of a stray in a positive way.