There’s been a Facebook discussion this past week about an injured Rottweiler in Southwold Township. A lady saw the dog lying on the road, injured after presumably being hit by a car. She wasn’t able to do anything, but called Southwold Township office. They said call All Breed Canine Rescue. ABCR called authorities to see what ought to be done.
Apparently a dog injured but still alive doesn’t fall into anyone’s area of responsibility. Southwold township doesn’t have their own Animal Control staff (they use the St. Thomas pound), Southwold road crew will pick up “confined” stray dogs and dead animals. The OSPCA only deals with cases of “owner neglect”. I guess St. Thomas Animal Control didn’t think a living, injured dog fell into their bailiwick. There is nobody who is responsible for alive and injured animals. Isn’t that just wonderful!
Thus began the Facebook saga. Could anyone nearby go look for the dog? Eventually, it was posted, Southwold officials said they’d send someone out to look. Gee, thanks. So over the course of four days, people drove around 
Southwold back roads, others posted words of encouragement. Some reported that people in the area had sighted dogs fitting the description. Based on extensive experience with animals being dumped, they have assumed that they were the newest “dumpees”. A Rottie with an apparent broken leg was seen by someone but would not come near. So, last I know, a seriously injured large dog is somewhere in Southwold, running or dying. A man who lives near the last sighting of the dog is putting food out and trying to befriend him.
A dog getting hit on the road is not a rare occurrence. And, all too often, the driver does not stop and deal with it. So someone has to. Even if you just look at this as a public health and safety issue, an injured large dog wandering around houses, schools and streets is not a good idea. People inexperienced and untrained in catching and handling injured animals going out looking for this dog isn’t a great idea either. If paid animal control and animal welfare staff say “not in my job description”, that leaves the small volunteer rescue groups. So contract it out to them, with payment for services rendered.
The Rottie in the photo is the lovely late Simba. The map from Google shows Routh Road (A) where the hurt dog has been seen.
