Snapping, snarling stray dog is not that important.

[Hellzar]

A few weeks ago there was a small stray dog that found its way between the doors to the lobby and parking lot. This would not have been a big deal, I love dogs myself but this dog was snapping at people who approached it and it had gotten into the main lobby. I called Animal control immediately this is pretty much how the conversation went.

Animal Control:AC

AC: This is Animal Control.
Me: Hi I have a stray dog in the lobby of (my hotel) and it is trying to bite my guests.
AC: Ok..... What do you want us to do?
Me: Could you send someone over to get the dog before it hurts someone.
AC: No. We are too busy and cant have someone running over there to deal with that.
Me: Ok
AC: (click)

I know I called the right number and everything I just could not believe that they refused to come and get a dog that was posing a danger to the public. I eventually lured the dog out of the lobby and into the parking lot. Thankfully no one got hurt.

[bhskittykatt]

Isn't one of the main purposes of Animal Control's existence to take care of animals that are a danger to the public? 'Cause that's the impression I was under.

Aren't they supposed to protect people from animals/animals from people?

[Hellzar]

Well when I told this story to a coworker they told me that our city does not have a dedicated Animal control unit or whatever. Basically regular police officers have to take care of Animal control calls. So I guess no one could be pulled from their patrol.

[mariamousie1]

I told this to my mom, and she said "What the hell else is Animal Control supposed to do?" I bet if someone had gotten bitten after this call they could have sued the city for refusing to protect them.

[Sliceanddice]

the thing is they should have spared someone.
If you can't have a dedicated AC you have to be willing to spare your police force.
Because if you call with an obviously dangerous dog on your property attacking people and they wont come they might as well be saying hey you call a lawyer and the news rooms and sue us and make us look like incompidant morons and get our bosses either fired or have their careers ruined for the rest of time.

[mariamousie1]

My mom also said something about how we pay their salary with their taxes. I didn't include at the time, but now I'm thinking of the guy in the movie Speed. "Our taxes pay their salary. If we die they have to take a pay cut!" This also works here.

[blas]

You may want to tune in to the news or research if animal control has been part of budget cutting in your city.

I'm not excusing this, but it could be an explanation as to why they are being so lax about it.

[TOLady]

Many years ago, my DH and I were trapped in our apartment by a raccoon that had somehow become trapped between the door from the outside to the inside corridor door.

We must have left the screen door slightly ajar and it slammed shut when he came in to investigate our recycling bin in the upstairs corridor.

Having contributed to them for many years, we did what seemed like the most intelligent thing to do according to the masses of literature we received from them at that time and called our city's humane society.

We were informed they would do nothing about it and that we should call the police instead. They didn't have the time to do things like that.

All we wanted was for someone who knew about animals to come and open the screen door, prop it open with a stick or something and let the scared guy out. It was about 4 in the morning and we weren't about to call our upstairs neighbours to open a door to a who knows how irate raccoon and we weren't sure if in its panic it had become injured as he/she was certainly making a huge racket!

Eventually DH popped out our front window, climbed out, very, very carefully eased open the door and then ran like hell.

It was the very next day we stopped our contributions to the society - with explanation.

Good thing - they're all over the news in My Fair City again - and not in a good way!

[PepperElf]

only other thing i can suggest is picking up a trap cage from them, if they have an office.

the animal shelter i got my cat from also let you check out trap-cages.
tho the downside is that they were a kill-shelter