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Original poster

Could my dog have survived outside overnight??

259 replies

pandoraphile · 28/01/2019 14:37

I am literally beside myself. A delivery man left the gate open last night and he managed to get out. I didn't notice for about 20mins and by the time I got outside there was no sign of him. I spent an hour looking and calling for him - nothing. I thought he'd turn up overnight but no.

Straight away this morning I got calling around friends, the local vets, the kennels where they take 'stray' dogs - nothing. We live in a small village and everyone knows who he is and where he lives. No one has seen him and no one has reported a traffic incident with a dog. He's chipped and all of my details are up to date so if he'd been picked up I would have assumed I would be contacted by now? I even took my other dog out of our usual walk in case she could scent him but she didn't.

I'm desperately worried and the more I think about it, the more I'm concerned about him being in the cold overnight. It was sub-zero temperatures here last night. He's a six year old hardy terrier so not a delicate dog. But he lives indoors so he certainly won't be used to those sorts of temperatures. I really, really don't know what to do from here. I haven't stuck posters up yet but I've been into the local shops (three) and asked them to keep an eye out and spread the word.

Is there any chance that he would be ok overnight?? Or am I looking at the worst? :(

OP posts:
BooksAreMyOnlyFriends · 30/01/2019 08:12

FWIW when my cat went missing I spent 8 hours looking for her until I found her not one hour and then gave up

Same x 3 months 😴

BlancheM · 30/01/2019 08:31

He's hardly a canine Houdini if he's only getting away because of a delivery man leaving the gate open. Put a sign up, rearrange your deliveries or stop ordering stuff and take your dog for a walk. Silly lies as there are simple solutions.

Halfahunnerstillastunner · 30/01/2019 09:07

So you'd rather make sure your parcels are safe than your living, breathing, emotionally attached dog is safe?

Revolting. Just disgusting. And if you're a troll, you're still disgusting.

Interested in this thread?

Then you might like threads about this subject:

Dogs
bobstersmum · 30/01/2019 09:25

Isn't it the law now for a dog to have a collar on with address and phone number on the tag, as well as up to date chip? How did this sit with the dog warden?

SomethingWithLemons · 30/01/2019 09:34

Flying - no because the first gate leads straight out on the square. We couldn't have parcels left because it would be obvious so I'm sure someone would pinch them. So if delivery people are leaving parcels that subjects you are out - so is the dog in the garden unattended and you're not even home?

SomethingWithLemons · 30/01/2019 09:35

*that suggests

SistersResistingTheCisThing · 30/01/2019 09:54

YANBU to rehome OP, getting your parcels is more important than keeping family pets. As soon as I got Amazon Prime I fucked my cat right off.

Oh please. There are more holes in this than Swiss cheese. I decided in the morning I would rehome the dog that wasn't in my
possession, then I heard the dog warden had him and she would rehome. But in the meantime I had already spoken to lots of people and had arranged for a friend of a friend. Perhaps you should have said Gumtree to really enrage people? Fail.

catsmother · 30/01/2019 09:55

Jackanory, jackanory

I really hope so!!

ILoveMaxiBondi · 30/01/2019 11:09

This is utterly baffling.

A very simple fix is to buy one of those keter storage benches by your front door and have delivery drivers leave all parcels in it. No need for them to go through any gates. Failing that. Stick big fuck off neon flashing signs on your gates telling everyone to shut the gate. Failing that add another gate/fence/enclosed area that isn’t affected by delivery drivers leaving gates open. Failing that, don’t leave your dog outside when you’re not home Hmm

KittensAndCake · 30/01/2019 11:20

Oh dear, I've just come back to check if the dog had been found and can't believe what I am reading literally

And the main problem is delivery people leaving the gate ajar.

If by some small chance this is real, OP - ever heard of a bloody lock? 😡🙄

Original poster
pandoraphile · 30/01/2019 11:50

I hate it when posters disappear from threads because they get negative comments. So - there are a lot of assumptions and factual errors in these replies.

I am diametrically opposed to rehoming animals just because you feel like it. That's not good enough when you've made the commitment to having the pet. So no matter how tough or hard or inconvenient it becomes you keep them. Because you chose to get them.

The difference here is that I'm not rehoming to make my life easier. I'm doing it to keep him safe because I can't. We've never lived in such close proximity to a road before and that's a huge factor in my decision. Once he's out of the garden then he's in immediate danger.

Oh - and to whoever asked - yes of course they get walked!! Every day and usually twice.

I won't be coming back to the thread because this decision is distressing enough. I've made the right choice for my dog and that's the best I can do.

OP posts:
ILoveMaxiBondi · 30/01/2019 11:56

I'm doing it to keep him safe because I can't.

But you can. People have given you loads of suggestions on how do that. It really is a simple fix. I don’t understand what you’re struggling with.

BiteyShark · 30/01/2019 12:36

There are a lot of things you could do to keep him safe which given that it's a gate left open issue isn't actually hard.

However it's clear this gives you a reason to rehome. I just wish people were honest rather than trying to feign concern and best interests when actually it's obvious to everyone that you just don't want the dog.

TinselAndKnickers · 30/01/2019 13:02

You can keep him safe - you just can't be arsed to!

sleeplessinsomewhereelse · 30/01/2019 13:27

I'm not going to give you a hard time op; and I think your mind is made up.

Can I just ask about the parcel/delivery situation.

We have a self closing side gate (tall) with a big boot box for parcels when we're not home.

What parcels are you getting so frequently you can't find another way?

GreatDuckCookery6211 · 30/01/2019 13:29

This is one of the weirdest threads I’ve ever read on MN and there’s been a few!

In your first post you said “you were beside yourself” and prattled on about the freezing conditions, next news the poor dog is being rehomed?!

BBInGinDrinking · 30/01/2019 14:06

I realised that this was the last straw

There's a collection of reasons

It seems that the OP has been struggling with the little terrier for some time, and it's not really about the gate being left open once and him getting out once.

KittensAndCake · 30/01/2019 14:56

You can keep him safe - you just can't be arsed to!

My DD and her college friends saved a dog that was running across a main road a few months ago. When she contacted the owner, they came and got the dog eventually but just said 'oh he keeps getting out, there's nothing I can do' 🤬 My dd said the owner really didn't seem to care - you sound very similar, OP.

Why start this thread if you were planning to get rid of him anyway??!! It's all very odd.

thatwouldbeanecumenicalmatter · 30/01/2019 15:19

I am diametrically opposed to rehoming animals just because you feel like it. That's not good enough when you've made the commitment to having the pet. So no matter how tough or hard or inconvenient it becomes you keep them. Because you chose to get them.

The difference here is that I'm not rehoming to make my life easier.

You keep telling yourself that.

Can I suggest that you don't ever get another dog ever again.

MinorRSole · 30/01/2019 16:41

Do you know how many people use the "I'm doing it for him" line when rehoming a pet? How many people do you think are actually honest and say "I just can't be arsed". You think you're different - you aren't.

MuttsNutts · 30/01/2019 17:14

My much loved DDog died almost a year ago and there still isn’t a day that passes that I don’t miss her and everything she brought to our lives. I would move heaven and earth to have her back with our family.

You, on the other hand have chosen to give yours away at the drop of a hat. You say you looked for one hour (which I’d bet money is an exaggeration) then gave up and, when he was found, rather than being so relieved that he was safe and rushing to collect him, you chose to give him away, just like that.

And all because you just can’t be arsed to make a proper job of being a responsible dog owner.

Shame on you.

December2018 · 30/01/2019 17:18

@MuttsNutts I'm so sorry about your dog
I lost my dog 3 weeks ago and it's heartbreaking!
And shit owners just make me so angry and upset, OP should be cherishing that poor dog and making him feel loved... not get rid of him like a bag of rubbish!

That dog deserves better

MuttsNutts · 30/01/2019 17:25

Thanks December2018. I’m so sorry to hear about yours as well Sad

All dogs deserve better than being dumped when it suits by their callous owners. I’ll never understand how anyone could do it.

ichoochoochooseu · 30/01/2019 19:47

Lots of people live near roads. They just lock their gate so random people can't open it and let their dogs out. I have 3 gates and 2 dogs - all locked. Imagine that.

Justagirlwholovesaboy · 31/01/2019 01:45

I live near a road, so is my dog unsafe whilst sleeping at my feet??? Damn I didn’t realise I better call a pet rescue! I did make sure my garden was secure before getting a previous dog, plus he only walks on a lead. But didn’t realise living near a road was still a hazard?!?!!!