Adopting a stray puppy

gertie

Hi all,

I'm at a loss as to what to do. I have found a stray puppy whose mother was killed by a car. He is, as all puppies are, adorable. At a guess he looks about 8 weeks old.
I would love to keep him, but I need some advice on these issues:

I need to take him to a vet to have him vaccinated, wormed, checked for diseases etc. Can anyone recommend a reputable vet in Chennai? Assuming he is given the all-clear by a vet, are there any remaining disease risks I should be aware of?

I can't take him with me to Australia when I leave as quarantine regulations don't allow imported animals from India. What options do I have for safely rehousing him in 12 months time?

It would break my heart to have to return the skinny little thing to the streets. What do I do with him?

Gertie

icetea

If you can't find someone by the time you leave, maybe you can try Blue Cross: http://www.bluecross.org.in/Centres.html

gertie

Thanks icetea.

I had a look at their site, looks like they do a great job. I especially like the birth control program they run.

Gertie

Noodle

Hi Gertie!

Great you are taking care of the little guy!

Are you sure there not any more puppies from the same mother? They usually have more than one.

I don't know Chennai so I can't help you with vets in that area, but others here might. Otherwise get a phone book and look in the yellow pages under Doctors. Vets are listed there too.

He needs to be dewormed first, I think it's too early for vaccinations yet. Wait another month with that (or do as your vet recommends). He needs rabies and another one called 7in1 (I think) - the vet will know. These vaccinations need to be updated once a year. I don't think there are any other particular health risks, and if he seems healthy there is no need to do any more.

You can check him for fleas and ticks though and get a spot on treatment either form the vet or from a pet shop. I only use the imported ones such as Frontline or Advantage etc. But be aware, they are not for small pups, you might have to wait a little with that. In the meantime, a bath and a flea comb have to do.

I would recommend you try to find someone who will take him when you leave, Indian friends, Expats ... You have 12 months time so chances are good that something will come up. Vets are also often helping with rehoming dogs.

Last but not least, please have him castrated when he's 6 months old! The Blue Cross will do this for you for a small fee/donation. Please read my other thread about Spaying/Neutering here in this forum for more advice on that topic.

Good luck with that! How did you name him?

__________________
If in hole
stop digging.

Indian saying

birds

Hi

I know a lady in Goa who re-houses strays and she told me she got very good results by placing adverts in the local paper. She told me the ad should specifically say that a 'foreigner' looks to house a stray. She recommends so 'drama' story for effect. Not sure whether I agree (especially with the second bit) but it might be worthwhile trying.

Do not wait too long because people prefer young dogs over older ones. After three months it becomes more difficult to place them.

You may also want to try Auroville, apparently there is a lady there who takes care of strays. Unfortunately I do not have her details.

I do not know about the policies of the Blue Cross but please be aware that many animal welfare centres euthanize pups they can not place.

Good Luck!

pundabee

Unfortunately, the well-known Auroville dog carer died a few years ago (if we are talking about the same person). There is The Auroville Animal Care Trust, but would they want to deal with a Chennai dog?

gertie

Great advice Noodle, thanks.

I'm not positive there weren't more puppies. I had a good look around and asked a few people, but I didn't find any more. The little one I have was wandering in the middle of the ECR...

I knew he'd be too young for some of the shots/treatment he needs, but I think its best to get him checked and ask the vet for a schedule of what he needs and when. And yes, he will definitely be neutered as soon as he's old enough.

Gertie

Noodle

Sounds like a good plan.

What is the ECR?

Good luck! And report back if you like!

Yogesh Sarkar

Gertie my advice to you would be to not adopt that puppy, simply due to the fact that almost no one would want to adopt a year old dog. Chances of him being adopted are much better at this moment; please try to find a nice home for him right now.

__________________
My Travelogues | My Blog | Ladakh Travel Guide

Nick-H

Gertie... I'm PMing you how to get to a vet not far from Alwarpet

Didn't read the other posts yet, thought I'd just jump in with this.

==================

I just read the rest...

ECR = East Coast Road. Sometimes tautologically called 'The ECR Road'. Like the OMR (Old Mahabalipuram Road) Road

Oh dear, maybe YS has a point there... semi-domesticated street dogs are so common here... I have no idea, and will not try to suggest either way.

__________________
.


Just one member of the IndiaMike Mod Team