After work in the morning I take seven of my dogs to the dog park & meet with two friends & their dogs. This morning, a park worker came in to talk to us & some of the dogs were barking at him. My Annie-Lucia nipped him on the leg through heavy work pants. We apologized all over the place & continued chatting until we saw three animal control vehicles & a police car drive up. They threatened to impound all our dogs because we didn’t have vaccination papers on us. Who knew it was a city ordinance to carry vax documents? We had to show proof of vaccination in the state of Texas & two of us take our dogs to Mexico where it’s a lot cheaper. Little did we know that Mexican vaxs are not legitimate in Texas.
After prolonged negotiations, they impounded my little Annie for ten days of quarantine & issued me a citation to appear in municipal court to show proof of a rabies shot in Texas. Without a Texas vax I will be subject to a fine. I will be allowed to visit Annie but may not touch her. They wouldn’t allow me to quarantine her at home, wouldn’t accept a Mexican vax, & wouldn’t let me take her to a vet for tests to show she did not have rabies.
Keep in mind that this region has thousands of abandoned dogs & cats. The problem is so critical that animal shelters are always over capacity & there are caravans by several shelters & rescue groups that each take up to forty animals to other states for adoption every month.
I know I am not nearly as bereft as my little Annie who was rescued from animal control, a shivering terrified little girl who was once attacked by a huge Pitt Bull. I had to put that sweet girl in the animal control van so that her sense of abandonment must be overwhelming. All I know is that I will never again use the dog park & put my dogs at such risk.