Luck’s Rescue Talks Animal Abandonment, “There Are Other Options”

By LYDIA BERGLAR
News Editor

It’s no secret that abandoning dogs and cats is a big problem in our area. Audray Luck of Luck’s Rescue spoke with the Sentinel about the issue, focusing on dogs.

She described two main types of abandonment. 1. Intentionally leaving your animals on any property other than your own. 2. Moving away but leaving your animals behind.

When Luck finds animals on the side of the road, they either fit the first category, they’re runaways, or they’re dogs that are allowed to wander. “If people put identification on their dogs or get their dogs microchipped, that’s the easiest way to get their dogs back home,” she said.

Through subtle signs, Luck can often differentiate between runaways/wanderers and dogs that have been dropped off (colloquially referred to as “dumping animals”). When found in a well-known drop off zone, she often assumes they are abandoned.

Also, abandoned dogs are much more skittish than runaways or routine wanderers. “They become so scared because their life just took a complete 180. So many dogs that I’m trying to catch (but can’t because they’re scared) get hit by cars and killed.”

Runaways become more skittish the longer they’re away from home, but Luck said it takes more effort to catch the abandoned dogs. “They’ve lost trust with humans because a human dropped them off somewhere.”

Sometimes, she can get them to come to her (after hours, days, or even weeks of coaxing). Other times, it takes a dog trap.

She also looks for street smarts. Dogs allowed to roam typically have more street smarts and avoid getting hit by cars, so she can tell that they belong to someone, but “someone’s pet that stays inside or in a kennel or on a chain doesn’t know how to act around the roads.”

Litters of puppies (or kittens) are clearly not runaways or wanderers. Luck sees a lot of abandoned unwanted litters as well as dogs around eight months to one year old. “People will get a cute little puppy, but it gets bigger, and then they don’t want it anymore.”

Luck listed four well-known drop-off zones: Murphy Spring by Murphy Hollow Road, Hales Gap Road, near the Lookout Mountain Flight Park landing zone in the valley, and Newsome Gap Road. She’s found Murphy Spring to be the most common place for drop offs, estimating that she’s rescued over 50 dogs there in the last three years. Luck also gets calls about dogs that are gone by the time she arrives, making the count even higher.

Now for the second type of abandonment: moving away and leaving your animals behind. In these cases, it’s much easier to find the guilty parties because there’s a paper trail.

Luck recalled a recent situation on Cloverdale Road where the owners moved away and left four dogs behind. The new owners arrived, found the dogs, and called the Dade County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) who then called Luck. Luck encouraged DCSO to charge the previous owners with animal abandonment.

Luck wants people to know that it’s illegal to abandon domesticated animals (per O.C.G.A. 4-11-15.1), and there are consequences.

She explained that state laws require animals to have proper food and water. In one recent situation, a chow was kept in an empty inground pool with no cover to offer shelter. The dog did have water, but it was green, and Luck described the food as “moldy bread that was caked to the ground.”

She said pet owners can face neglect and abuse charges in cases like this because dogs could get sick from the improper care, even though the owners may claim that they’ve provided food and water.

Luck reported that typical reasons behind both types of abandonment (drop offs and moving away) are unwanted litters, financial difficulties preventing owners from keeping their pets, moving somewhere pets aren’t allowed, or behavioral issues with the pets. Another cause could be the death of the pet owner and family members inheriting a pet they don’t want.

Looking at the bigger picture of animal welfare, Luck said, “There are so many puzzle pieces that when they all come together will improve animal welfare so much. Why are people abandoning their animals? Because there’s no animal shelter for them to take their animals to.” Therefore, Luck cited the shelter as the first piece to end animal abandonment.

She continued, “Most of the animals being dumped are coming from unwanted litters. We need to get the overpopulation problem under control.” Therefore, spay/neuter is the second piece to end animal abandonment.

In order to find people who abandon animals, Luck would like to work with the sheriff’s office to get cameras installed at the well-known drop off zones, but this involves getting permission from property owners. Also, cameras may deter people from abandoning animals in those zones, but they’ll find other places to go. Therefore, Luck again pointed to the Trenton-Dade Animal Center as the answer.

She wants people to know that if they’re unable to care for an animal, there are other options. She asks people to call her or reach out to any other rescue group first. “I don’t have a shelter space, so I’m limited on what I can do, but I will do absolutely anything I can for those animals. If someone is wanting to get rid of a dog because they can’t afford it, I will give you dog food, a doghouse, everything you need if you can keep the dog on your property while we wait for space to open up.”

If your animal isn’t fixed and therefore might cause unwanted litters, contact the Dade County Pet Project to learn about low-cost spay/neuter options.

Luck senses that people may feel shame about not being able to care for their animals, so they’d rather abandon the animals than call someone to ask for help. “I understand that resources are limited. That’s why I approach people from a place of love and compassion, asking what I can do to help. I don’t want anyone to feel shame over that; I want what’s best for the dogs.”

Luck said she only gets the sheriff’s office involved when absolutely necessary. “I’d much rather work with the owners of these dogs than bring the sheriff’s department in.”

She has also found that abandoned dogs (or runaways who have been lost for a long time) might act aggressive, but it’s due to their circumstances and not their nature. “Even if I have a call about an aggressive dog, it’s never the dog’s fault,” she said.

She explained one recent example where a female German shepherd had been abandoned and ended up on a man’s front porch. DCSO called Luck about the “aggressive” dog because they didn’t want to shoot the dog. “She was sitting on a gentleman’s porch and would not let him go inside,” Luck said, recounting how when deputies approached it, the dog reacted aggressively as a defense.

“The dog was feeling cornered. She was just scared. I got down on her level, got my treat bag out, and started giving her treats. Within two minutes, I had her on her back and was rubbing her belly. That is not an aggressive dog. Now she lives in New York with a family, another German shepherd, and three-year-old boy. She’s the best dog to that family.”