A local couple says they are finding roadblock after roadblock trying to deal with a pair of stray dogs abandoned on their property, and are asking the public if anyone can help.
Thomas W. Hatfield lives in the Holmes Creek area of the county and said that after returning from a fishing trip a few weeks ago, he and his wife were greeted by two strays at their Holmes Creek home. He said that he had visited Canada, while his wife stayed with their daughter-in-law in Ashland City. When they returned home, he said that two dogs came up from beneath their carport, sleeping under their boat.
“I told my wife let me check to see if these dogs are okay. I’m pretty certain these dogs were dropped off down there. After we got into the house, I told my wife, ‘I’m going to do what my daddy would have done. I’m going to take my BB gun out there and pop them in the butt to get them to leave.’ About 10 minutes later I went back in the house, and I told my wife, ‘Baby, I couldn’t do it.’”
Hatfield said that after looking at the animals he realized that they were guilty of just two things. They wanted to be loved and they were hungry.
“Another thing a learned from my daddy was not to feed a stray. If you feed a stray, then he’s your dog.”
He said he then called the animal shelter in Smithville, who according to Hatfield said that it might be six months before they have an opening for the dogs. “I went to all the vets and groomers around, anyone who might adopt pets, and even went to the Health Department. I grew up in Nashville and there the Health Department rules animal control. No one could help.”
“I went to the police department and the Sheriff’s Department. I asked, ‘What if one of these dogs bite somebody?’ We’ve seen a lot of animals dumped down in the hollow around Holmes Creek.”
Hatfield said that he broke another one of his daddy’s rules. “I’m on my 5th bag of dogfood today. I don’t know if someone would be interested in adopting the dogs. I’ve done everything I know to do. They are beautiful dogs. They are young I would say.”
After dealing with the issue, Hatfield said that he realizes how animals might end up being dropped off and abandoned. “Some say that it is low down that they would drop their dogs off, but you don’t know what has happened in people’s lives. Someone may have lost their job, and had to make a decision whether to feed their kids or feed their dogs. We don’t know. If someone got the same answers I’ve got over the past few weeks, I don’t know what other choices someone would have.”
Hatfield says that he has wormed the dogs and has bought flea collars for them, but said he believed they need to be vaccinated. Thomas has a big heart, but said taking care of the dogs is a big strain on he and his wife, and he asks anyone who might be interested in caring for the dogs to contact him at thomas.hatfield74@gmail.com.
