I'm pretty sure I'm a horrible person

zsazsa-stl

Because I feel such relief when I see a lost dog, try to approach it to find a tag, and the dog takes off into someone's back yard before I can be burdened with finding his owner. 

Wzz

hmm. i dont think you're horrible for that. you're wonderful for even thinking of trying to go up to it to help it. me? i would look at it, say to myself that it sucks someone lost their dog, and then call animal control. in my defense, i don't want to be attacked by an agressive dog, no matter how big or small, and animal control can do a better job with it than i could. i called animal control for a hurt pigeon once.

[Deleted User]

I must be pure evil then.  I just think, I hope that stupid dog doesn't run in front of my car.  Then I keep driving.

VarunaTT

I have stopped on a few occasion.  Usually b/c of weather situations (once was during the heat wave, this last time was during an active snow) b/c I would hope someone would help my dogs during that.  There was one time another dog ran up to our house and was attempting to get into our trash can. 

But most of the time, I just say, "I can't save them all" and drive on.  My taxes pay for animal control and that's their job.  They have the tools and equipment to deal with that.

Wzz

LOL, cali. true story.

kerbohl

A truly horrible person would steal the dog and not make an effort to return it to the owner. . . I think you're good. 

6fsn

Naw, the horrible person shoots the dog with BBs to get them in someone else's yard.

GBCK

Dude, the last time I stopped because I recognized the dog, it jumped in my car...
which is when I realized that we were nexter Mr. S's fields.  Mr. S. is a pig farmer.  Dog had been rolling in fresh shig pit. 
And had gotten it all over inside my car.

John (my mechanic--it was his dog) gave us a freebie after that.

(the time before that, it was the 3rd time I'd found the same pair and I shoo-ed them into my garage and called animal contol because these douches wouldn't put collars on them.  THey weren't fixed so it was $300 in fines...we haven't seen the dogs since)

notamrs

Not a horrible person at all.  I'm one of the biggest animal lovers around and I have felt that exact same feeling, especially with cats in parking lots.  I have also had to just drive by wandering dogs and send up a prayer that they find their way home because I wasn't able to stop.  You do what you can.

zsazsa-stl

I didn't stop a car to help the dog.  I have only tried to help dogs in my own neighborhood where I KNOW that the dog is out of place and lost.  Like Varuna said, I immediately think "what if that were MY dog?" because my dogs have been roaming the streets on their own before and I was VERY grateful for a phone call from a neighbor to come get them.

shaylagirl

I've stopped a few times to try, to either have the dog run off, or the owner come out the front door with a "THERE YOU ARE FLOOFYKINS!  You got out of the backyard again, didn't you?"

Uh, fix your fence then?

There was one time I tried to save a dog, though the situation was highly dangerous to me.  It did not end well.  I cried about it for the rest of the day and still feel awful!