A pug mix followed a resident home from Mabel Davis Park on Wednesday. Do you know this sweet guy?
A friendly unneutered male dog has been wandering near Mabel Davis Park for two weeks. He has a black collar, but no tags.
If you know this dog or the owner, use the contact form to provide your name and how to reach you, and you’ll be contacted by the family taking care of him.
There has been a recent increase in the number of loose dogs in Burleson Heights and Burleson-Parker neighborhoods, and one pet dog attacked and injured a pedestrian in April. Please be aware that in Travis County, a dog must be on a leash at all times unless it’s secured on its owner’s property or is in a designated off-leash area in a park. Tethering a dog in a yard is against the law in Austin. Learn more about City of Austin pet ordinances and the Travis County leash law.
Dogs face an uncertain and often short future on the streets. Some of the biggest dangers are heartworms, predators and cars, but even if a loose dog is impounded and taken to the “safety” of an animal shelter, it won’t survive long if it isn’t claimed. This guy is lucky to have a temporary caretaker, because Austin’s brand-new, $12 million animal shelter is already over capacity and had to end its hard-earned “no-kill” status when it euthanized 17 animals last week. Read more in a May 14 Austin American-Statesman article.
Please think of the safety of your pet and your neighbors, and keep your dog on a leash or in your house or fenced yard.
And if you’re a responsible dog lover, you might be able to give this dog a safe and loving home if its owner isn’t found.
This site's manager has lived in Burleson Heights since 1996 and uses this blog to share helpful information with neighbors.
The Hurly-Burly 
Do you think the end of the school year has anything to do with all of the loose dogs? That dog is too nice to be put down. Our neighborhood is too small to absorb all of these stray animals. Very unfortunate.
Loose dogs have been on the rise for quite a while, at least a year. I see them almost weekly. There’s probably a combination of factors. There could be a new mix of residents and habits. There might also be people dumping unwanted dogs in the area. Some of those we see are clearly pets that got out, others are on the loose for weeks and forming packs.
Some folks are unfortunate enough to own escape artists. There are some athletic dogs that can leap over fences or small ones that can crawl under gates. For those owners, the answer is to keep your dog company and know where it is at all times. Walk it on a leash for some exercise and mental stimulation so it’s happier at home, too.
Some owners are surprised when a neighbor calls or knocks on the door with their dog. They can’t figure out how the dog gets out, or they have a fence that needs repair and can’t afford to fix it. If you’re a pet owner with a problem like that, find a handy neighbor who can help you make repairs in exchange for some other service, like cooking a meal. It’s just a bad idea to leave your dog outside unattended if it has a history of escaping.
I’m also aware of some residents who deliberately let their dogs outdoors, off leash, to have some freedom, time to sniff around and go potty in the neighbors’ yards. Not cool! And, I might add, against the law. If you have a neighbor like that and you’re more afraid to approach the human than the dog, get the dog to a safe place like your back yard and call Animal Control at 311 to pick it up. An owner might get the message after having to drive to the shelter and pay a fine.