r/Austin • u/icant_change_my_user • Aug 28 '26
PSA Who steals a dog
Hey yall I saw this sign up on Research Boulevard and Braker Ln (the southbound access road for 183) and wanted to post here in case it might help. A dog needing its meds went missing. I'm not sure if its owners are unhoused or not but here's the sign. It says to call VEG which is a pet ER on Research Boulevard next to the HEB with info (phone number +1 737-256-6607).
Hopefully it'll be found soon safe and healthy.
My hope is that maybe someone thought the dog needed help or he ran away i hope he wasn't stolen. Regardless I wanted to share just in case.
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u/nehpets91 Aug 28 '26
I know this area and it breaks my heart to see all the people with their pets under the bridge. I feel for the people; those pets mean a lot to them.
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u/IKnewThat45 Aug 29 '26
my brain is so split on this. unhoused peeps don’t deserve to be separated from beloved pets if they’re down on their luck, but pets also don’t deserve to be in 100+ degree temps endlessly. UGH
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u/SnoOzinnWeirdoo Aug 28 '26
I've seen that dog plenty of times there before. Their person definitely takes care of them and makes sure he has what he needs. He is a street smart dog who was always with his human, even when they were sleeping he would be there watching. I really hope they find him. People are quick to think they're helping when they know nothing about the situation and make it worse. I hope little dog is doing okay and knows his human misses him.
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u/PowerfulRound7579 Aug 28 '26
Can you imagine being down on your luck like this, panhandling to pay for your dogs meds, and then a bunch of Austin redditors make fun of your handwriting or say you don’t deserve a dog. God I can’t fathom what it’s like to be the recipient of this much cruelty.
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u/vallogallo Aug 28 '26
There are also safety reasons to own a dog if you're homeless. They can protect you while you sleep. It's why most homeless women have dogs.
Also it's sickening to see people express more concern for a dog being out in this extreme heat than a human being.
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u/barcoder96 Aug 29 '26
It’s sickening to know for some, being on the street is a choice that they drag their dogs into. I don’t think a single dog shelter would let a person who lives on the street adopt a dog. Yet people here act as if it’s very normal and maybe even good. It’s neither.
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u/Ebullient_1972 Aug 29 '26
That’s an interesting take.
Do you know how many stray dogs are roaming around Austin? They are abandoned by shitty people, most of whom are not homeless (puppy mills, BYB, etc.) and the shelters are full and won’t take them. I would rather they are cared for and loved by a homeless individual than left to fend for themselves or picked up and euthanized.
You need to expand your understanding of the world and develop some empathy, because you come across as a huge jerk.
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u/murrrkles Aug 29 '26
Either trolling or naive.. plenty of dogs are doing just fine with unhoused owners. It's summer and we're all dealing with the heat. It's ignorant to assume that someone who's homeless and has their dog with them on the street is incapable of providing appropriate care for the animal. There's also significant effort in motion from more than one agency, providing support for said people and their dogs that you don't see because you're just driving by and assuming the dog is suffering. It is an easy online search to find the current available resources. If you see obvious neglect/cruelty then report it, but you should also understand laws of proper care, which is available online. But if you're genuinely concerned it's not hard to say hi and ask if they're okay. If you do so, I imagine you've already made sure your car door is locked. You're willing to spend the energy to report it, so maybe you could offer help before assuming someone is treating their animal poorly. Also, plenty of HOUSED people keep their pets outside through this heat. Which should be reported because pet owners are not a monolith of mindful individuals. Assuming someone doesn't care for their pet simply because they're on the corner is pretty shitty. They could be just briefly at the intersection busking or otherwise. I challenge you to think of how you might operate if you were to have a pet and find yourself with no place to live and no immediate solution. Don't project your beliefs onto someone you've never known. That's a significant factor in where we are now as a society, locally and nationally. If you feel the need to post about it online, then please consider contributing towards a solution.
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u/barcoder96 Aug 29 '26
I’m not the one advocating for dogs to be left out in 100+ temperatures all day. But if that makes me a huge jerk then hell yea. Anyone who does this to a pet is a huge shithead. Have a heart!
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u/vallogallo Aug 29 '26 edited Aug 29 '26
How do you know they didn't already own the dog before they were homeless?
Homelessness is rarely a choice. Most homeless people who become substance abusers become one after they become homeless -- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379707001043
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u/barcoder96 Aug 29 '26
How do you know they did?
Also, how do you think a responsible person would react when faced with living on the street and dragging their dog into that situation? What about when it’s 100+? Or below freezing? Do you think that dog is better off on the streets or in a shelter?
Seriously?
People act like the homeless can’t do any wrong. And that enablement is why we have such a dire situation and why we have animals being dragged along into this tragedy.
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u/ConfidenceMan2 Aug 29 '26
People are piling on you and that might suck. I’m curious though, do you have stats on how many homeless people become so by choice? I see this thrown out a lot but I can’t imagine doing that myself so I’m wondering how many people do so vs end up homeless by other circumstances like debt or something. Thanks in advance!
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u/Snobolski Aug 28 '26
"Your dog that's from a breed that comes from a fucking desert has no business outside in the summer!"
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u/mlk960 Aug 28 '26
It's different when they're on endless miles of concrete. The heat in this type of climate right now is not something a dog can handle out in the open and they are likely getting their feet burned. Let's be realistic about how good this is for these dogs that have no choice. Getting tied up to a street sign with no shade is a recipe for quick heat stroke.
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u/Snobolski Aug 28 '26
Getting tied up to a street sign with no shade is a recipe for quick heat stroke.
I agree about that, but the general idea that a Chihuahua is going to melt in the heat is a little silly.
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u/mlk960 Aug 28 '26
It's >120 on the pavement. A Chihuahua will absolutely get heatstroke. It's even worse for small dogs because they are low to the ground.
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u/princessbcdt Aug 28 '26
My chi mixes willingly lay on hot cement to nap. I wouldn’t walk them in the heat of the day on pavement, but they LOVE the heat and sometimes I have to make them come back inside when it’s too hot. One time, my 11 year old chi mix had to be dragged back inside when the cement slab under our pergola was too hot for my bare feet and she was LIVID.
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u/jemison-gem Aug 28 '26
“Willingly” when they have an air conditioned home to go back into any time they want
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u/princessbcdt Aug 28 '26
I didn’t fucking say they shouldn’t be outside, I’m saying they can withstand a little heat. Go touch grass
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u/Lobo_Marino Aug 28 '26
I'm from that fucking desert, and I don't want to be outside in the summer for longer than I have to.
And this breed wasn't bred to be outdoors all of the time.
Man, Redditors again saying the dumbest shit. Please don't have dogs.
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u/Snobolski Aug 28 '26
You're a human being, not a dog breed created in Mexico.
Or maybe you are a dog.
Do you always interact with things you consider to be the "dumbest shit"? By interacting with dumb shit, what does that say about you? I guess we'll find out.
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u/Lobo_Marino Aug 28 '26
I take it back. This post is now the dumbest shit.
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u/Snobolski Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
Interesting. What do you call someone who keeps interacting with something they consider dumb?
Aww lobo_marino what happened?
Maybe you realized that showing you don’t know “post” from “comment” makes you seem even dumber?
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u/PiccoloAwkward465 Aug 30 '26
Yeah I don't blame my dog for being soft in the summer - he's like a mini Husky with enormous floof. Sometimes are walks are < 3 minutes because he wants to come back inside.
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u/marykay_ultra Aug 28 '26
they’re worried about the dog’s conditions but judge the human enduring the same
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u/Academic_Compote_858 Aug 28 '26
I understand what you're saying but a dog can't speak for itself. It can't consent to being put in harsh conditions
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u/Healthy_Article_2237 Aug 28 '26
The human has a choice, the dog doesn’t.
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u/SycoJack Aug 28 '26
The human does not have a choice.
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u/Healthy_Article_2237 Aug 28 '26
They sure as hell do. Humans can choose to not abuse substances, they can choose to pick up after themselves, they can choose to go to work and be a productive member of society. They are choosing what makes them feel good or is the least path of resistance or responsibilities.
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u/icant_change_my_user Aug 28 '26
Man I have 7 years of work experience, access to a car, clean clothes, and a shower, and I still can't get a job. There are thousands of people who want to work and cant get hired. Also if youre homeless and have a dog you cant just leave it for 8 hours alone outside.
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u/Healthy_Article_2237 Aug 28 '26
Why can’t they get hired? I mean they might not get hired doing what they want but I see folks delivering for Amazon, favor, etc all the time. If their car isn’t a total beater they can even do rideshare. The US govt is always hiring too. I’d imagine there are lots of state and city jobs here as well.
As for the dog thing. I’d say if you’re homeless then it’s probably not a good idea to have one. When our last dog died after a long life of 15 years we said that’s enough. It was too much of a financial, logistical and ultimately emotional toll on us. I can’t image being homeless and having an animal.
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u/deepnightskai Aug 29 '26
are you stupid or just cruel? what if someone doesn’t have a car? do you realize that you cannot even get most jobs unless you have a permanent address, not even taking into account needs for clothes and hygiene resources? now add all of that together and tell me how someone living in unsheltered homelessness could find a job when thousands of educated, housed people cannot.
on top of that, many unhoused women have dogs because they can keep watch while they sleep. since most unhoused women will be raped. i hope someday you can take a clear-eyed look at the actual circumstances that the people you seem to feel so much apathy and hatred toward live in.
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u/marykay_ultra Aug 29 '26
Re the first question.. both
So many people have never really thought about this. Or they have delusional ideas about how they would handle being unhoused themselves
They don’t understand how mental illness and substance abuse are so often the results of and coping attempts for the constant instability and fear and physical hardship of not having solid walls and climate control and knowing you’ll be able to eat next time you’re hungry. How we are all so much closer to being there than being the people in power who perpetuate the systems who force so many into those conditions
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u/HeyLookATaco Aug 28 '26
I have a job and a car and a cell phone plan and sometimes it's still really challenging to get my psych meds.
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u/Anderrn Aug 28 '26
Bullying or making fun of the person is uncalled for, but I think there’s a fine line between whether or not a person should be able to own a dog.
If the person is failing to provide the dog necessary basic goods, including consistent food and/or required medicine, I am not sure that the dog’s welfare should be secondary to a person’s right to have a pet.
Granted, this was likely not the best way to go about it.
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u/icant_change_my_user Aug 28 '26
Yeah except it's clear from the sign that they do stay on top of its meds. An unhoused person getting probably expensive meds for a dog while not being able to afford to take care of themselves is a level of love many dogs never see. I think we forget that a dog can have a house and food and be abused or not cared for.
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u/Phallic_Moron Aug 28 '26
Well yeah if you have to beg for money to take care of your animal then you are unable to reliably take care of that animal and so don't deserve it
Super not complicated.
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u/barrorg Aug 28 '26
Except the other option is likely the dog going to an overcrowded shelter to stay in a crate 23 hrs a day where the AC is currently broken. Seems like a complication to me.
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u/Phallic_Moron Aug 28 '26
I can come up with fun unprovable hypotheticals too. At least in the crate the dog won't be breathing meth and drinking from puddle water.
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u/barrorg Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
The unprovable part being what exactly? That the dog was taken to the shelter? All I did was describe the condition of the Austin shelter…. All pretty provable.
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u/Old-Set78 Aug 28 '26
username checks out.
homeless people love their pets. they can't afford RENT, not a bag of dog food. super not complicated to understand the difference between $25 and $1200 right?
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u/Phallic_Moron Aug 28 '26
If you can't afford rent, you can't afford a dog. I don't care if that dog is featured on the cover of Dog Fancy as Happiest Boy EVER.
And no one said homeless don't love their pets.
If someone puts a dog before themselves then they have already lost the way for the both of them.
I like how we go from "they don't know their feet are burning!" to "worm infected dogs are ok in the street because they're happy."
Let's get into dogs living under bridges sleeping while unvaccinated for rabies directly underneath 5000 bats who may or may not have rabies. The way we find that out is to decapitate the dog and send the head to a lab.
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u/Mammoth_Cranberry224 Aug 28 '26
If you can’t take care of yourself you won’t be very good at taking care of others
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Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
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u/BLEAKROOM Aug 28 '26
Idk why this is so hard for people. I deeply empathize with unhoused people and I know it must be soul sucking. I want a cat real bad but my studio apartment is too small, he wouldn’t have enough room. Why would I take on the life of another if I cannot ensure its happiness? Also the obvious, vet care and illness. I can only imagine how many animals are on deaths door being drug around by people who can’t stand on their own. But I’m the evil one for not ignoring it. Right.
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u/stxph22 Aug 29 '26
I don’t think it’s safe for dogs or cats to live on the streets, almost as much as I don’t think it’s safe for humans to live on the streets. However, it’s the reality and as much as it sucks for both, I think in most cases I’d prefer if an unhoused person kept a dog rather than it be cramped and depressed in an overcrowded shelter. My cousin who works for the SPCA in Boston tells me since Austin is a no kill shelter city, the animals that don’t get adopted, get transported to out of state shelters where euthanasia is legal like in Boston. Homelessness and overpopulation of dogs and cats in our animal shelters are both increasing complex social issues. With that being said, if an unhoused person keeps a stray dog, I’d say that’s a better alternative in most cases.
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u/iampfox Aug 28 '26
Except, in a lot of acases, they are taking care of themselves. It's society that's not taking care of them.
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u/Healthy_Article_2237 Aug 28 '26
It’s not society’s job to take care of those who refuse to help themselves or using drugs. I realize some have mental issues (often from drug use) but they can take their meds and act fucking right but they don’t because they like the high of being crazy.
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u/Stella-Shines- Aug 28 '26
That’s exactly what society’s job is. You sound horrible.
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u/SycoJack Aug 28 '26
This is one of the most brain dead, idiotic things I've ever read. Congrats.
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u/Top-Kitchen-1925 Aug 28 '26
Name checks.
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u/Phallic_Moron Aug 28 '26
"People who can barely take care of themselves should be allowed to own another sentient being who isn't able to provide consent"
What else can I expect from a city that thinks their dogs are people.
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u/timubce Aug 28 '26
I mean look who has been running this state for 30 years. Not surprising the people in this sub are douche canoes. They’re also the same ones that would bitch about the dog being in HEB.
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u/Timely-Fox-4432 Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
You had me until the last sentance. Animals (excluding service animals) should not be inside any business that sells food or drinks for public consumption. It's a food safety thing, fr.
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u/timubce Aug 28 '26
Animals definitely don't belong in HEB. My pre-coffee brain didn't articulate that well. I was just trying to point out the lose/lose situation for the owner. The people here complaining about the dog being outside, would have complained just as loudly if it was brought inside.
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u/Tamaros Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
This thread is full of very confident people operating on very little real information and a whole lot of assumptions.
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u/fractionofawhole Aug 28 '26
A lot of victim blaming and assumptions going on in here. Some of y'all are terrible people.
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u/GardenGrin Aug 28 '26
Dogs owned by the homeless are some of the best behaved dogs I’ve ever seen. Missed career opportunities for them to be dog trainers lol.
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u/BLEAKROOM Aug 28 '26
Probably because they adapted to life on their own before latching onto anyone.
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u/NightSprings665 Aug 28 '26
Dog stolen or dog saved?
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u/KittyPandaMeow Aug 28 '26
Tied to a pole in this heat… sounds like someone thought he was abandoned
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u/Li-RM35M4419 Aug 28 '26
Where do you get that it was tied to a pole. Nowhere does it say that. Are you just making shit up?
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u/KittyPandaMeow Aug 28 '26
I read “pole” instead of spot. But regardless 103 degrees outside is no place for a Chihuahua.
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u/helloiamsilver Aug 28 '26
Not to joke about it but tbh my chihuahua loves being outside in the 103 degree heat. He doesn’t even pant. Hes the one who forces me to be outside in the heat. It’s like how huskies love being covered in snow. Chihuahuas love baking.
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u/SoLetMeDisarmYou Aug 28 '26
Some dogs will lay out in the sun until they over heat and not even notice until it’s too late. They are not always the smartest beds their hearts.
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u/SycoJack Aug 28 '26
My dog, not a chihuahua, also loves baking. She will go sit in the hottest part of the house, directly in the sun to sun bath like a cat. This part of the house gets no AC, so it's fucking hot in there. Yet it's her favorite spot. 🤷🏽♂️
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u/Phallic_Moron Aug 28 '26
That breed and others like it will run themselves to death if given the chance. Some of these breeds shouldn't even exist let alone depend on them to make their own safety decisions.
Jfc
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u/Snobolski Aug 28 '26
103 degrees outside is no place for a Chihuahua
The Chihuahau? You mean the dog breed that originated in the region of Mexico that includes the Chihuahuan Desert, now called the state of Chihuahua, where temperatures regularly get that hot?
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u/artbellfan1 Aug 28 '26
right.... tell that to my Chihuahua. He loves going for walks but when its hot he goes quickly and nopes out.
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u/Old-Set78 Aug 28 '26
but you're fine with the homeless people having to be in it. Chihuahuas are FROM the desert. Apparently you don't know anything about dog breeds.
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u/TheOriginalRobinism Aug 28 '26
You think that dog came directly from Mexico and how many generations has it been here? They naturally adapted in Mexico, bring them to a different environment and things change, they can't handle the heat their yo quiero taco bell ancestors did, they want their Baja mist
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u/BLEAKROOM Aug 28 '26
Oh you said it’s probably for the best that an animal was taken from someone who lives outside? So you want to round up the homeless and brutally kill them basically ? Right?
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u/hemppy420 Aug 28 '26
You know wild animals exist right?
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u/Jeanlee03 Aug 28 '26
You know a Chihuahua isn't a wild animal right?
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u/hemppy420 Aug 28 '26
An animal is an animal full stop
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u/Jeanlee03 Aug 28 '26
You sure act like one.
Dogs have been domesticated for 14,000 - 40,000 years. There's nothing wild left in them.
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u/hemppy420 Aug 28 '26
Maybe you should go out there and "save" those coyotes from the heat. Poor coyotes dont have AC to live in! Ohnoes!!
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u/Jeanlee03 Aug 28 '26
Coyotes aren't domesticated. Unlike dogs, they are actually wild. But in case you're wondering, I have indeed treated coyotes for heat stroke at the hospital I work at. Just because something lives in the wild, doesn't mean they aren't susceptible to the heat.
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u/duwh2040 Aug 28 '26
Youre gonna be so upset when you find out how many strays live outside in texas
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u/PowerfulRound7579 Aug 28 '26
Okay? And would you be surprised if someone grabs a stray to keep them from those conditions? What’s the point of this comment?
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u/duwh2040 Aug 28 '26
Look if yall are cool with taking literally the only thing a homeless person has left by all means
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u/PowerfulRound7579 Aug 28 '26
I’m not, but what does that have to do with how many strays there are? My point is your comment doesn’t make sense. But I agree that taking the dog sucks. Just seems like a real weird way to get your point across.
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u/duwh2040 Aug 28 '26
Her statement implies no homeless person can have a dog, they all live outside and it regularly gets 100 degrees here. Didn't think it was that big of a stretch 🤷♂️
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u/BroBeansBMS Aug 28 '26
If that’s how it was being treated then it sounds like it effectively was.
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u/timubce Aug 28 '26
If their owner is unhoused what are they supposed to do? It’s not like the shelters aren’t overflowing with pets to be adopted. At least someone cared for this pup.
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u/Slypenslyde Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
Feels like a multilayered shit sandwich to me. It's hard to choose the best position between:
- The dog's a stray, nobody cares for it, it lives a short, hard life.
- The dog's in a shelter with a failing air conditioner, it receives some minimal human interaction from volunteers. It lives a short, hard life.
- The dog is cared for by a homeless person. It lives a short, hard life bonded to a single human, which is part of what it was bred to feel a biological urge to do.
- The dog bonds with a human until a well-meaning person takes it away and puts it in a shelter where it lives a cramped, hard life without a bonded human.
I clearly have a preference but none of these choices are dog paradise and there are arguments for all of them. A lot of humans face similar shit sandwiches but we feel less sympathy because we reckon humans make their choices. That's easier to use as a rationale than asking if the people we call "mentally unstable" deserve the same kind of protective instincts we have for dogs.
I'm not against the concept of removing an abused dog, but I have to believe the dog's going to a better place or else I'm just spreading shit around and creating misery instead of cleaning it up and reducing worldsuck.
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Aug 28 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
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u/Slypenslyde Aug 28 '26
I thought about it.
I also thought about how the reason the shelters are overcrowded, have failing ACs, and are begging for foster families includes that many dogs don't get adopted. It's not a sure thing for a lot of breeds. A chihuahua has a better chance, but I'm talking in general.
Even if I include it, we're looking at a probability spectrum where only one of five outcomes is better for the dog, and the discussion of what is "good" among the other four is very subjective.
I'm also noting if we come back to this case, whether the dog is being abused is based on people making guesses and assumptions. If the problem is the dog is mostly living outside in the heat, there's a lot of dogs out in rural Texas that need saving.
That's the thing about a shit sandwich. You can put ketchup or pickles on it, but you're still eating shit.
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u/artbellfan1 Aug 28 '26
letting it run next to a road unleashed is not caring. I would wager who ever took the dog is caring for it more than this person. Not to mentioned abandoning it tied to a pole in severe heat.
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u/RickyNixon Aug 28 '26
It is inhumane for us to allow dogs to live like this
But totally fine for us to allow humans to live like this?
What would it take to get yall to care this much about human beings
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Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
[deleted]
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u/RickyNixon Aug 28 '26
When you say they “dont want to be helped” you mean if we gave them a house theyd refuse it?
Or do you mean they havent taken advantage of a specific narrow strings-attached form of help you have in mind?
Also - this dog will die. The shelters dont have space. This is a dog with a now-unknown medical condition deprived of meds. The shelter will execute the dog.
I’ll bet the dog would rather live a full life with family than be executed by a shelter
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u/Shot-Arugula8264 Aug 28 '26
If you want to adopt one of the humans into your home you’re more than welcome to. In the meantime, someone with compassion to do so for a dog should still be celebrated.
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u/NightSprings665 Aug 29 '26 edited Aug 29 '26
How many homeless are you feeding and sheltering tonight? Whenever you point fingers there’s three pointed right back at ya.
My first deployment saw me helping build schools for kids in Mosul and I’ve contributed countless hours stateside to habitat for humanity. I’ve physically helped provide homes for the displaced, less fortunate, and homeless.
What’s your resume? You give a guy a dollar at a red light a few times a year and keyboard warrior for him on Reddit? Im sure the displaced are so grateful for you stepping up to shame strangers on the internet for them.
Imagine the impact you would make if half the time you spend on Reddit was spent volunteering at your local shelter.
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u/BLEAKROOM Aug 28 '26
Whataboutism. This is why nothing ever changes.
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u/RickyNixon Aug 28 '26
A dog was stolen! From a homeless person! And we are lecturing the homeless about how homelessness isnt acceptable FOR A DOG and how society needs to intervene!
Pointing out the absurdity of the situation isnt whataboutism. And I’m sure the dog would rather be with family than on death row in one of our overfull dog prisons
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Aug 28 '26 edited Sep 12 '26
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u/Super_Fightin_Robit Aug 28 '26
And don't forget how a lot of panhandlers are using the dogs as props. They know the dog is suffering, and want you to give them money they won't spend on the dog in the vain hope they will.
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u/coach_bugs Aug 28 '26
VEG probably means VET. There is an emergency veterinarian next to the HEB on Braker. So if that is the point of contact then they are probably treating the animal for free. I've been to that hospital during an emergency and they are excellent.
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u/La_Takuacha_Cuh Aug 28 '26
i always see a little black and white chihuahua on prarie trail running around but idk
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u/bigfrogenthusiast Aug 29 '26
There’s a homeless man in Georgetown who made very similar signs after his dog was seized by animal control… turned out he was caught SAing it. Not saying that happened here but there is always two sides of a story
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u/Upstairs_Physics7395 Aug 29 '26
Thanks for posting. I drove by this but did not have a chance to read it.
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u/mp_tx Aug 28 '26
I will tell you who takes a dog. A concerned citizen that sees an off leash dog under a bridge in 100 plus heat without an owner in sight.
In fact, how do we know it’s stolen? No vehicle description? If I was forced to live under a bridge, and my owner can’t take care of themselves, let alone me, I would fucking run away too.
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u/B_Traven9272 Aug 28 '26
Do you happen to know the dog's name? Just a few days ago I ran into an older man next to the 7-11 on Jollyville near to Research and Duval with a similarly small dog, not quite what I would call a chihuahua though. I remember him calling to the dog 'Lucy' and he told me he was taking care of this dog until the owner's returned. This man seemed unhoused and slightly 'off-kilter'. No disrespect to him, but I did note that his mental faculties were not 100% or 70% for that matter. Maybe he unknowingly took the dog thinking he was just caring for it until they returned.
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u/icant_change_my_user Aug 28 '26
I have no clue. I drove by the sign and then parked and walked back to take a pic so I could post it and maybe someone would know. I unfortunately dont have any more information 😓😭
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u/Jamestown123456789 Aug 29 '26
It used to be policy for the police to confiscate dogs from unhoused people being arrested. I’m not sure that’s still the case. So if the owner got picked up and then later released it would make sense.
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u/Comprehensive-Eye500 Aug 29 '26
I’m a huge dog lover, but I still find it disheartening that people see a homeless person on the side of the road and sit there and feel more sorry for the dog and wish they could help it or give it a better home. Enough so people steal or offer to buy them from homeless people.
Anyone can be a bad pet owner but for most people they are true best friend/companions, even for a homeless person.
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u/1GamingAngel Aug 28 '26
We were without AC for 7 days during this heat emergency. We called 311 for resources and there were none. We inquired about cooling shelters are were told that they were already full because of the homeless.
No homeless person is going to make their pet suffer. For many, their pet is the sole reason they go on living, and for many, they starve before their pet goes hungry. I can’t speak to whether cooling shelters allow pets to come inside, but I can guarantee you that this pet owner pays more attention 24/7 to their pet than the average person can because of work schedules alone.
The dog may not even know what air conditioning feels like and is just fine as long as it is being given lots of water.
The fact that the dog has recognized medical issues and receives medication is a strong clue that they are being taken care of well.
Let’s do what we can to support them and see them reunited.
OP, thank you for posting for visibility.
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u/FreakyRufus Aug 28 '26
Yeah, nah. Taking a dog that may or may not be leashed from the corner of a busy, hot intersection does not sound like the act of some phycho dognapper.
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u/barcoder96 Aug 28 '26
I cannot imagine how hard it is for dogs to be on the streets during our 100+℉ days. It’s unimaginable cruelty to the animals.
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u/mamamiafml Aug 28 '26
Yet people itt will say you're a bad person for saying this very realistic and rational take.
If you can't properly care for a pet's wellbeing you deserve to lose the pet. Idgaf who you are.
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u/jessieQT Aug 28 '26
Assuming the owner is homeless, where is he/she, and why wasn't that tiny dog with them? Unless mentally challenged, they had to consider that a dog , left alone, could be assumed lost or abandoned. I just hope that whoever took it had good intentions rather than evil ones.
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u/Spare_Race287 Aug 28 '26
Promise somebody thought they would give a better home home but I bet you that dog was having a great time
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u/mlk960 Aug 28 '26
On the cement, alone, in this heat?
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u/Spare_Race287 Aug 28 '26
I feel you, we don’t know who owned the dog.
There’s a guy with a pitbull at Burnet and breaker who a lot of people in my neighborhood tried to help out and he ended up getting really aggressive, which is a side story, but we also found out that he was giving that dog to other homeless people for payment so that they could go sit on the corner with it to get more handouts. Sad world.
Well, I hope the dog is OK
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u/Mammoth_Cranberry224 Aug 28 '26
One persons theft is another’s lifeline, I just hope the dog is safe and comfortable.
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u/artbellfan1 Aug 28 '26
That dog was not well cared for. I am guessing whoever took the dog is either animal control or well meaning. That dog was wondering into the street and stuff.
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u/amber440 Aug 28 '26
I think it’s more unsafe for this dog to return back to an unhoused person who can’t provide them a comfortable indoor space away from this brutal heat.
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u/happymechanicalbird Aug 28 '26
You’re worried about the pet but not the person?
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u/BLEAKROOM Aug 28 '26
Nobody said that. That’s not what the post is about. Obviously human beings should be taken care of in much the same way. Humans have agency which is entirely the point.
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u/Unsuccessful-Bee336 Aug 28 '26
Very paternalistic of you.
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u/amber440 Aug 28 '26
You’re right, I feel very paternal towards a small animal who deserves a safer living situation.
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u/timubce Aug 28 '26
So instead of having someone care for it you’d rather it be in an overcrowded shelter?
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u/engineeringandmusic Aug 28 '26
The shelters are overrun with dogs. Summer is almost over. Let the homeless person have their companion, if you’re not going to adopt it, I think you shouldn’t have any say.
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u/P1neS1sk1n Sep 01 '26
I am probably too late to this, but I saw a chihuahua exactly here: https://maps.app.goo.gl/6C1Rfua12zW2d6Ek9 on 8/27 at 11:00pm. I hope they are able to be found!
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u/Altruistic_Gene_6869 Aug 28 '26
This dog was probably saved not taken. It’s too hot to be outside with the homeless.
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u/barrorg Aug 28 '26
Saved by taking them to an overcrowded shelter to spend 23-24hrs in a crate either outside or on a building with currently failing AC. Ok. Sure. Makes sense…
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u/Altruistic_Gene_6869 Aug 28 '26
How do you know they took them to a shelter and didn’t keep them?
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u/barrorg Aug 28 '26
I don’t. But that is the most likely outcome. And your broad assertion that the dog was saved relies on quite a few more/less probable assumptions. I mean, unless you have thirty rescued street dogs living in your home? I’d be happy to defer to you in that case.
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u/Fjolsvithr Aug 28 '26
No way this person can afford actual veterinary care if they don’t even have a phone. There’s no dog that “needs” meds that doesn’t also need regular checkups and other treatments for the condition.
The dog is probably in better hands with someone else.
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u/Old-Set78 Aug 28 '26
what an entitled opinion. Why would you possibly think that a phone would be more important to the owner than their dog's health?
Is it because YOU prioritize YOUR PHONE over YOUR DOG'S HEALTH???
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u/PowerfulRound7579 Aug 28 '26
Man if I ended up homeless I’d starve myself before I let my pets suffer. These are people. Why are you speaking about this human being as if they’re someone not capable of caring about an animal. Your dehumanizing language is gross.
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u/Future_Contour Aug 28 '26
Sounds like you know a lot, about a situation you know nothing about.
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u/Fjolsvithr Aug 28 '26
You sound like you want a chihuahua with a serious chronic health condition to live with someone who doesn’t have a phone, and is probably unhoused.
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u/BeanserSoyze Aug 28 '26
"Let's house the dog" is the most fucking Austin response to this imaginable.
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u/NavyNICUMurse Aug 28 '26
People think that dogs are lost or abandoned. They just need to mind their own business. Hope this dog gets found
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u/Lightningstruckagain Aug 28 '26
Well if we just mind our own business, as you suggest, how will the dog get found?
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u/B_Traven9272 Aug 28 '26 edited Aug 28 '26
I've seen that dog. I'll be honest, I almost stopped to check on him (about a week ago) because he was walking around the underpass without a leash and no one in sight. Then I realized that he probably belongs to a homeless person and he's very likely 'street smart' and won't get himself runover with so much traffic around. It was the every step in his walk, like he knew what he was doing. Lost dogs never act this way, especially a little chihuahua. This was one stop North though, at Research and Balcones Woods.