Our Semi Adopt Stray
We somewhat “adopted” a senior stray dog. He usually stays inside or just outside our compound and already knows our routine/mealtimes. Sumasalubong din siya whenever he sees our car or motor coming home, so parang nasanay na talaga siya sa amin.
This morning, dumating na nga kinatatakutan ko. pinakain ko pa siya, then a few minutes later I heard a dog crying outside. Turns out hinuli na pala siya ng barangay because someone reported him as a stray roaming around. Apparently minamanmanan na rin pala siya for a few days.
I visited him sa barangay and he’s currently inside a cage behind the barangay hall. He still recognized me because his tail started wagging when he saw/heard me call his name. But I could really see how stressed he was. I tried letting him smell my hand pero hindi siya dumila like before, and he ignored both the water and food I brought.
The problem is our compound isn’t big enough for a kennel, and bihira rin may tao sa bahay. We’re also scared na if we suddenly put a collar/leash on him after he gets released, baka mas magpanic or magwala since medyo matagal din bago siya naging comfortable magpahawak sa amin.
I honestly don’t know how to start over or transition him into being cared for more properly without overwhelming him. Has anyone experienced something similar with senior strays or semi-adopted aspins? Any advice would really help.