Wild dogs rescued from Tarpon yard waste site

For more than a decade a pack of wild dogs roamed wooded grounds of the city's yard waste facility.

They were not like the pack of aggressive dogs that inhabited Pinellas County's Wall Springs Park, in the Palm Harbor area, a few years ago. Instead, they were a group of adult dogs and puppies "who feared humans and survived on instinct," said Rich Chaboudy, executive director of the Suncoast Animal League.

A decade ago, upward of 16 dogs were reportedly seen. They were scared by the loud noises at the city's yard waste facility, which is on the site of the city's former landfill. The dogs would run and hide from anyone who tried to approach them.

Most of those dogs likely died of disease such as heartworm, Chaboudy said. In the meantime, however, other dogs have taken their place.

With the impending extension of Meres Boulevard from Pinellas Avenue east to U.S. 19, it became imperative to remove the dogs, Chaboudy said. The road will run along one side of the site where yard waste is chopped up before it is transported for disposal.

For the last 18 months, experts have been trying to capture the dogs on the property. About 30 puppies were taken to the Suncoast Animal League kennel in Palm Harbor and homes have been found for them.

Three adult dogs, however, were avoiding capture and time was running out because construction of the Meres Boulevard extension was about to get under way.

A breakthrough came two weeks ago, when a pair of the dogs were chased down and tranquilized via darts by veterinary experts. They were taken to the league's kennel and treated for fleas and ticks and tested for heartworm.

A small terrier mix appears to be the lone holdout. It appears to be hiding in the brush and an onsite wooded area.

Meanwhile, Chaboudy is surprised at how quickly the two captured adult dogs have gotten used to being around humans. It took a lot of time and patience to get the dogs to trust human contact, he said.

Now, though, they no longer bite or snap. He is able to feed them without protective gloves.

One of the dogs, a terrier mix was named Willow, while the other, a chow mix, was dubbed Cedar.

Chaboudy believes the dogs likely survived for several years at the waste site by eating rabbits, cats and other animals. "The dogs got along on their survival instinct," he said.

Once at the kennel the dogs were shy and refused to eat. Chaboudy just sat with them so they would get used to him.

Then the veteran animal welfare advocate put some peanut butter on a toy. The dogs approached him to lick the peanut butter and soon began eating treats out of his hand. He noted for the first time he was able to pet them just like they were any other dog.

Willow, a female, and Cedar, a male, even let Chaboudy pet them but quick movement still startles them.

From a medical standpoint, neither dog is out of the woods. Both have extensive heartworm infestation, a life-threatening ailment that has to be successfully treated if they are going to survive. Chaboudy is not sure how much damage the mosquito-borne parasitic roundworms have been done to the dogs' hearts over the years.

For now, they are learning to accept humans who enter their cages.

Meanwhile, the holdout dog at the waste site had not been seen for several days, Chaboudy said Tuesday.