The Animal Welfare League of Arlington recently responded to a lost dog call that, they say, is a cautionary tale against “unsupervised doggie doors.”
From the AWLA’s animal control blotter:
A woman called the shelter to report a dog loose in her neighborhood. An animal control officer responded and found a lactating black Labrador mix sitting in front of a house. Searching around, the officer found no puppies. There was no answer when the officer knocked on the door so she left a note saying that the dog was taken to the shelter. Later that afternoon, the owner called and explained that the dog escaped through their doggie door. The lab was picked and reunited with her 4 week old puppies. The League discourages the use of unsupervised doggie doors not only due to the risk of losing their pet but because the door allows wildlife into the house.