Beloved, elusive stray dog evades capture while living near Delano Park
Aug. 21—A mysterious stray dog with at least eight names has frequented Delano Park and the Albany Historic District for about two years but has avoided capture and become adored by some residents in the area who feed the picky eater steaks and hamburgers.
Jenny Parker who lives on Sherman Street is one of the few people that the dog, which appears to be part husky, will come near. She named him Raider after looking up at the "Go Raiders" painted water tower at Delano.
Parker said the dog has been given other names, too: White Fang, Shadow, Wolfy, Ghost Dog, Franklin, Pup Pup and Fluffy. She said some of those names made him sound aggressive, so she stuck with Raider.
Neither she nor her neighbors have seen evidence that anybody owns Raider.
"He followed me home (from Delano) Christmas of 2020, but I had seen him before that. I remember seeing him that summer carrying a pizza box down the street," Parker said.
Despite carrying a pizza box, Parker said Raider will not eat pizza.
"He's pretty picky for a stray dog," she said. "I would put dog food out for him, and he wouldn't eat it, so I started giving him meat. He'll eat the meat. ... I usually get him the old steaks that are about to expire, keep them in the freezer, then throw them on the George Foreman (grill) and thaw them out really quick."
Parker said some of her neighbors also feed Raider steak, along with hamburgers, deli meat, and chicken. They also leave bowls of water out for him.
Parker said when Raider first started hanging out in her front yard, people would leave dog food and fast food leftovers in her yard for him. Raider would only eat the meat, so Parker started having a problem with ants and wild animals eating the food that Raider left. She had to ask people to no longer throw food in her yard.
Parker said Raider is apparently eating enough because she has never seen him chase squirrels, rabbits, or any other wild animal.
Raider estimates that Raider is 90-something pounds. "When I'm walking my 75-pound dog and he walks with us, he is a good head taller than her and a little longer." Parker's dog is a Catahoula leopard dog and bulldog mix.
Raider is elusive and will not allow anyone to pet him.
"He'll come close to me and a couple of the other ladies on my street, but he doesn't let us brush him or rub him or anything like that. We can maybe touch him on the nose while we're feeding him," Parker said.
There are some residents, Parker said, that have complained about him.
"He's large so people are kind of intimidated by him and they assume that since he's big and wild that he might be mean. But he's not at all," she said. "I wouldn't let him around my dogs if I thought that he would be mean."
Failed capture
Parker and some of her neighbors want to get Raider a home. They worked with Decatur Animal Services in April to try to sedate and capture Raider but were unsuccessful.
"While he was sedated, we were going to have him fully vetted, fixed, up-to-date on any shots," she said. "Depending on the time of year, if it was the summertime, brush his hair out, help him shed, clean him up, and then rehome him."
Brian Lundberg, director of Decatur Animal Services, said he has not received any complaints about Raider in a very long time. He was present at the sedation attempt.
"Many of the residents choose not to contact us because they are afraid we may euthanize the animal if we capture it because of its skittish nature," he said. "If we are able to get a call on its current location, we plan to attempt another sedation with a larger dose."
Parker wants Raider's fate to be a safe one.
"I would really love to see him rehomed just so he would be safe. I worry about someone trying to poison him or run over him," she said.
Leigh Ellen Cauthen wants to give Raider a home on her 30-acre farm in Morgan County. Cauthen currently has two huskies.
"We've had three huskies, all have been rescues," she said. "I just feel like Raider would fit in with my pack, and I think every dog deserves a home."
Cauthen saw a post from Parker about Raider on Facebook in April and reached out to her.
"I said, if we can catch the dog, I'll take him. And the offer still remains," Cauthen said. "I'd be happy to take him to the vet and get him fixed and checked out and all that good stuff."
Cauthen said there are things she worries about with Raider being homeless that she would like to take care of.
"You still have to think about flea and tick and heartworm prevention and shots. All those things that you have to do to be a good pet owner," she said.
Sheltering strays
Lundberg said in 2021 the Decatur shelter took in 789 stray dogs and 409 stray cats. As of Friday, the shelter had taken in 353 stray dogs and 267 stray cats this year. He said roughly 15-20% of the time the strays are claimed by the owner.
"We hold the canine or feline for seven days to allow time for a reclaim. Once they have been with us for seven days, we deem them our property. Then we begin evaluating them for adoptability," Lundberg said.
Darren Tucker, Morgan County Animal Shelter director, said in 2021 they took in 385 stray dogs and 39 stray cats. As of Aug. 12, they have taken in 277 stray dogs and 15 stray cats this year.
"Normally we check around other houses in the area to make sure the dog doesn't belong to somebody. If it looks like it's hungry and lack of water, emaciated, we'll bring it back to the shelter and check it to see if it's been microchipped," Tucker said.
If no owner can be located, Tucker said, then they follow the same seven-day hold protocol as Decatur. He said maybe three out of 10 animals are claimed.
—erica.smith@decaturdaily.com or 256-340-2460.
