Increase in abandoned dogs in the town

Black Rock, Arkansas – In the Black Rock region, there have been multiple reports of dogs being abandoned and discarded recently.

On Sunday, July 28, three dogs were discarded on Lawrence County Road 222, according to Police Chief Bryan Archer.

“I received a call from Jessica Medlock, who is a council member here in Black Rock, stating that somebody had just dropped some puppies off on her road,” Archer said.

“I was so upset for the poor little puppies,” Medlock said. “And I was angry at the gentleman who thought that it was just okay to leave them on the side of the road. There’s no reason for it.”

Barry Raby and his spouse discovered three more dogs in Shirey Bay on the same day.

When Raby went to give the dogs water and food the following day, he discovered that three more canines had been dropped off. He welcomed them in.

Another puppy was dropped off just a few blocks away from city hall on Tuesday, July 30.

“One by one I loaded them up and brought them home, and that’s where they are at right now,” Raby said. “We’ve been feeding and watering them.”

Because it is too costly for them to care for the pets, Archer thinks that people are discarding their dogs.

“The reason is…a lot of it is economy. People aren’t able to take care of the animals,” Archer said, “That’s why they are abandoning them, but [if] they would get them spayed and neutered, we wouldn’t have that issue.”

Archer, Medlock, and Raby all assert that there are better solutions available and that leaving these pets behind isn’t the answer.

“Call the shelter. There’s shelters all over Northeast Arkansas. There’s also Facebook Marketplace,” Medlock said, “You go on there and post them and see if anyone wants a free puppy, and that can give them a loving home other than the side of the road.”

“I would just like for everybody to understand that somebody will take a dog. Somebody,” Raby said. “That there’s all kinds of alternatives than taking them out there.”

In addition, Archer threatens to charge the person committing the act with animal abuse and abandonment if he finds them.