‘Anyone want a dog?’ Facebook post goes viral, finds home

This was the simple question on a Facebook post by East Chicago resident Jesse Gomez.

“This poor guy has been roaming my neighborhood for days/weeks,” Gomez wrote. “Despite repeated calls to the city, there has been no action taken. Without food or water, I’m afraid he’s going to attack someone.”

He posted this on late Sunday afternoon after noticing the dog sleeping on his patio.

“I was hoping someone in East Chicago would recognize him,” Gomez told me Monday.

Not only did city residents recognize the dog — a micro American Bully — but Gomez’s post immediately attracted attention from pet lovers and concerned residents across the country. And one inquiry from England.

“People from California, Texas, Florida and Illinois were all concerned about his well-being,” Gomez said. “Little did I know how it would spread like wildfire.”

By Tuesday afternoon, his Facebook post had more than 1,000 comments and more than 1,500 shares. He tagged me early on but I didn’t notice how much attention it received until Monday afternoon.

“It’s been crazy,” Gomez said.

What both of us found just as crazy were the wildly different reactions of people who commented on his post. Specifically, those who rabidly attacked him and others for the wrong reasons.

“Makes me wonder who are the real animals?” he asked.

Nonetheless, most responders showed genuine concern for the dog’s welfare.

“He’s been roaming the streets for weeks,” one person commented on the post. “I’ve called him in repeatedly, all with no action. And no response from the city.”

“He isn’t a threat to anyone. He is more scared of people than anything,” another person added.

Someone asked, “Can't any of you foster this precious baby for a few weeks until we can find him a rescue or maybe someone would like to adopt him? He's absolutely adorable. I would love to see what he looks like when someone rescues him. I live in Michigan, wished I could save him.”

A few people stopped by Gomez’s home to personally deliver food and water to the dog, possibly named Titus.

“Some had been desperately looking for their lost dog,” Gomez said.

Several people claimed the dog was theirs and insisted on picking it up immediately.

“Three guys came by claiming he was their dog,” Gomez said. “I called police. They couldn’t produce proof of ownership. They left and said they’d go home to get a cage for him. They never returned.”

Gomez learned that the dog could be wrongly used only for breeding purposes. Puppies for that breed could sell for up to $2,500, he was told.

“Please don’t give him to just anyone saying they will take him. PLEASE!!” someone commented.

Gomez shared his address on his Facebook post, alarming many of the people on that thread.

“URGENT! PLEASE remove the address! There’s a lot of people out there with evil intentions that will show up & take him as a bait dog!” one person told him.

Some people attacked Gomez for reaching out to the city for assistance.

“What’s inhumane is you calling the dog pound just for him to get put down. If you were really concerned you’d call a rescue shelter, not the pound. You’re basically giving him a death sentence, you murderer.”

I’ve written enough newspaper stories and columns to know that pet lovers, especially dog lovers, can be very passionate about this topic. Sometimes their passion borders on obsession. I’m currently working on another column about a woman who operates an animal rescue shelter in our Region. She has been strongly criticized by pet lovers and rescue advocates for her operation.

On Monday late afternoon, Gomez said the micro American Bully was no longer at his home.

“A kind stranger from South Holland came by and took him to a shelter in Munster,” he told me.

On Tuesday I contacted the Humane Indiana Society shelter in Munster, which had not yet received the dog. Its intake department is closed on Sundays and Mondays. The shelter’s director, Jessica Petalas, said her facility receives dozens of calls over the weekend for intake animals.

“We get about 50 calls a day,” she said.

On Tuesday afternoon, I heard from that kind stranger from South Holland. Her name is Kristin Douglas and the dog is currently living in her garage. She doesn’t know the dog’s name so she has been calling him Journey.

“Because he's definitely been through one,” she told me.

Douglas said she is trying to find the dog’s family, if he has one. Also, she is setting up foster care for Journey that would turn into his permanent home if his true owners aren't found.

Apparently yes, and very much so. I’ll update readers on Journey’s journey in an upcoming column.