What would you do?

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by tjdmom

I agree with the others that say talk to her and see what she says. Yes, help with food and water but I wouldn't give her money, at least not at this point. Although, I have to confess that I have given people money myself. Maybe you could offer to take her puppies for her for a bit until she gets on her feet? Or find someone else who could do that?

This is what I was going to suggest. There are so many shelters and organizations that can help, especially a woman and her unborn child. Unfortunately, not everyone recognizes pups as part of a family.

[capt_noonie]

How long have you been walking by her? Does she seems pregnant? Is her belly getting bigger? Really wanting to know how she reacts to you offering dog food. I don't know what I'd do in this situation! Being me, I would accidentally offend her, causing her to move to another locale and never knowing what ended up happening!

[Breny]

I'd be torn too Because if I look at it as if it were me in that situation and it was for real...my two dogs would be my life and if they were taken from me I'd be devistated. Like they would be keeping me going. So I don't know?
Maybe talk with her and see if you can get info. Maybe bring dogfood?

[JolieJean]

omg... the poor woman!! thats very sad and is definitely a tough one. you can only do what you feel is right.. personally i would bring her food and water and then i would start researching some options for this woman to help her. maybe she can find a shelter for her self and maybe foster parents for her doggies till she gets on her feet. i would hate to see someone call animal control because 1. this woman has been traumatized enough and 2. when you call animal control you never know whats going to happen to the dogs. they might end up in a high kill shelter. just my opinion but you have to do what you feel is right. very sad thou

[gidget529]

Wondering if she is still there, if you spoke to her?

[Baby Teddy]

Unfortunately I haven't seen her again...I walk past every day. I am hoping that she got the help she needed.

[gidget529]

You know, that kind of thing has happened to me. I see something, wonder if I should get involved, decide, and then I never see the person again. Hopefully, someone helped her get off the street.

[Baby Teddy]

Unfortantely I found out last night that this women and her actions are one BIG SCAM!!

Last night Teddy and I were walking in the park. We met up with a friend of mine and her maltese. We were chatting and she said to me "I solved a mystery I need to tell you about this". She works at the trump building which is right near where this women sits daily with her sign and her pups. She has worked in the building for the last 6 months and the women's sign had not changed. As a puppy owner she felt terrible for the pups and used to bring them water. Well get this, she told me the other day on her way home to brooklyn she saw the women on the subway with the pups. She said she couldn't place her but thought she looked familiar. So yesterday she sees the women leave her house and walk to the subway platform to head into the city (with the pups!) and a tada she realized who the women was. This makes me so angry. I always thought it was strange because if she were living on the streets - one would think her pups would be in bad shape...but they are perfectly groomed which was weird. Secondly I had no idea that she has been holding up the same sign for 6 months saying that she is 6 months prego. Well she is nothing but a sham and a tourist trap on 5th avenue. She does not deserve to have pups - she literally has them sit on the concrete all day in nyc in 90 degree weather! Sorry for the rant! Just wanted to let everyone who is concerend know the outcome of the situation!

[Sammy Mommy]

That's terrible and shame on her using her pups to scam people!! But you should be proud of yourself that your heart is in the right place and you wanted to help her and her dogs without knowing she was scamming people.

[capt_noonie]

Ugh deadbeat! I think you should call her on it next time you see her. Or maybe now call AC on her since you know her dogs aren't her only things left? She doesn't deserve to have them.

[Baby Teddy]

ugh another update on this women! Mind you she is still sitting in the same spot on 5th avenue (with the same sign about being 6 months pregnant and 3000 miles away from home) and of course with her dogs.

So my friend gets off the subway after work tonight and heads into a small grocery store. She spots the women (tummy flat as can be!) and the women is with her two dogs and a friend. They are talking to this guy in the store (and of course my friend decides to listen in). She hears the girl saying that she is paying $800 for rent but could do $1000. She then proceeds to pay for cigarettes with a bunch of singles (which I am sure she collected from unsuspecting tourists). I am in shock. Her dogs always look out of it...I wonder if she is drugging them? Does anyone know whp I can contact in NYC to get her dogs taken away? Will NYC ACC do it? Or will she have to surrender them?

[yorkietalkjilly]

Thank goodness this was not a true story and a poor little child going to be born to this woman and her dogs are apparently being essentially taken care of. If she is a regular, you know the police are aware of her. NYC is policed to the hilt in the downtown area, isn't it? She probably has some mental problem and they are indulging her a while. Hopefully this woman will find her way out of her problems and get a real job. If not, maybe someone can direct her to a counseling program or something as no normal person would do what she is going. Seems like you would have to have something a bit out of whack to beg on the street, like missing a "pride" gene and also she apparently has no fear of scorn. Or she could be addicted and high. Whatever is wrong, she sounds mentally damaged somehow.

I'm so relieved no little child is being brought into this mess I can hardly say much else out of the relief I feel.

[Baby Teddy]

My friend called me last night to let me know that she called ASPCA on this women.

They told her that technically this women is not breaking any laws except for pandhandling. They also said that numerous people have called to complain and that there is an open case on her as we speak. There is also a cop on the case.

My friend mentioned her "detective" work on this women and told them it was all a scam and how she had seen her in Brooklyn and that she is in fact not pregnant. My friend told them the she is concerned because she doesn't have to do this and she is putting her dogs in harm. My friend had also mentioned her concern for the dogs not being fed and that the dogs are probably eating human food (given to them on the street) that may, in the long run, affect their digestive tract. My friend took pictures of her with her camera phone. The rep told her to send the pictures along with a brief description of what she saw to enforecement@aspca.com. She is working on the email now.

In the meantime, I wrote to ASPCA and expressed my concerns for the dogs. Clearly this women is not in good mental health. These poor dogs are laying on the pavement hours on end in the hot summer new york city heat. It breaks my heart and clearly several others as there is a case open on her. I hope if enough people complain something gets done. Is anyone here connected to ASPCA that can help get these dogs away from this women?

Here is a picture of her.
8-24-2011 1-29-45 PM.jpg

[Sandysbabies]

I am so skittish of things like that now, since I gave a woman some money for a bus trip and seen her a few minutes later, throw down her crutches and off she went. There was a man down the street from us tried to help a homeless man, only for the man to come back and kill him. He had a cockatoo they said that fought and fought for his owners life but he killed him too. Then, I was just reading in the paper where this man let some homeless people set up a tent in his backyard to try to help them, only to be robbed and murdered. I know its hard when there are real situations where people need help but some wouldn't take it if you offered it. Try buying them a meal. They want cash!!! Sad...

[Buster Brown]

Sadly there are a lot of scammers and using dogs, kids, and signs stating their plight are their tools to get you to give money. We had a woman who would bring her children to a corner to pan handle all the time asking for money for food and shelter for her kids. It turned out to be a huge scam and as a matter of fact the kids were wearing the latest designer clothes. I had picked up a 2nd job as a waitress once and the man who had been pan handling at the freeway on ramp came in to cash in his money. He had made more money pan handling for 2 hours than I had working for 5 hours. He said why should I look for a job when I can make better money just hanging out at the ramp. It is sad that there are so many people willing to take advantage of the kindness of others. I will say a prayer for those dogs as they are innocent victims of this con woman.