A Dog Situation

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IzZzy

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Seven weeks ago, I found a stray pittie outside my place with no tag or chip, but in good condition besides being quite dirty.

I took him to my local vet (1km away) who kept him for a week, pending claim. After the week, they would place him in the care of a pitbull rescue organisation for rehoming. My fiance also put up posters in the area at the entrances of the two local shops. The vet manager contacted local pitbull rescue organisations to be on the alert if anyone reports a lost pittie. My fiance posted his photo to a local lost and found organisation on Facebook.

At the end of the week, my heart could not let go of him, and I decided to take him in. He has since settled in nicely with my other three dogs. He has been dewormed, vaccinated, chipped and tagged. He also has his own new bed and bowl :)

This afternoon, when the parlour came to wash the dogs, a guy happened to drive past and stopped. My fiance's sister was home at the time. He told her that the dog was his dog, and left his number. Apparently he was away at the time. He stays a few houses away from us.

What would you do in the scenario?

I feel that we did everything in our power to find his owner, without success. It is by pure chance that we (a) decided in the end to adopt him; and (b) the original owner stays close by. If he had been rehomed with other people, the old owner would never have seen him again.
 
I'd give the man his dog back.
 
Seven weeks?

I would ask the guy for a bit of photographic evidence that the dog is his.. If he can prove that, then a bit of financial compensation for the fees incurred for the time you've looked after the dog..

Did you not recognise the dog if he only stays a few houses away from you? There is also the question that surely he would have contacted the local vet etc etc when notified that the dog was missing by whoever was looking after said animal. I find it extremely odd that there has been no attempt in that long to find the animal.
 
That's an uncomfortable situation. In my eyes at least, if he didn't have the pup tagged or chipped how can any one be sure he isn't talking bull****?

Assuming you give him the benefit of the doubt, if you've grown attached to this dog and you let it go it's going to cause some heartache. I dunno man, this is a tough one.
 
What would you do if you went away and your dog managed to escape and someone found him and decided to keep him?
I'd be sad but...

If people can't look after their pets, the animals should go to people who can.

Keep him :mad:
 
As far as I know rescue organizations give it a week when a stray has been found to locate the rightful owners - thereafter they start the process of finding adopters for the animal - seven weeks is a long time.

I would go as far as to not give the guy his dog back - if he lives close by and didn't bother contacting local vets and the SPCA then he most likely didn't give too much of a damn about the dog in the first place - and probably should not have any animals in his care.

Maybe give the SPCA a call to see where you stand on the matter legally speaking?
 
Horrible situation to be in, but I guess the best way to deal with this is see it from his point of view. What if it was your dog?

I would return the dog if he can prove with pictures that it is his.
 
Last edited:
ToxicBunny said:
Seven weeks?

I would ask the guy for a bit of photographic evidence that the dog is his.. If he can prove that, then a bit of financial compensation for the fees incurred for the time you've looked after the dog..

Did you not recognise the dog if he only stays a few houses away from you? There is also the question that surely he would have contacted the local vet etc etc when notified that the dog was missing by whoever was looking after said animal. I find it extremely odd that there has been no attempt in that long to find the animal.
Click to expand...

I think that's quite wise. I need to establish whether he did in fact own the dog at some point. I sympathise with the guy for loosing a pet, it's a horrible situation.

Nope, sadly did not recognise the dog. I was only aware of two other houses in the area with pitties, both of whom I approach. Their place has a 10 foot wall, no jokes.

My primary concern is that he was lax in the dog's security beforehand, that I can't let the dog be placed in a situation where this happens again, with disasterous consequences.
 
Agree with the others but if he was away for 7 weeks who was looking after the dog?
Keep him.
 
Necropolis said:
Maybe give the SPCA a call to see where you stand on the matter legally speaking?
Click to expand...

From a legal perspective, considering I am an attorney, I am completely satisfied that I fulfilled the test for claiming lost property, and am within my legal rights to keep him.
 
If he gets edgy about it, perhaps offer to buy the dog from him? Sounds like he'd happily accept a few hundred for it.. alternatively he needs to reimburse your expenses. I'm sure he'd rather get money than lose some..
 
ghoti said:
Horrible situation to be in, but I guess the best way to deal with this is see it from his point of view. What if it was your dog?
Click to expand...

I gave this a bit of thought....

and to be honest, the first thing I did when I got a dog was to get him chipped and then I went and got tags with my number engraved on it.... so even if he disappears at 8:30am and I only get home at 6pm and notice he's gone.. anyone who picks him up has my contact details right there, or the Vet or SPCA can get them from the chip straight away....
 
IzZzy said:
From a legal perspective, considering I am an attorney, I am completely satisfied that I fulfilled the test for claiming lost property, and am within my legal rights to keep him.
Click to expand...

Yeah, but you also obviously have to consider neighbourly relations and all that.
 
ghoti said:
Horrible situation to be in, but I guess the best way to deal with this is see it from his point of view. What if it was your dog?
Click to expand...

All dogs tagged and chipped, so unless my dogs were stolen or the people who took them were mean, this wouldn't have happened.
 
IzZzy said:
From a legal perspective, considering I am an attorney, I am completely satisfied that I fulfilled the test for claiming lost property, and am within my legal rights to keep him.
Click to expand...

Well there you go then.

Tell the guy to get stuffed - and hopefully he doesn't have any other pets in his "care".
 
Joker said:
If he gets edgy about it, perhaps offer to buy the dog from him? Sounds like he'd happily accept a few hundred for it.. alternatively he need to reimburse your expenses. I'm sure he'd rather get money than lose some..
Click to expand...

That is an approach I am considering...

Feck, I'm so confused.
 
Ask him for proof of ownership. Even if he isn't chipped or tagged, there must be vet records and a vaccination certificate and his vet can also confirm that the dog belongs to this guy..
 
Joker said:
If he gets edgy about it, perhaps offer to buy the dog from him? Sounds like he'd happily accept a few hundred for it.. alternatively he needs to reimburse your expenses. I'm sure he'd rather get money than lose some..
Click to expand...

The problem with doing this is it breeds further behaviour of this type - you'll get more and more people "losing" animals then asking for a few hundred rand when they locate them at someones else's property a few weeks down the line.
 
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