Would You Give An Adopted Dog Back?

[Staffyluv]

Link to Story

This is a sad story - the original owner didn't chip her dog.

It ended up at the RSPCA and they sold it to a new family.

Some on facebook are suggesting the new owners are terrible people for not giving the dog back to the original owner.

As the owner of an adopted dog, I know there is no way, I would have given Zig back after even a week with him.

It is a hard lesson for the original owner but I don't think the new owners should have to give the dog back..

[WreckitWhippet]

No I would not. The new owners have legally adopted the dog, the RSCPA legally put the dog up for adoption. The only person who did the wrong thing here was the previous owner and I don't feel sorry for her.

The mere fact that she couldn't be arsed to chip the dog, says it all for me.

ETA: Given the RSPCA track record it was lucky to have made it out of there alive.

Edited November 2, 2013 by WreckitWhippet

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

I've voted "yes" but it would be highly unlikely that a story would be good enough for me to do so.

I would not give it back to someone who had allowed their dog to roam the streets ever.

As a rescuer I've had a couple of occasions where the original owner has contacted me and asked me for their dog back (they could have got the dog out of the pound but didn't want to pay fines presumably). Mostly the dogs I've gotten have not been in good condition so there's no way they'd ever get their dog back. In both cases I would have reported them to the RSPCA if they'd continued to pursue their dog.

Edited November 2, 2013 by dogmad

[juice]

Yes I would, after just 9 days and the original owner had had it for 7 yrs,and was away at the time.

If this is what happened I think the new owners are selfish, but there maybe more to this story,like who was looking after it while she was away and why did they not look for it?

Things are never as clean cut as they seem.

[Her Majesty Dogmad]

Yes I would, after just 9 days and the original owner had had it for 7 yrs,and was away at the time.

If this is what happened I think the new owners are selfish, but there maybe more to this story,like who was looking after it while she was away and why did they not look for it?

Things are never as clean cut as they seem.

I agree- why didn't the dog sitter contact them and let them know and/or ring all the vets/pounds etc?

[julesluvscavs]

Yes I would, after just 9 days and the original owner had had it for 7 yrs,and was away at the time.

If this is what happened I think the new owners are selfish, but there maybe more to this story,like who was looking after it while she was away and why did they not look for it?

Things are never as clean cut as they seem.

I agree !

Around here we have so many dogs getting out argghhhh most of them aren't microchipped or even have any form of ID on them BUT due to local fb groups and living in a country most people know someone, and their pets, so usually they end up back with the owner before the council is contacted . I must say our dog control officer is really good and knows most of the roaming dogs anyway, so he does usually take them just back..

We found a dog once and couldn't contact its owners (as they were holidaying interstate) so noone one was answering the numbers.

Turns out the owners were from Adelaide and their Mum was looking after it up our way (she was out when it got out) we did track her down with the help of our council and the one in the area where the dog was normally kept and eventually the Mother came to our place and picked him up. She felt really bad. We suggested to her if her family go away again and she has to ever look after it again to have her number down on some ID on the dog or work something out.. that someone who should find the dog can contact an alternative number!

[kelpiecuddles]

I wouldn't ever be able to walk the local streets with that dog knowing I could run in to the old owner at any time...

[Kajirin]

On reading this particular story, I had to vote yes to returning the dog. My conscious would not allow me to continue on keeping the dog, as I would empathise far too much with the previous owner. Especially after the previous owner had had the dog for so long. There are always more dogs in need of homes, I'd just make sure it was a surrendered dog next time around - rather than a stray put up for adoption.

[WreckitWhippet]

Ohhh the irony of DOL.

It's ok for people to find a dog or steal one that they think is neglected, unwanted, unloved and keep it. Yet DOL is prepared to condemn a family that has legally adopted a dog and did not want to return the dog to it's original owner.

[kelpiecuddles]

I don't think anyone condemned them, simply said what they would so in the same circumstances. Personally I couldn't keep a dog that had a loving home which it had lost under the circumstances here, sounds like the dog sitter is in serious trouble if they didn't go to the effort of getting the dog back

[sandgrubber]

I don't think anyone condemned them, simply said what they would so in the same circumstances. Personally I couldn't keep a dog that had a loving home which it had lost under the circumstances here, sounds like the dog sitter is in serious trouble if they didn't go to the effort of getting the dog back

+1

If there's an irony of DOL message here, it's that there are a few people who are hasty to judge. There are also a lot of generous spirits.

Edited November 2, 2013 by sandgrubber

[Guest Maeby Fünke]

How hard is it to register/microchip your dog?! No, I wouldn't give it back.

[Little Gifts]

I had to vote yes. Over the years I have taken long OS holidays and one of my dogs could travel into another council area making it hard for a temp carer to locate them. My heart girl loves everybody and would settle in with new people very quickly. Mine are micro chipped but I have never even double checked the pet register to make sure their details are correct so that is why I say this could happen. I would be heartbroken to lose my girls and so I would like to think a new owner would take pity on my circumstances and return my girls to me. I'd be at the RSPCA every day crying my eyes out till they helped reunite us too. What else could I do? I would be so, so grateful to the adopting family and would offer recompense and even visitation rights if I had to!

A timely reminder for all of us to check our micro chip details are current. And if your dog is not micro chipped then I hope you have a really, really good reason that is in the best interests of your dog. :D

[Guest Maeby Fünke]

Thanks LG, that's a good point about it being a timely reminder.

My Pug is registered with Central Animal Records. I like them the best. There's another one called the National Pet Register but they're a bit shoddy IMO.

I know his details are up to date because I have his certificate of ID right in front of me. Same with the council one.

I'm really, really pedantic about making sure all that kind of stuff is up to date. It would cause me too much anxiety otherwise.

[Lhok]

I don't know what I would do. Even though the previous owner had the dog for 7 years, they didn't feel is necessary to chip the dog in all that time. On the other side you have a family who have gone to the RSPCA and adopted a dog and who would love the dog now. They paid the RSPCA and would be out money and not to mention heartbreak of giving up the dog.

It could have all been avoided if the first owner had done the right thing and just chipped the dog.

--Lhok

[Little Gifts]

Thanks LG, that's a good point about it being a timely reminder.

My Pug is registered with Central Animal Records. I like them the best. There's another one called the National Pet Register but they're a bit shoddy IMO.

I know his details are up to date because I have his certificate of ID right in front of me. Same with the council one.

I'm really, really pedantic about making sure all that kind of stuff is up to date. It would cause me too much anxiety otherwise.

But does this mean anything really? I am going to ring them and read the number and MAKE SURE my details are correct. I am going to get my vet to scan them as well to and double check the number. Basically I want to know if my dog is scanned the correct number shows up AND that number leads back to me.

[~Anne~]

I would return the dog because it would be the right thing to do.

The new owners are acting very selfishly.

The dog is morally owned by the other woman. Sure, legally no law has been broken but come on, who would keep the dog after the situation had been explained. We are not talking about a possession here, we are talking about a loved pet.

If it were a pair of shoes them maybe it would be different.

Edited November 2, 2013 by ~Anne~

[Staffyluv]

I don't think anyone condemned them, simply said what they would so in the same circumstances. Personally I couldn't keep a dog that had a loving home which it had lost under the circumstances here, sounds like the dog sitter is in serious trouble if they didn't go to the effort of getting the dog back

They are on facebook - they have been called horrible people because they won't return the dog and now someone is trying the old, 'if it were a child'..

I actually empathize with the original owner, I really do but being someone who did adopt, I bonded quickly with Zig and seriously couldn't imagine giving him back after I had bought him into my home (with the view that he was now my dog)..

Like I said, it really is a horrible situation and one I hope I am never in a position to face because I really don't think I could give the dog back (if I had bonded with it)..

[Snoopy21]

Hmmm....it's a hard one. willow has been microchipped twice and it still doesn't scan. She wears her council registration tags and an ID tag just to make sure. I would be devastated if she were adopted to someone else because her chips didn't scan, because I have tried my best to do the right thing.

[hippo]

I would not initially want to return the dog, but if the RSPCA told me what was in the article - that the woman had owned it for 7 years with no trouble, and it had escaped while being minded by a pet-sitter, I would return the dog (and ask her to refund me my adoption money! I'm poor!)

Probably helps that I don't bond very quickly - usually takes at least a few weeks, but usually months, before I really feel connected with an animal or person.