I was wondering what you think of this situation?

Question

My husband and I bought a dog for $200 a month ago. I am now looking on websites about a couple who are looking for a dog that I am 100% sure is our dog. We have paid over $300 to have this dog fixed and vaccinated and is a member of our family now. Do you think we should or have to give the dog back.

I am actually out $500. How am I supossed to tell my kids that we have to take the dog away. We bought it from the humaine society. I really dont want to give it back but I feel obligated too.

Where I am located it is not included in the adoption fee. You have to pay the extra to have it done.

Answer 1

Did you not ask questions of the people you bought it from? Where did they get the dog? I would find out the answers to those questions first. Did you or do you still have the receipts for the dog and or vet bills. If not get them. Contact the suspected true owners of the dog, explain the situation to them and that the dog has become a member of the family. If they want the dog back they need proof of purchase, and they would have to reimburse you for the cost of the animal and the vet bills. If this ended up in court I don't think they would get the dog back and if they did they would have to pay you for your losses.

But you know...you have to do whats right for you. We can all give you advice but ultimately you have to live with the decision.

Answer 2

You should not have to give the dog back. If you have had the dog long enough for it to become a part of your family then I am guessing they Couple didn't try very hard to find their dog. I mean have you seen fliers around town? Do they have any proof it is their dog, Like certain scars, a microchip with a certain ID #, Papers (e.g. Registration, AKC Papers if it is registered with the AKC) Also since you got it from the Humane Society The DOG is YOURS! Because the people that you think are looking for your dog didn't check the Humane Society and where I live they keep the dog for a certain amount of time before people are able to adopt the dog. So my conclusion is the dog is officially yours.

Answer 3

Oh my, that is extremely tricky. I suppose it must happen from time to time when owners are not located in time.

There is legislation regarding this sort of thing, I was reading about it just the other day though - but that was English law. Basically it said in your cirumstances, you do have a claim on the dog. I would certainly hope so, considering you're the one who troubled to get it neutered and, one might say, actually look after it properly!

I would find out what your local rules are that apply to this. Dog ownership is a particularly strictly governed thing in most areas - perhaps call your local police, they should know what the applicable laws are. Or even call the shelter and ask them! You don't have to let them know you think you've found your dog's original owner - just ask them, hypothetically, as if it had just occurred to you, what would happen if the original owners resurfaced! At the end of the day, it's up to your own conscience whether to own up or keep quiet, I don't know what I'd do. But I'd find out where I stood with the law first.

Chalice

Answer 4

Interesting ethical question.

I suggest contacting the couple with the lost dog via email, which would not reveal your address or phone number. Ask them for specific details that would identify the dog -- preferably a microchip that cvan be scanned for its unique ID number, but also maybe markings, scars, unusual alignment of teeth -- and ask if they have photos of their dog. Also ask how it got away from them.

If you conclude that the dog actually is the one they are looking for, that brings up the question of where the person you bought it from got it. Was the dog stolen or was it a stray picked up off the street or bailed out of the animal shelter?

And if the dog is the one the couple lost, you could try to come to a mutually-satisfactory arrangement about who keeps the dog and whether they will reimburse you the purchase price and the cost ofthe vet care if you give it back to them

Cases like this often end up in the courts.

In my own case, I had a cat that I foolishly allowed outside. He stopped coming home and I put up lost cat flyers. Someone called and left a message on my answering machine saying that they had my cat and they intended to keep him because they loved him, and he would have a good home.

I would rather have had my cat back, but at least I knew he was safe in a loving home, not dead or lost and wandering the streets.

Answer 5

Well...there are two ways to look at this. You could feel sorry for the couple and contact them to give them the dog back. But if it were me, and I did that, I'd talk to them about them giving me the money back. It's only fair- you paid $300 to get the dog fixed and shots he needed. However, my attitude is that yes, they are probably heartbroken, but they had this dog, and didn't get him neutered or get his shots. And then, whether it was their fault or not, he got lost. The dog was probably first brought to the pound, where the people should have been looking to come and get him. But somehow they missed him. And then the animal went to the rescue where you got him. Still, they didn't find him there, either. I can tell you that if my dog went missing, I'd be the biggest pain to all the vets, rescues, pounds, etc. in my area, looking for my dog. Now you have to think about what kind of owners these people were to your dog. Does it sound like they were responsible and looked out for his best interests? I don't think the evidence looks good. In my opinion, this is your dog now. You took him in, got him neutered, got his shots, and took care of him. He's yours.

Answer 6

How would you feel, if say, 6 months down the road, the dog got out......you looked and looked for days. but couldn't find him.

You put ads online, and someone answered, and said, well....we think we have your dog, but since we gave him shots and have become attached to him, you can't have him back?

I'm not saying you should or shouldn't, but try looking at it from the other person's perspective. I hate that the monetary issue is even involved in this, as it is a life....but if they really miss their pet, would it be unreal to ask to have them pay part of the costs you incurred?

I do have one question though....if it came from the Humane Society, it would have been neutered and vaccinated before ever leaving the shelter, which is included in the adoption fee. Why do you say you spent another $300 to get that done? Just seems odd.

Answer 7

This is a really tough situation. Often dogs get lost when their owners are on vacation and they get away from the person looking after them. Since whatever identification on the dog leads to owners that can't be reached, and they have no idea their dog is missing, by the time they come back their dog has been presumed lost and re-homed.

Sometimes the pound or the shelter makes a mistake. They process so many dogs, it's bound to happen once in a while. I once had trouble finding the owners of a lost dog I found because she was female and the clerk at the pound had checked "male" on the missing dog report!

(Note to dog owners: microchip your dog! Also, when you go away, have a tag made with the dog sitter's phone number on it, since yours won't help one bit.)

All this to say that this unfortunate situation can be the result of a series of unhappy incidents that are no one's fault. In the end, you still have a heartbroken family that will forever wonder what happened to their dog.

Most serious dog owners offer a reward for finding their lost dog. I suggest you do contact them, and, if you are satisfied that it is their dog, discuss compensation with them. If they seriously miss him, they should be happy to offer whatever they can afford to get the dog back. If you can't work anything out, keep the dog. At least they will know that their dog is alive and well. That alone means a lot.

If you do confirm that they are the owners, you should contact the shelter and explain the situation to them, since they bear some responsibility in re-homing a dog that belonged to someone else. They probably won't give you a refund, but I would expect that they would be happy to let you adopt another dog free of charge. Be sure to speak to the manager or director to work this out, not to whomever answers the phone.

OK, that's for the money part. Now for the emotional part: yes, it's heartwrenching to give up a dog that had become a member of the family, but try to imagine what they are going through at the other end. Try, if you can, to see it this way: you will have helped a well-loved dog escape euthanasia and be reunited with its family. A lot of people give up dogs they have bonded with, whether it's people fostering unwanted dogs on behalf of a shelter until they have a permanent home, or people who raise puppies who will become guide or service dogs for the disabled.

What I'm trying to say is this: if you don't contact the owners, they will spend the rest of their lives wondering what happened to their beloved dog. If you do contact them, and refuse in the end to give it up, they will have to live with the fact that someone did find their dog, but was too "selfish" to return it to them.

If you return the dog, you will know that you have done the right thing, and that you will have been a positive part of the dog and the owners' life. It won't be easy, but it will make it that much easier to fall in love with the next dog you add to your family.

As far as your children are concerned, of course it will be difficult for them, but that alone is not enough reason to keep the dog. Explain the situation. Ask them to imagine how they would feel if they got lost and someone found them and refused to return them to their family. They will be angry, but as they grow up they will understand that the right thing was done and they will be proud of you for it.

And, of course, a new dog will make it that much easier for them to get over this one.

Good luck.

Answer 8

Don't give the dog back. Like you said he is now part of your family. Also you paid for him to get fixed obvioulsy that couple didn't care enough to get the dog fixed. Keep Him!

Answer 9

it sounds like this dog was stolen. and obviously sold to you. first are you sure its the same dog? i would have a vet or such scan it to see if it has been microchipped.or get some details from the website see if it answers to a name or has any distinguishing marks. after all it could be a different dog. if its the same dog then give it back.its hard but the right thing to do.

Answer 10

We found a dog a year ago...We looked diligently all over town for the owners over the Labor Day weekend...nobody came forward...We put the word out to everybody in the neighborhood and all the kids who know who know who everybodie dog is...We also searched the Dog Pounds and Rescue shelters for anyone looking for our dog...A cop, A vet at the vet clinic and the Humane Society said it was meant to be for us to find him....He was mal nourished..definitely never brushed a day of his life and had survived DAYS or weeks on wood chips, rocks and dirt that came out of him.....NO NO do not give in to ANY websites online ever!!!!! Keep your dog!!!!!!!!...There is a rule even with the Humane Society..After 3 days if nobody has searched for the dog you found IT IS YOURS legally...Do not give anymore info out about yourself to these people online attempting to take your dog away from you......End all concern about your dog being anyones but YOURS legally..... .PS there are alot of CON ARTISTS online attempting to rob people of money, their credit, and their doggies...DO NOT make any attempt to talk to these people again and I pray you did NOt give out your personal information to them like you name address, phone number ETC.....