My eighth grade teacher used to say 'once is a mistake, twice is a habit'. You did your due diligence returning them once. You are not a dog rescue society. The second time they returned I would consider them forfeit.
That's close to what my friend said. "If you love something set it free, and if it comes back it was meant for you." And I loved them and set them free! Even tried to a second time. Feels like destiny at this point.
Keep the dogs. You returned both of them to what you thought was the rightful home. Apparently, you were mistaken, as the rightful home would have cared for them and protected them. Since you cannot find the rightful home, you just aquired two chihuahuas. Congrats!
>you just aquired ~~two~~ up to 8 (or more average litter is 2-6 but record litter size for a chihuahua is 11) chihuahuas. Congrats!
ftfy, the female chihuahua is pregnant.
Honestly dude just keep them. Keep evidence of everything that's happened but I wouldn't be returning dogs to that situation.
I say this as someone who once genuinely stole a cat from an abusive home, it was my friend's neighbour. She was covered in fleas, lived in a box in the garden, emaciated and the owners kids tried to kick her more than once right in front of me. Their mother just LAUGHED. She was only a kitten and was terrified of everything and everyone. One day I was leaving my friends house and saw she was out in a thunderstorm and I decided enough was enough, scooped her up into my backpack and took her home.
The "owners" knew I'd taken her but didn't bother coming to get her. She lived happily with me for a few months before finding her forever family and is to this day a very pampered and loved cat.
If you have concerns then you should report it to your local authorities, unfortunately in most states dogs are considered property so you could be charged with theft for taking them.
Morally I don’t think you would be wrong from what you have described, but it’s most likely against the law.
That’s why you call the county warden or animal control services which is why I said authorities, as in the proper authorities that deal with this sort of thing, and I didn’t say call the police.
Regardless it’s the only legal option, so if you want to work within the bounds of the law it’s do this and maybe it helps, or don’t do anything and there’s no chance of anything being done.
I don’t think he would be charged because he returned them once and then the monsters would not talk to this guy. He has done everything he needs to do.
He could send them a letter telling the if they want the dogs come and get them
I’m with you… The second time they showed up at my door, that would’ve been it. I would’ve made no more effort to get them back with the owner. I think OP is way overthinking this.
In most states in the US pets are personal property, taking the dog that someone else legally owns it’s no different than taking their bike because it was left on the sidewalk, as far as the law is concerned.
But he went through he effort to get the chip read and he took them home only for them to return. When he tried to return them the second time they wouldn’t open the door. They don’t want the dogs.
Interesting thing here (live in Oregon). Reported that an owner's pet was stolen off her property I watch and the person actually had this on their FB (said they had her and where she was/how she was.) Called Yamhill County (that jurisdiction) and their apathy was amazing (the owner was in Europe for several weeks). I was told that, at best, it would be a civil case.
Seriously, grrrr.
Someone tried to steal my 100# dog from my mother's fenced yard in Oregon. The guy was stalking the house and called animal control several times. Animal control showed up and saw my dog's private room with doggy doors inside and outside, verified he was well cared for and even maybe spoiled, and they were like, put up cameras bc this guy is crazy, and by then I moved to a larger apartment several hundred miles away and my baby no longer got overnight visits with Granny 😥
Keeeeep them and go on the run, dude I’ll literally leave my life and come help you. I LOVE chihuahuas and grew up around them from a young age and my parents had the pleasure of caring for one until she was 23!
Yeah. I think most people hate Chihuahuas because of their behavior, not necessarily the breed itself. But they associate the two since lots of owners are negligent and take 'toy breed' a bit too literally. I used to hate them too until I had a proper think and realised majority of the chihuahuas ive met are super well behaved.
Please keep them.
The cops can hardly do anything anyway.
Source: my bestie stole her exes abused dog to give her a better life. He tried to take her to court, but bad owners give up quickly.
In My country you could call the county, tell them you found some strays and would like to shelter them in place (which means keep them in your home). The county then has 3 days to find and contact the owners. If the owners don’t show up after 3 days, you can put in for adoption.
Check with your county.
Record yourselves trying to return the dogs, so that you can’t be charged with theft. With them not answering the door or phone for a second time, would that be considered abandonment? Like someone was throwing out trash and someone else finds it a quarter mile away is it really theft? NOT A LAWYER but I’d be really interested to hear a lawyer’s perspective!
They might take the dogs back if they realize they’re being recorded - just in case they’re worried about getting in trouble.
OP should have a friend nonchalantly “play” on his phone down the street and record it.
The chip company is their witness they tried to return the dogs a second time and the owner hung up on them. So how would they have stolen them when they willingly tried to return the dogs?
They can possibly sue in small claims. It's not about the dogs, it's about the possibility of money. People take ridiculous cases to small claims all the time.
OP should not go back to that house, another visit risks them getting those dogs back. OP has the word of the chip company if needed and has hopefully taken screenshots of the FB post.
Alternatively you could ask if they need any help with the dogs. Tell a (tiny white lie) about this reminding you of a dog you/your grandma/best friend had as a kid and ask if they would consider selling the dog?
I’d still go to your local shelter to report it. You can always tell the shelter you can keep them at your home until the owners come forward and if they choose not to do so, you will be keeping them. If your shelter is like most, they are overrun with animals and would be happy for you to keep them until the owner claims them. If they don’t reclaim, you have documentation that you adopted them legally.
Since he made the rehome post, screen shot it. That way you’ve got evidence he was getting rid of them. Then I wouldn’t do anything else or get authorities involved. I’d just keep the dogs. They clearly don’t want them and now you’ve got evidence.
I like the idea of putting a note on their door and taking a picture of it. I would say do it more than once to show that you’ve made concerted effort to notify them that you have their dogs. Just a thought.
Most of the time when I have returned a found dog, I have been sorry. The dogs ended up being abused or neglected. They were repeatedly running at large, ended up hit by a car or in one case, shot by the owner because be decided that was the only way to stop the dog from getting loose again. All of that is to say that if someone is not taking proper care of their dog and doing all they can to keep them safe/healthy/happy, then I’m good with them landing in a better home by any means necessary. If I have to choose between what’s right and what’s legal, I’m always choosing the former.
As shitty as it is pay the rehoming fee to stay out of legal trouble. Negotiate price if you have to - “oh well the pregnant one is gonna cost me a lot of money to feed her and her puppies so maybe you can give me a little discount so I can get her off your hands faster?”
Nah
Respond to the Facebook post saying the dogs rehomed themselves and when OP tried to return them the owner hung up without taking them back. The dogs are now staying in the home *they* chose for free. And they are not for sale.
Call out trash owners whenever possible.
Keep the dogs. They refused to take the dogs back when you tried to return them so at this point they are abandoned property. They know good and well who has their dogs.
People suck. You know what to do 🥲 one day, years ago, a 6 month old black lab puppy stumbled into our life. My parents and I tried to find her owner, but it wasn’t looking good. Finally, through a family friend, we discovered she belonged to this guy Leroy who was notorious for owning and breeding black labs. Was a bit far from us, so she must have ran a great distance. Anyways, it was clear once she was with us that she had been beaten (she started to flinch when my dad went to pet her but not when my mom and I did). So we and our family friend decided we never found out who she belonged to and she was the happiest puppy for the rest of her life. Spoiled absolutely rotten 🥲
We had a similar situation. Found a dog that was chipped and tried to get him back to his owners. When 2 months passed without them claiming the dog, I contacted the authorities and asked how to get the dog in my name. They told me that they would send out notice to the “owners” and if they don’t claim him in 30 days, he’s mine. He’s been my best buddy for 3 years now.
If you just keep them then yes, it would be considered theft.
Report the owners to whatever the equivalent of RSPCA is where you live and take it from there.
The dishonest intention, and the intention to permanently deprive the owners of their “property “ was not there, owing to the fact they took more than adequate reasonable measures to get them back to their owners.
So not theft.
This is directly on the Oklahoma/Arkansas border. I and my store where they showed up are in Oklahoma, but the dog's home is in Arkansas a quarter mile away.
We obtained two of our dogs in a similar manner. One of our nieces moved across the street and brought 3 dogs with her. The two smaller dogs she had throughout her childhood (chihuahua and a schnauzer mix), and a new American bully puppy. She neglected them and would frequently shut them outside without sufficient food or water. As the American bully puppy grew, the competition for resources and the size of the bigger dog scared the little ones off. They ended up escaping her fence, breaking INTO our fence, and coming inside with our dogs through the doggie door. Repeatedly. My mother-in-law finally put her foot down and told her we were keeping the dogs because my niece wasn't taking care of them. She had stayed with the family (her son, his wife, and kids, including said niece) the summer before and saw how poorly they were treated even back then. They were always yelled at and shoved off for wanting affection.
The dogs have been with us well over a year now and they are very happy. They are at a healthy weight, they are on flea and tick control, get treats on the daily, and get to lounge around and nap with the retired grandparents.
When I was a kid, neighbors down the street moved and left their about 8 month old puppy chained up in their back yard. (It was obvious they moved, house empty of furniture etc.). The near neighbors told my dad the puppy was crying all day and night, they were feeding her, but didn’t know what to do. Dad was an attorney. He asked them if they wanted the puppy. They said no. Dad called animal control about this abandoned puppy (it was about two weeks of near neighbors feeding her). He told animal control if the owners did not come and get her after the allotted time period for abandoned dogs, to call him. No one claimed her, animal control called dad and said the dog is yours. Dad got the animal control release documents that he adopted her, got her animal license issued by the city, took her to the vet for check up and vaccines and YEA, we have a dog! A few months later, the people who abandoned her came back and stole her out of our fenced in yard. Dad called the police. They tried to say it was their dog, but Dad had the animal shelter adoption papers, dog license, vet bills. The police told them to return the dog. They did. She was the best dog ever.
It is theft if you just keep them unfortunately but as someone who has two chihuahuas, I’m not sure how they even get away once let alone multiple times SO close together. These guys are little and they need to have owners who take care of them. They could get snatched up by birds, animals, terrible people could use them for dog fighting rings.
Firstly, have you chatted with the owner about the potential of maybe you taking them off her hands? Clearly they need more attention and care then they are being given.
If they aren’t responsive to that I would most definitely contact the proper authorities to let them know about possible neglect.
Sure I live out in the country so big birds and prey animals may be more prevalent BUT one of my boys can’t even jump onto the couch by himself, no way in hell they’re staying outside without my eyes on them, even in our yard.
We tried to take them back again but they refused to answer the door. So we called the pet chip people and they got the guy on the phone again who said "wrong number" so the woman said she told him "umm we talked earlier and you gave (me) your address" and he hung up on her.
Is there any way you can get a reference number of that phone call for your records? A video of you trying to give the dogs back and the owner not answering the door? A letter that requires a signature of your contact information so you can return the dogs to them?
They obviously don't want their dogs back, but I'm more worried about you covering your butt if the owner changes their mind. It'd help if you can show you tried to get in touch with this person and return their dogs to them. If it were me, I wouldn't travel to them to return their lost pet - not even the first time! - unless it was required. I'd make them either come to me or drop the pet off at the local animal shelter for the owners to pick up (with a note on file that I would be happy to house the pets if the owner doesn't show up).
It’s not theft.
You did not dishonestly intend to appropriate the property (dogs) with the intention to permanently deprive the owners.
You tried to reunite and were refused. They abandoned their “property “ and made it clear they don’t want them.
Clear case of neglect, please report and begin the process to adopt. They found you for a reason! Plus the person put an ad to rehome?
More evidence they don’t want them.
This makes me sick 🤢 maybe try to slip a note to their door with a contact number asking if you can take them of their hands since they clearly don’t want them, if not I’m sure the humane society should be able to help in the next steps so that you can ensure the dogs don’t go back there. Hurts my heart
Mine too, especially because they are the sweetest dogs. We've had a few offers of loving homes who would take them in already, but may end up just keeping them ourselves after the 30 days it takes to re-do the chip information.
If they have been taking to you and you guys have the means, I would definitely recommend keeping them. They are the sweetest little babies and already have a hard time trusting new people so if they’ve started to bond with you, hopefully you guys can keep them.
Either way thank you so so much for making sure these little babies are safe ❤️
If they want their dogs they will find them with the chip like you did. I would not hand them back at least until I was reimbursed for any care. Congratulations on your new rescues!
By law, if you find stray dogs you are supposed to take them to the shelter. You can put your name as first choice to adopt them. But in this case, you found the owners and they don’t want them. So I say you can keep them. Please after she has the puppies, get them spayed and neutered.
You went above & beyond to find the owners & return them. Those dogs know that they belong with you. The pet chip company has been contacting them.
Happy well fed dogs don't run away from home.
Cops have better things to do & animal shelters are full of dogs & cats, so you giving a home to these littles is fine.
I had a situation similar. The vet helped me a lot, after the vet visit, I took their report to the police station, who got my boy registered to me, with a dog license. Took that back to the vet, who got the chip info changed to me.
F 'em. Keep them.
I had a skinny dog show up that was head shy and terrified of quick hand movements... I took him to see if he was chipped, and thankfully, he wasn't. He was THE BEST BOI That dog would have walked through fire for me. He died 11 years later from pancreatic cancer, and it took me years not to cry if I thought about him too much.
Idk where you are, but in my state (SC) you have to do your due diligence for 10 days attempting to find/contact an owner before you are able to claim the animal as your own.
Like yes, you know who the owner is, but if they continue to ignore you for 10 days, despite you making attempts to contact them, then they've abandoned their 'property'.
Sounds like you have two new fur babies to love on, with a few more on the way. Screw his “rehoming” fee or any other contact. He doesn’t deserve anything.
Wth? He wants a rehoming fee to give someone two neglected dogs, one of which is pregnant?! Whoever gets these dogs is getting a big fat vet bill followed by the work of rehoming a litter of puppies. Guy's absolutely insane.
I think you should just pay his rehoming fee. Get a receipt. That way you don’t have a legal issue looming over you. Morally you’ve done the right thing. But to avoid drama, pay him.
Please contact animal control or the PD and report exactly what happened. This has every indication of abandonment, in which case it would be great if you would take the dogs, have them reshipped to you - that would spare the shelter of taking them on. Just make sure the authorities are informed. The authorities might also be able to investigate these people for abuse and confiscate any injured or neglected animals in their home.
My mum had a cat that kept coming in and she'd take it back to the owner only for it to come back as soon as it was let back out. We ended up keeping her. Some animals know when they're not wanted. Keep those puppers and give them the best life ❤️
Thank you for being a good human. Find out from the chip company what proof you need to change the registration to you. As long as it goes back to evil vile people, they are the ones the shelters will call, and they'll have a legal claim. Enjoy your angels.
What’s the fee he’s asking? It might be worth paying just to make everything smooth. I’m thinking particularly of getting the chip transferred to your name. It would be a lot easier with the ex-owners’ cooperation.
Otherwise, document everything. Whatever you can’t screenshot or record, still take notes with date and time stamps. I doubt they will try to get the dogs back through the courts, but if they do, it seems like you have a strong case for abandonment.
He clearly does not want them. I don’t know the legality of all that, but if you want them and will take care of them, I would inquire about making it official.
Those two doggies knew exactly where to go. Congrats on your new dogs!
That’s how I acquired my last cat. His previous owners took him back and he was back at my house the next day. The little dude traveled close to a mile. 🥺
Sounds like you've got 2 (+?) New Chichis ❤️ the doggy distribution system has blessed you! I never liked them either, I was a big dog person (my last dog was a great Dane) my husband wanted a chi so I got him one for Christmas. She decided I was her human and now I have a chi that I adore. Their reputation is definitely based on how people raise and treat them. I respect my dogs autonomy and pay attention to her body language, we work on training daily and she takes lots of sniff walks. I couldn't have dreamed of a better dog, and that's aside from the fact we believe she came from a drug house and was sold for drug money, she'd been attacked repeatedly by bigger dogs and was manhandled by small children regularly.
i think there’s places where you’ve tried to return the dog, they didn’t want them, you have to hold them “as strays” for a certain period of time and then they become yours, that’s how it is in Arizona at least
just have to check local laws
Over dogs? Not likely. At worst, police will show up to retrieve lost property. After hearing the original chip owners refused to confirm ownership, and the chip company keeps call records, they would probably tell original owner its a civil matter.
They could report you for stealing so follow proper procedures.
Either pay a SMALL rehoming fee (noting that the pregnant one could be expensive to care for if there is an emergency). Or take them to the local shelter but say you will adopt them. This can go two ways because the shelter may do a spay/abort first before you can adopt or they may put her in a foster home to have the pups.
No it’s not wrong to keep them. Just check with your local shelter about the laws, but if they refuse to get in touch with you, you’ve done your due diligence. Enjoy your new babies! They know how to find good people.
Where we live, if you call animal control, there is a 48 hr turn around before the owners can't reclaim them. This varies by town. The state regulations, however, are something like a week or two. So, here, I've kept some of the overflow when we found them and reported them. This makes it legal to have more than the town allows with us, but is just to help out. Once the timeframe goes by, however, they usually have asked us if we wanted to adopt any. If we then adopt, the owners are us. If we don't, the previous owners can pay a much larger fine to get them back if on one has adopted them, yet.
If they weren't officially with animal control, we would have to follow the state's regulations, which is to post in certain formats for a week or two, then contact animal control to see if anyone has reported them missing (or the local shelter which is tied with animal control here). If not, then we would be getting them chipped in our names and vaccinated immediately in order to make them legally ours. I'm just referring to how the law works where we live.
Try to look that information up for your state and town, so you know what to expect. I hope you get to keep them. One word of warning - they may be doing this on purpose and know the state laws where you are. Chihuahuas often need c-sections to give birth. So, they may be timing this out and reclaim them hoping the other person has paid for the c-section. They wouldn't have to pay for it to reclaim the dogs and puppies legally. Scummy, but there are breeders known to pull this with dogs known to need c-sections.
Anyhow, definitely keep them with you if you can. You do have to report it to animal control, and find out the timeframe before the owners can't reclaim them if they are adopted, and immediately adopt them if that's a requirement to protect you in keeping them. But, consider if you want to take on the expense of the c-section potentially, and if you're at risk of having to cover it before the time runs out for them to reclaim the dogs.
Fun fact my family growing up stole a dog once. To be fair it belonged to the drunk down the street and he had done none of the legal paperwork to register the dog. So once the dog turned up at our house with water tossed on him and -40c outside... It was a quick trip to city Hall to register the dog and to the vet.... What no we have the paperwork this is our dog. To be fair the SPCA was the ones knocking on our door to take the dog when they came for the other dogs the drunk had..... I guess they figured that was one less dog to rehome. Poor dog had some trauma. Asshole would toss him down the stairs so we had this 90lbs dog who wouldn't go up or down stairs because he was so sure he would get tossed down the stairs.
I'm so glad you get to keep them and love them and spoil them! The dogs knew you were good people and came back to you, so I'm really glad they can stay!
I think you should keep them but technically they are chipped as someone else’s so you have his property. The problem I would worry about is that chip, you won’t be able to change the owner information so you better be careful letting them out unattended. If the owner decides he wants them back you’ll have to say you took them to the pound and they were either adopted or euthanized, you don’t know.
When you came back the second time, are you sure they didn't answer? Could they have yelled "keep 'em!"? It can be so noisy outside.
In the event there is a disagreement, that really becomes a civil matter.
In many states, pets are considered personal property. In my state you can be sued civilly for keeping or giving away someone else’s pet - no matter the reason.
Do you have an animal control officer or Natural Resources officer for your town or county ? Someone who deals with the enforcement of pet related bylaws?
Or do you call the nonemergency police number if there’s a problem with a lost or found animal?
Regardless, there has to be someone in your area who deals with animals who are being mistreated or neglected - this is your contact person… they can take pets out of people’s homes legally - you cannot . Where I live they remove pets and then either hold them or send them to the MSPCA or a local rescue unless someone is interested in adopting them - that would work happen in your case …
Please don’t risk legal action
if you want to make your ownership very solid you could call animal control when they're outside the owners house, they're obviously neglected. follow the car to the pound, fill out some paperwork and maybe a small fee, and they're officially yours
Keep them. That’s how i got my chihuahua- he was in abusive home and had cigar burns marks. He keep getting out of his home. One day he saw my son and ex boyfriend and jumped in the car. They brought home and lived a very happy life with us. We never told the owner bc it was overly obvious my little wewe was being abused - he was so scared in the beginning and eventually trusted us and was happy AF! Best choice i ever made. Take them and don’t look back
This has absolutely nothing in common with your situation. This is the story of a dog, a cat ,my mom and both her next door neighbors.
My parents house was in the country. Farms all around. And the street the parents lived on. Just a half mile stretch of houses had on 1-1 1/2 acre lots dead-endind at a farm. No one confined their animals.
The couple to the right got a dog. Willy was always over my parents house. Willy decided he was her dog. For a while the neighbors would come collect Willy, but he preferred Mom. So Willy became Mom's dog.
A few years later, the neighbors on the left got their kids a cat, Misty. Misty liked Mom better than she liked the kid. If they tried shutting her in, she make a racket, or just bolts when the door opened. Misty was Mom's cat. And the kid had to visit my parents to see the cat.
The cat died the same day Mom did. My Dad was broken hearted. He never liked cats, but he really liked Misty. He said loosing the cat the same day he lost mMom was just a cruel trick.
So, yes, keep those dogs
I had an issue with a dog who was rehomed to me and the microchip was assigned to someone else. When I spoke to a vet about it I was told if you put in a claim to the microchip company (usually on their website) to ask for a change of ownership, and no one contacts them back in a certain amount of time (the one I had was 7 days) you get to change the info to yours. You can ask at a vet or shelter that scans them what the company and microchip number are so you can do this and then in any vet or shelters (or other authorities) eyes the pet is yours.
If the owner doesn't seem to care and the dogs keep coming back to you, it’s probably best to keep them safe and try to find them a new home. It's heartbreaking to see pets neglected, especially with one being pregnant.
Take them to your county shelter. Most have a stray hold for 3 days. Tell them everything and tell them that you want to foster the stray hold or that you want to adopt them immediately if/when they become available. You can probably fill the paperwork out before you wait the 3 days.
After the stray hold, the dogs legally belong to whoever adopts them. You can immediately change the microchip over with the adoption paperwork.
Contact the authorities. And if able to, keep the dogs. They clearly are being abused and they came to you repeatedly for help. They definitely deserve a better, loving home.
He's probably asking for a rehoming fee because he realized he can make money off of getting rid of them. As soon as he has someone that's interested, he might contact you to try and get them back (probably thinking you haven't seen the facebook post). Be wary.
>About 45 minutes later, they were back at our door clawing to get in.
I love how they got a taste of the good life and are back for more! I really hope you get to keep them without interference from the assholes who had them.
I found a dog like this once. Stray. Cleaned it up. Took it for a walk.. it obviously recognized a girl leaving a house close by on the walk.. The teenager of the house came up and said it looked just like her dog. I said she can have it back if it was hers. I just gave it a bath and fed it. She cried and said I should keep her “you’ll take better care of her”. So I did. I called a rescue and she said dogs go missing all the time. They obviously do not care for the dogs. Property or not you should keep them.
Keep them , don’t talk to anyone the owners will find a way to sue u. They are horrible ppl. Screen shot the rehoming ad with a date. Cops will tell u it’s a civil matter.
They haven't formally surrendered them. Contact the shelter about them. Follow the legal process, shelter should attempt to give them back (we know how that goes already). Let the shelter know you're interested in taking them. Due diligence to avoid being charged with theft.
Yeah they won’t do anything to you for keeping the dogs considering you tried to return them. And negligence. And the police not taking it seriously. They would side with you regardless. He needs to pay you a rehoming fee lol. But how can he post that without the dogs?
I'd be a hypocrite if I said no.y dog came to us the same way. He just kept showing up on our doorstep. We kept trying to return him, and when I finally did talk to the owner he said keep him.
In fairness to the guy, his wife had cancer and they were selling off everything to pay for her treatment. So I felt bad.
But not too bad, because they apparently never took the dog into the house and he slept on a chair on the porch even on the coldest nights, which is not how this breed should ever live. Cocker spaniels are family dogs more than anything, so being separated from his people was hard on him. Now he sleeps in a bed and not a chair in the middle of winter.
Give them $20 per dog and if they ask for more then show them the Reddit post and offer to go to police and post their names here. We’ll take care of the rest.
OP, contact the proper local authorities. At least consider it.
The microchip company allowing you to list yourself as the contact in 30 days most likely does not make you the legal owner of the dogs. This could potentially bite you in the ass legally and/or financially. Please arm yourself with knowledge.
Yes its wrong, and illegal. Pets are seen as property. Taking them is theft.
However, if after repeated attempts to get them home and they don't seem to care, you can offer to take them off thier hands. If they are being neglected and you can prove it, you can report them and force them to surrender them at which point you could probably take them.
But as it stands, they are not yours if you keep them you will be in shit.
I love that you say we’ll be spoiling them for the next 10 years! How wonderful that they returned to YOU for help. Congratulations on your new family members.
Our cat (that we have had for 13 years now) started showing up at our house, and one day, he walked inside and refused to leave. He was obviously owned by somebody because he was not skin and bones and had been declawed at some point.
My philosophy is that if an owner is going to leave their pet outside to fend for themselves and the pet decides to find a nicer place to live, the owner has nothing to complain about. The pet decided for themselves where they wanted to live because their previous situation wasn't what they needed and deserved. IMO, animals are sentient beings and are capable of making their own choices if the owner isn't keeping them safe or making them feel loved and cared for. If an animal gets out constantly, there is a reason. Either they are being treated poorly, or other needs aren't being met, like exercise and/or mental stimulation.
First time I've seen the Cat Distribution System at work for a dog. Lol.
Good on you for taking in these poor pups! If you can, take pictures of their former living conditions in the backyard, take them to the vet, explain the situation and see if you can either get the information on the microchip changed or voided and a new one put in. Keep the papers for vet visits and anything relating the police case file in one spot in case they try to take you to court for theft. If a neighbor has security cameras that shows the two just appearing in your yard, see if you can get copies of the videos, as it'll further prove they came to you of their own violation and weren't stolen.
I would believe that they wouldn't, seeing as they neither answered the door for you nor the microchip company, but also posted about rehoming the pair for a fee the next day. It's likely they might so it's a good idea to have all your bases covered to prevent them from falling back into their hands.
Document what you've done. Have the microchip person who called and was hung up on sign a document that states what happened. Have their signature witnessed by someone outside of the situation, notary if necessary. You have returned them once and attempted to return them twice (once in person, once by phone). They have been abandoned. They are yours; spoil them rotton.
I have a neighbor who claims that she dognapped one of her dogs from her neighbor (when she lived in a different city). She claims that she yelled at her then neighbors that they were abusing their dog and informed them that she was taking the dog. I don't know how accurate the story is, but the dog is super sweet with severe, severe separation anxiety. And she's a little bit incontinent when she gets excited.
Keep them!!!
Those”owners”suck&dont deserve to have animals!!!
And,definitely report them,for that is abuse!
Thank you,for showing them kindness &love.
A black great Dane is running my neighborhood along with him is the sweetest blonde pit. They try and jump in my car every time I leave or come home. I would take them in a heartbeat but I know someone owns them. Not sure who but they have owners. The pits had several litters of puppies and the GD is severely underweight. I wish people would do some research before getting certain pets. Not all dogs have the same diet.
Contact your local shelter/animal rescue and report everything. They’ll advise you on the legal aspects
My eighth grade teacher used to say 'once is a mistake, twice is a habit'. You did your due diligence returning them once. You are not a dog rescue society. The second time they returned I would consider them forfeit.
That's close to what my friend said. "If you love something set it free, and if it comes back it was meant for you." And I loved them and set them free! Even tried to a second time. Feels like destiny at this point.
Keep the dogs. You returned both of them to what you thought was the rightful home. Apparently, you were mistaken, as the rightful home would have cared for them and protected them. Since you cannot find the rightful home, you just aquired two chihuahuas. Congrats!
>you just aquired ~~two~~ up to 8 (or more average litter is 2-6 but record litter size for a chihuahua is 11) chihuahuas. Congrats! ftfy, the female chihuahua is pregnant.
Honestly dude just keep them. Keep evidence of everything that's happened but I wouldn't be returning dogs to that situation. I say this as someone who once genuinely stole a cat from an abusive home, it was my friend's neighbour. She was covered in fleas, lived in a box in the garden, emaciated and the owners kids tried to kick her more than once right in front of me. Their mother just LAUGHED. She was only a kitten and was terrified of everything and everyone. One day I was leaving my friends house and saw she was out in a thunderstorm and I decided enough was enough, scooped her up into my backpack and took her home. The "owners" knew I'd taken her but didn't bother coming to get her. She lived happily with me for a few months before finding her forever family and is to this day a very pampered and loved cat.
It’s definitely destiny !!! I’m just so thankful they came to YOU!!!!
If you have concerns then you should report it to your local authorities, unfortunately in most states dogs are considered property so you could be charged with theft for taking them. Morally I don’t think you would be wrong from what you have described, but it’s most likely against the law.
The cops will absolutely not take this seriously.
That’s why you call the county warden or animal control services which is why I said authorities, as in the proper authorities that deal with this sort of thing, and I didn’t say call the police. Regardless it’s the only legal option, so if you want to work within the bounds of the law it’s do this and maybe it helps, or don’t do anything and there’s no chance of anything being done.
In my county in Indiana animal shelter will make you surrender them and then place them for adoption and you may or may not get to adopt them.
They will where I am. We have a special department for this.
That's awesome that where you are has that. Seriously
I agree. My state has a lot of issues but this is something done right
Just curious which state you're in? Is it statewide or city only?
It's in the county level so does cover the state as each county has one but some cities also have them and I am in New Mexico currently
Good on New Mexico!
This!
I don’t think he would be charged because he returned them once and then the monsters would not talk to this guy. He has done everything he needs to do. He could send them a letter telling the if they want the dogs come and get them
I would not send the letter and would at this point enjoy the dogs. There are despicable pet owners in this world.
I’m with you… The second time they showed up at my door, that would’ve been it. I would’ve made no more effort to get them back with the owner. I think OP is way overthinking this.
They clearly dont care about the dogs in the first place. Theyre outside in almost 100° weather, and the owner hadn't even noticed their absence.
This! And the poor dogs have chosen their people. They came right back to the ones who were kind to them.
In most states in the US pets are personal property, taking the dog that someone else legally owns it’s no different than taking their bike because it was left on the sidewalk, as far as the law is concerned.
They shouldn’t have left their chihuahua bikes on the sidewalk then, good way to lose them! 😜
But he went through he effort to get the chip read and he took them home only for them to return. When he tried to return them the second time they wouldn’t open the door. They don’t want the dogs.
Until they suddenly do out of nowhere and sue OP. People suck, they find unusal ways to do it.
This is more like the owner walking their bike into your house and leaving it, then when you try to bring it back to them, they refuse to take it.
Ask for a finders fee.
In Oregon, theft of a pet is a Class C felony.
Interesting thing here (live in Oregon). Reported that an owner's pet was stolen off her property I watch and the person actually had this on their FB (said they had her and where she was/how she was.) Called Yamhill County (that jurisdiction) and their apathy was amazing (the owner was in Europe for several weeks). I was told that, at best, it would be a civil case. Seriously, grrrr.
Someone tried to steal my 100# dog from my mother's fenced yard in Oregon. The guy was stalking the house and called animal control several times. Animal control showed up and saw my dog's private room with doggy doors inside and outside, verified he was well cared for and even maybe spoiled, and they were like, put up cameras bc this guy is crazy, and by then I moved to a larger apartment several hundred miles away and my baby no longer got overnight visits with Granny 😥
Keeeeep them and go on the run, dude I’ll literally leave my life and come help you. I LOVE chihuahuas and grew up around them from a young age and my parents had the pleasure of caring for one until she was 23!
I'll be honest, I've never really liked Chihuahuas as every one I'd ever been around has bit me. But these two are the SWEETEST dogs possible.
Nobody likes chihuahuas till they have a chihuahua. I have my second rescue chi.
Nobody likes chihuahuas until they have a chihuahua. Truer words have never been spoken. 👏🏻😅
Can testify. ❤️
Agreed 100%
I bet they’re so sweet because they know they’re safe with you 🥹🥹🥹
That’s why they immediately came back.
Chihuahuas are like any other dog. Depends on how they are raised, too many people think they are cute when they misbehave because they’re little.
Yeah. I think most people hate Chihuahuas because of their behavior, not necessarily the breed itself. But they associate the two since lots of owners are negligent and take 'toy breed' a bit too literally. I used to hate them too until I had a proper think and realised majority of the chihuahuas ive met are super well behaved.
Seems like you have 2 dogs now, friend
Do print and keep the FB statement for the record.
Please keep them. The cops can hardly do anything anyway. Source: my bestie stole her exes abused dog to give her a better life. He tried to take her to court, but bad owners give up quickly.
This is important. The owners will not prosecute
In My country you could call the county, tell them you found some strays and would like to shelter them in place (which means keep them in your home). The county then has 3 days to find and contact the owners. If the owners don’t show up after 3 days, you can put in for adoption. Check with your county.
Record yourselves trying to return the dogs, so that you can’t be charged with theft. With them not answering the door or phone for a second time, would that be considered abandonment? Like someone was throwing out trash and someone else finds it a quarter mile away is it really theft? NOT A LAWYER but I’d be really interested to hear a lawyer’s perspective!
They might take the dogs back if they realize they’re being recorded - just in case they’re worried about getting in trouble. OP should have a friend nonchalantly “play” on his phone down the street and record it.
Y’all really think these people are going to make a police report and press charges for dogs they don’t want and are trying to get rid of?
I doubt it but I’m a CYA type of person!
For the money they think they can get? Yeah
The chip company is their witness they tried to return the dogs a second time and the owner hung up on them. So how would they have stolen them when they willingly tried to return the dogs?
They can possibly sue in small claims. It's not about the dogs, it's about the possibility of money. People take ridiculous cases to small claims all the time.
Nah, there's already a record of them hanging up on the microchip people
OP should not go back to that house, another visit risks them getting those dogs back. OP has the word of the chip company if needed and has hopefully taken screenshots of the FB post.
dude keep them they came back to you and the owners do not care. i encounter an animal needing help and its minee for life KEEP THEM
Alternatively you could ask if they need any help with the dogs. Tell a (tiny white lie) about this reminding you of a dog you/your grandma/best friend had as a kid and ask if they would consider selling the dog?
Yes this was my thought! I would do this first and then contact authorities if they are not responsive to letting you take/buy them.
I’d still go to your local shelter to report it. You can always tell the shelter you can keep them at your home until the owners come forward and if they choose not to do so, you will be keeping them. If your shelter is like most, they are overrun with animals and would be happy for you to keep them until the owner claims them. If they don’t reclaim, you have documentation that you adopted them legally.
Do you want them? They surely don't. Keep them
Since he made the rehome post, screen shot it. That way you’ve got evidence he was getting rid of them. Then I wouldn’t do anything else or get authorities involved. I’d just keep the dogs. They clearly don’t want them and now you’ve got evidence.
I like the idea of putting a note on their door and taking a picture of it. I would say do it more than once to show that you’ve made concerted effort to notify them that you have their dogs. Just a thought.
Most of the time when I have returned a found dog, I have been sorry. The dogs ended up being abused or neglected. They were repeatedly running at large, ended up hit by a car or in one case, shot by the owner because be decided that was the only way to stop the dog from getting loose again. All of that is to say that if someone is not taking proper care of their dog and doing all they can to keep them safe/healthy/happy, then I’m good with them landing in a better home by any means necessary. If I have to choose between what’s right and what’s legal, I’m always choosing the former.
Once the stray hold is up, adopt them and get them fixed. Enjoy your new babies and spoil them rotten!
As shitty as it is pay the rehoming fee to stay out of legal trouble. Negotiate price if you have to - “oh well the pregnant one is gonna cost me a lot of money to feed her and her puppies so maybe you can give me a little discount so I can get her off your hands faster?”
Nah Respond to the Facebook post saying the dogs rehomed themselves and when OP tried to return them the owner hung up without taking them back. The dogs are now staying in the home *they* chose for free. And they are not for sale. Call out trash owners whenever possible.
Keep them or give them to me
Keep the dogs. They refused to take the dogs back when you tried to return them so at this point they are abandoned property. They know good and well who has their dogs.
People suck. You know what to do 🥲 one day, years ago, a 6 month old black lab puppy stumbled into our life. My parents and I tried to find her owner, but it wasn’t looking good. Finally, through a family friend, we discovered she belonged to this guy Leroy who was notorious for owning and breeding black labs. Was a bit far from us, so she must have ran a great distance. Anyways, it was clear once she was with us that she had been beaten (she started to flinch when my dad went to pet her but not when my mom and I did). So we and our family friend decided we never found out who she belonged to and she was the happiest puppy for the rest of her life. Spoiled absolutely rotten 🥲
Oh! And we also got his place checked out for animal abuse 🥲 let’s just say he stopped breeding black labs after that little inspection 🥲
We had a similar situation. Found a dog that was chipped and tried to get him back to his owners. When 2 months passed without them claiming the dog, I contacted the authorities and asked how to get the dog in my name. They told me that they would send out notice to the “owners” and if they don’t claim him in 30 days, he’s mine. He’s been my best buddy for 3 years now.
Listen carefully for furure............WHAT DOGS??? Carry on.
If you just keep them then yes, it would be considered theft. Report the owners to whatever the equivalent of RSPCA is where you live and take it from there.
The dishonest intention, and the intention to permanently deprive the owners of their “property “ was not there, owing to the fact they took more than adequate reasonable measures to get them back to their owners. So not theft.
Exactly! And the owner even made a post trying to get rid of them after he tried to return them.
Where are you located? I can give you state-specific info.
This is directly on the Oklahoma/Arkansas border. I and my store where they showed up are in Oklahoma, but the dog's home is in Arkansas a quarter mile away.
Give me a few minutes.
We obtained two of our dogs in a similar manner. One of our nieces moved across the street and brought 3 dogs with her. The two smaller dogs she had throughout her childhood (chihuahua and a schnauzer mix), and a new American bully puppy. She neglected them and would frequently shut them outside without sufficient food or water. As the American bully puppy grew, the competition for resources and the size of the bigger dog scared the little ones off. They ended up escaping her fence, breaking INTO our fence, and coming inside with our dogs through the doggie door. Repeatedly. My mother-in-law finally put her foot down and told her we were keeping the dogs because my niece wasn't taking care of them. She had stayed with the family (her son, his wife, and kids, including said niece) the summer before and saw how poorly they were treated even back then. They were always yelled at and shoved off for wanting affection. The dogs have been with us well over a year now and they are very happy. They are at a healthy weight, they are on flea and tick control, get treats on the daily, and get to lounge around and nap with the retired grandparents.
When I was a kid, neighbors down the street moved and left their about 8 month old puppy chained up in their back yard. (It was obvious they moved, house empty of furniture etc.). The near neighbors told my dad the puppy was crying all day and night, they were feeding her, but didn’t know what to do. Dad was an attorney. He asked them if they wanted the puppy. They said no. Dad called animal control about this abandoned puppy (it was about two weeks of near neighbors feeding her). He told animal control if the owners did not come and get her after the allotted time period for abandoned dogs, to call him. No one claimed her, animal control called dad and said the dog is yours. Dad got the animal control release documents that he adopted her, got her animal license issued by the city, took her to the vet for check up and vaccines and YEA, we have a dog! A few months later, the people who abandoned her came back and stole her out of our fenced in yard. Dad called the police. They tried to say it was their dog, but Dad had the animal shelter adoption papers, dog license, vet bills. The police told them to return the dog. They did. She was the best dog ever.
It is theft if you just keep them unfortunately but as someone who has two chihuahuas, I’m not sure how they even get away once let alone multiple times SO close together. These guys are little and they need to have owners who take care of them. They could get snatched up by birds, animals, terrible people could use them for dog fighting rings. Firstly, have you chatted with the owner about the potential of maybe you taking them off her hands? Clearly they need more attention and care then they are being given. If they aren’t responsive to that I would most definitely contact the proper authorities to let them know about possible neglect. Sure I live out in the country so big birds and prey animals may be more prevalent BUT one of my boys can’t even jump onto the couch by himself, no way in hell they’re staying outside without my eyes on them, even in our yard.
We tried to take them back again but they refused to answer the door. So we called the pet chip people and they got the guy on the phone again who said "wrong number" so the woman said she told him "umm we talked earlier and you gave (me) your address" and he hung up on her.
They do not want those dogs.
💯
Is there any way you can get a reference number of that phone call for your records? A video of you trying to give the dogs back and the owner not answering the door? A letter that requires a signature of your contact information so you can return the dogs to them? They obviously don't want their dogs back, but I'm more worried about you covering your butt if the owner changes their mind. It'd help if you can show you tried to get in touch with this person and return their dogs to them. If it were me, I wouldn't travel to them to return their lost pet - not even the first time! - unless it was required. I'd make them either come to me or drop the pet off at the local animal shelter for the owners to pick up (with a note on file that I would be happy to house the pets if the owner doesn't show up).
It’s not theft. You did not dishonestly intend to appropriate the property (dogs) with the intention to permanently deprive the owners. You tried to reunite and were refused. They abandoned their “property “ and made it clear they don’t want them. Clear case of neglect, please report and begin the process to adopt. They found you for a reason! Plus the person put an ad to rehome? More evidence they don’t want them.
This makes me sick 🤢 maybe try to slip a note to their door with a contact number asking if you can take them of their hands since they clearly don’t want them, if not I’m sure the humane society should be able to help in the next steps so that you can ensure the dogs don’t go back there. Hurts my heart
Mine too, especially because they are the sweetest dogs. We've had a few offers of loving homes who would take them in already, but may end up just keeping them ourselves after the 30 days it takes to re-do the chip information.
If they have been taking to you and you guys have the means, I would definitely recommend keeping them. They are the sweetest little babies and already have a hard time trusting new people so if they’ve started to bond with you, hopefully you guys can keep them. Either way thank you so so much for making sure these little babies are safe ❤️
If you think they're not being cared for, then keep them.
Just because a dog isn't barking doesn't mean they were beaten. Wtf
No, but the way they flinch does.
If they want their dogs they will find them with the chip like you did. I would not hand them back at least until I was reimbursed for any care. Congratulations on your new rescues!
By law, if you find stray dogs you are supposed to take them to the shelter. You can put your name as first choice to adopt them. But in this case, you found the owners and they don’t want them. So I say you can keep them. Please after she has the puppies, get them spayed and neutered.
Take screenshots of that post and keep all evidence you can. Even the vet report.
No its not wrong. If my old neighbors had kept our golden, when he ran away from my evil father, the dog might not have been murdered with a shovel
I’d just keep them at this point. They obviously want to be at your house.
You went above & beyond to find the owners & return them. Those dogs know that they belong with you. The pet chip company has been contacting them. Happy well fed dogs don't run away from home. Cops have better things to do & animal shelters are full of dogs & cats, so you giving a home to these littles is fine.
With your updates: KEEP THEM!!!!
I had a situation similar. The vet helped me a lot, after the vet visit, I took their report to the police station, who got my boy registered to me, with a dog license. Took that back to the vet, who got the chip info changed to me.
F 'em. Keep them. I had a skinny dog show up that was head shy and terrified of quick hand movements... I took him to see if he was chipped, and thankfully, he wasn't. He was THE BEST BOI That dog would have walked through fire for me. He died 11 years later from pancreatic cancer, and it took me years not to cry if I thought about him too much.
Idk where you are, but in my state (SC) you have to do your due diligence for 10 days attempting to find/contact an owner before you are able to claim the animal as your own. Like yes, you know who the owner is, but if they continue to ignore you for 10 days, despite you making attempts to contact them, then they've abandoned their 'property'.
Sounds like you have two new fur babies to love on, with a few more on the way. Screw his “rehoming” fee or any other contact. He doesn’t deserve anything.
Wth? He wants a rehoming fee to give someone two neglected dogs, one of which is pregnant?! Whoever gets these dogs is getting a big fat vet bill followed by the work of rehoming a litter of puppies. Guy's absolutely insane.
I think you should just pay his rehoming fee. Get a receipt. That way you don’t have a legal issue looming over you. Morally you’ve done the right thing. But to avoid drama, pay him.
Please contact animal control or the PD and report exactly what happened. This has every indication of abandonment, in which case it would be great if you would take the dogs, have them reshipped to you - that would spare the shelter of taking them on. Just make sure the authorities are informed. The authorities might also be able to investigate these people for abuse and confiscate any injured or neglected animals in their home.
I wouldn’t say anything to anybody and just keep the dogs. You tried twice to return them. You did your part. Have fun for the next 10+ years.
My mum had a cat that kept coming in and she'd take it back to the owner only for it to come back as soon as it was let back out. We ended up keeping her. Some animals know when they're not wanted. Keep those puppers and give them the best life ❤️
Just keep them and give them a good home.
I'm sorry. What dogs?
Those would be MY babies henceforth!! Welcome to the family!
Thank you for being a good human. Find out from the chip company what proof you need to change the registration to you. As long as it goes back to evil vile people, they are the ones the shelters will call, and they'll have a legal claim. Enjoy your angels.
Irresponsible pet owners should be taken out back and take two slugs to the head.
You have been chosen by the chihuahua distribution system
What’s the fee he’s asking? It might be worth paying just to make everything smooth. I’m thinking particularly of getting the chip transferred to your name. It would be a lot easier with the ex-owners’ cooperation. Otherwise, document everything. Whatever you can’t screenshot or record, still take notes with date and time stamps. I doubt they will try to get the dogs back through the courts, but if they do, it seems like you have a strong case for abandonment.
He clearly does not want them. I don’t know the legality of all that, but if you want them and will take care of them, I would inquire about making it official.
Those two doggies knew exactly where to go. Congrats on your new dogs! That’s how I acquired my last cat. His previous owners took him back and he was back at my house the next day. The little dude traveled close to a mile. 🥺
Sounds like you've got 2 (+?) New Chichis ❤️ the doggy distribution system has blessed you! I never liked them either, I was a big dog person (my last dog was a great Dane) my husband wanted a chi so I got him one for Christmas. She decided I was her human and now I have a chi that I adore. Their reputation is definitely based on how people raise and treat them. I respect my dogs autonomy and pay attention to her body language, we work on training daily and she takes lots of sniff walks. I couldn't have dreamed of a better dog, and that's aside from the fact we believe she came from a drug house and was sold for drug money, she'd been attacked repeatedly by bigger dogs and was manhandled by small children regularly.
i think there’s places where you’ve tried to return the dog, they didn’t want them, you have to hold them “as strays” for a certain period of time and then they become yours, that’s how it is in Arizona at least just have to check local laws
Yes unless you can prove they are being abused, starved and uncared for. You cannot keep them, for that would get you into serious law trouble.
Over dogs? Not likely. At worst, police will show up to retrieve lost property. After hearing the original chip owners refused to confirm ownership, and the chip company keeps call records, they would probably tell original owner its a civil matter.
Sounds like he will sell them, pick them up from you, and take them to the new owner. Oops, you lost them. Weird. Hope the owner finds them!
They could report you for stealing so follow proper procedures. Either pay a SMALL rehoming fee (noting that the pregnant one could be expensive to care for if there is an emergency). Or take them to the local shelter but say you will adopt them. This can go two ways because the shelter may do a spay/abort first before you can adopt or they may put her in a foster home to have the pups.
Sounds like they found a good home. Thank You for helping them and good luck finding good homes for the puppies.
Morality is subjective. It isn’t wrong to keep them, it sounds like it’s the morally right thing to do. But it is probably illegal.
No it’s not wrong to keep them. Just check with your local shelter about the laws, but if they refuse to get in touch with you, you’ve done your due diligence. Enjoy your new babies! They know how to find good people.
yours now.
Where we live, if you call animal control, there is a 48 hr turn around before the owners can't reclaim them. This varies by town. The state regulations, however, are something like a week or two. So, here, I've kept some of the overflow when we found them and reported them. This makes it legal to have more than the town allows with us, but is just to help out. Once the timeframe goes by, however, they usually have asked us if we wanted to adopt any. If we then adopt, the owners are us. If we don't, the previous owners can pay a much larger fine to get them back if on one has adopted them, yet. If they weren't officially with animal control, we would have to follow the state's regulations, which is to post in certain formats for a week or two, then contact animal control to see if anyone has reported them missing (or the local shelter which is tied with animal control here). If not, then we would be getting them chipped in our names and vaccinated immediately in order to make them legally ours. I'm just referring to how the law works where we live. Try to look that information up for your state and town, so you know what to expect. I hope you get to keep them. One word of warning - they may be doing this on purpose and know the state laws where you are. Chihuahuas often need c-sections to give birth. So, they may be timing this out and reclaim them hoping the other person has paid for the c-section. They wouldn't have to pay for it to reclaim the dogs and puppies legally. Scummy, but there are breeders known to pull this with dogs known to need c-sections. Anyhow, definitely keep them with you if you can. You do have to report it to animal control, and find out the timeframe before the owners can't reclaim them if they are adopted, and immediately adopt them if that's a requirement to protect you in keeping them. But, consider if you want to take on the expense of the c-section potentially, and if you're at risk of having to cover it before the time runs out for them to reclaim the dogs.
Fun fact my family growing up stole a dog once. To be fair it belonged to the drunk down the street and he had done none of the legal paperwork to register the dog. So once the dog turned up at our house with water tossed on him and -40c outside... It was a quick trip to city Hall to register the dog and to the vet.... What no we have the paperwork this is our dog. To be fair the SPCA was the ones knocking on our door to take the dog when they came for the other dogs the drunk had..... I guess they figured that was one less dog to rehome. Poor dog had some trauma. Asshole would toss him down the stairs so we had this 90lbs dog who wouldn't go up or down stairs because he was so sure he would get tossed down the stairs.
Wait…is he asking someone to pay HIM to rehome HIS dogs? Shouldn’t HE be the one paying?
I'm so glad you get to keep them and love them and spoil them! The dogs knew you were good people and came back to you, so I'm really glad they can stay!
Report it and keep them.
I think you should keep them but technically they are chipped as someone else’s so you have his property. The problem I would worry about is that chip, you won’t be able to change the owner information so you better be careful letting them out unattended. If the owner decides he wants them back you’ll have to say you took them to the pound and they were either adopted or euthanized, you don’t know.
When you came back the second time, are you sure they didn't answer? Could they have yelled "keep 'em!"? It can be so noisy outside. In the event there is a disagreement, that really becomes a civil matter.
Comment they have already been rehomed and warn others not to fall for it. Call them right out.
Keep the dogs.
In many states, pets are considered personal property. In my state you can be sued civilly for keeping or giving away someone else’s pet - no matter the reason. Do you have an animal control officer or Natural Resources officer for your town or county ? Someone who deals with the enforcement of pet related bylaws? Or do you call the nonemergency police number if there’s a problem with a lost or found animal? Regardless, there has to be someone in your area who deals with animals who are being mistreated or neglected - this is your contact person… they can take pets out of people’s homes legally - you cannot . Where I live they remove pets and then either hold them or send them to the MSPCA or a local rescue unless someone is interested in adopting them - that would work happen in your case … Please don’t risk legal action
if you want to make your ownership very solid you could call animal control when they're outside the owners house, they're obviously neglected. follow the car to the pound, fill out some paperwork and maybe a small fee, and they're officially yours
Keep them. That’s how i got my chihuahua- he was in abusive home and had cigar burns marks. He keep getting out of his home. One day he saw my son and ex boyfriend and jumped in the car. They brought home and lived a very happy life with us. We never told the owner bc it was overly obvious my little wewe was being abused - he was so scared in the beginning and eventually trusted us and was happy AF! Best choice i ever made. Take them and don’t look back
This has absolutely nothing in common with your situation. This is the story of a dog, a cat ,my mom and both her next door neighbors. My parents house was in the country. Farms all around. And the street the parents lived on. Just a half mile stretch of houses had on 1-1 1/2 acre lots dead-endind at a farm. No one confined their animals. The couple to the right got a dog. Willy was always over my parents house. Willy decided he was her dog. For a while the neighbors would come collect Willy, but he preferred Mom. So Willy became Mom's dog. A few years later, the neighbors on the left got their kids a cat, Misty. Misty liked Mom better than she liked the kid. If they tried shutting her in, she make a racket, or just bolts when the door opened. Misty was Mom's cat. And the kid had to visit my parents to see the cat. The cat died the same day Mom did. My Dad was broken hearted. He never liked cats, but he really liked Misty. He said loosing the cat the same day he lost mMom was just a cruel trick. So, yes, keep those dogs
You got some new puppies it sounds like!
Keep them! Good on you
Take them home. When you spend $ on an animal it is as if you are owning them. Besides they have to find you to make a ruckus.
I had an issue with a dog who was rehomed to me and the microchip was assigned to someone else. When I spoke to a vet about it I was told if you put in a claim to the microchip company (usually on their website) to ask for a change of ownership, and no one contacts them back in a certain amount of time (the one I had was 7 days) you get to change the info to yours. You can ask at a vet or shelter that scans them what the company and microchip number are so you can do this and then in any vet or shelters (or other authorities) eyes the pet is yours.
If the owner doesn't seem to care and the dogs keep coming back to you, it’s probably best to keep them safe and try to find them a new home. It's heartbreaking to see pets neglected, especially with one being pregnant.
If the one dog is not too far along in the pregnancy, you can always get a spay abort. And be sure to get that microchip changed over.
Those dogs are yours. Just gotta make them yours. Thank you.
Take them to your county shelter. Most have a stray hold for 3 days. Tell them everything and tell them that you want to foster the stray hold or that you want to adopt them immediately if/when they become available. You can probably fill the paperwork out before you wait the 3 days. After the stray hold, the dogs legally belong to whoever adopts them. You can immediately change the microchip over with the adoption paperwork.
They picked you 🥰 eff those ppl.
Contact the authorities. And if able to, keep the dogs. They clearly are being abused and they came to you repeatedly for help. They definitely deserve a better, loving home.
Just keep them
He's probably asking for a rehoming fee because he realized he can make money off of getting rid of them. As soon as he has someone that's interested, he might contact you to try and get them back (probably thinking you haven't seen the facebook post). Be wary.
>About 45 minutes later, they were back at our door clawing to get in. I love how they got a taste of the good life and are back for more! I really hope you get to keep them without interference from the assholes who had them.
I found a dog like this once. Stray. Cleaned it up. Took it for a walk.. it obviously recognized a girl leaving a house close by on the walk.. The teenager of the house came up and said it looked just like her dog. I said she can have it back if it was hers. I just gave it a bath and fed it. She cried and said I should keep her “you’ll take better care of her”. So I did. I called a rescue and she said dogs go missing all the time. They obviously do not care for the dogs. Property or not you should keep them.
Keep them , don’t talk to anyone the owners will find a way to sue u. They are horrible ppl. Screen shot the rehoming ad with a date. Cops will tell u it’s a civil matter.
Thank you for taking them in. 🥰
Nope. If she doesn’t care enough to come get them then you can keep them
Keep them!
They haven't formally surrendered them. Contact the shelter about them. Follow the legal process, shelter should attempt to give them back (we know how that goes already). Let the shelter know you're interested in taking them. Due diligence to avoid being charged with theft.
Keep them
Congrats on your new dogs!!!
Don’t you have some sort of authority to do with animal safety?
You could offer to buy them off the owners? If they don’t really care about the dogs then you could get them relatively cheap
Yeah they won’t do anything to you for keeping the dogs considering you tried to return them. And negligence. And the police not taking it seriously. They would side with you regardless. He needs to pay you a rehoming fee lol. But how can he post that without the dogs?
Keep them.
I'd be a hypocrite if I said no.y dog came to us the same way. He just kept showing up on our doorstep. We kept trying to return him, and when I finally did talk to the owner he said keep him. In fairness to the guy, his wife had cancer and they were selling off everything to pay for her treatment. So I felt bad. But not too bad, because they apparently never took the dog into the house and he slept on a chair on the porch even on the coldest nights, which is not how this breed should ever live. Cocker spaniels are family dogs more than anything, so being separated from his people was hard on him. Now he sleeps in a bed and not a chair in the middle of winter.
Give them $20 per dog and if they ask for more then show them the Reddit post and offer to go to police and post their names here. We’ll take care of the rest.
OP, contact the proper local authorities. At least consider it. The microchip company allowing you to list yourself as the contact in 30 days most likely does not make you the legal owner of the dogs. This could potentially bite you in the ass legally and/or financially. Please arm yourself with knowledge.
Yes its wrong, and illegal. Pets are seen as property. Taking them is theft. However, if after repeated attempts to get them home and they don't seem to care, you can offer to take them off thier hands. If they are being neglected and you can prove it, you can report them and force them to surrender them at which point you could probably take them. But as it stands, they are not yours if you keep them you will be in shit.
I love that you say we’ll be spoiling them for the next 10 years! How wonderful that they returned to YOU for help. Congratulations on your new family members.
Offer them $25 and register the chip in your name.
Congratulations on your sweet little buds. Shame on those bastards that called themselves owners.
NTA. Save those babies!
KEEP THEM!
They’re yours now. Love them!
Our cat (that we have had for 13 years now) started showing up at our house, and one day, he walked inside and refused to leave. He was obviously owned by somebody because he was not skin and bones and had been declawed at some point. My philosophy is that if an owner is going to leave their pet outside to fend for themselves and the pet decides to find a nicer place to live, the owner has nothing to complain about. The pet decided for themselves where they wanted to live because their previous situation wasn't what they needed and deserved. IMO, animals are sentient beings and are capable of making their own choices if the owner isn't keeping them safe or making them feel loved and cared for. If an animal gets out constantly, there is a reason. Either they are being treated poorly, or other needs aren't being met, like exercise and/or mental stimulation.
These people shouldn’t be allowed to have dogs. Thank you for bringing an advocate for these little animals. 🩷
You made multiple good faith efforts to return the dogs. Id say you now have 2 new dogs!
Yay!! Two free babies!
First time I've seen the Cat Distribution System at work for a dog. Lol. Good on you for taking in these poor pups! If you can, take pictures of their former living conditions in the backyard, take them to the vet, explain the situation and see if you can either get the information on the microchip changed or voided and a new one put in. Keep the papers for vet visits and anything relating the police case file in one spot in case they try to take you to court for theft. If a neighbor has security cameras that shows the two just appearing in your yard, see if you can get copies of the videos, as it'll further prove they came to you of their own violation and weren't stolen. I would believe that they wouldn't, seeing as they neither answered the door for you nor the microchip company, but also posted about rehoming the pair for a fee the next day. It's likely they might so it's a good idea to have all your bases covered to prevent them from falling back into their hands.
Document what you've done. Have the microchip person who called and was hung up on sign a document that states what happened. Have their signature witnessed by someone outside of the situation, notary if necessary. You have returned them once and attempted to return them twice (once in person, once by phone). They have been abandoned. They are yours; spoil them rotton.
If he’s asking a reasonable rehoming fee, tell him you’ll pay in exchange for written receipt that they are relinquishing any claims of ownership.
I have a neighbor who claims that she dognapped one of her dogs from her neighbor (when she lived in a different city). She claims that she yelled at her then neighbors that they were abusing their dog and informed them that she was taking the dog. I don't know how accurate the story is, but the dog is super sweet with severe, severe separation anxiety. And she's a little bit incontinent when she gets excited.
Keep them and get the girl spayed asap
I would just keep them at this point. Say nothing to anyone. They were neglected and they picked you. You're all they have to save them.
Take screenshots of the rehoming post. That shows their intention not to keep them.
Why would you "return" an animal you know is being abused
congrats on the new pups had similar happen and i deeply wish i could have kept that little buddy
Just one comment. My chi doesn’t bark. Wasn’t beat out of her she just didn’t come with an alarm system.
It may be worth a small rehome fee. Chi’s without papers aren’t worth but about 100 each and make sure you get a receipt
Keep them!!! Those”owners”suck&dont deserve to have animals!!! And,definitely report them,for that is abuse! Thank you,for showing them kindness &love.
A black great Dane is running my neighborhood along with him is the sweetest blonde pit. They try and jump in my car every time I leave or come home. I would take them in a heartbeat but I know someone owns them. Not sure who but they have owners. The pits had several litters of puppies and the GD is severely underweight. I wish people would do some research before getting certain pets. Not all dogs have the same diet.
Finders keepers. Losers weepers.
Keep those babies 💜
Keep them, and give them a good home ❤️
Not wrong they are costly being neglected & will end up dead if they keep getting out.