Don't 'rescue' stray dogs Mississippi!

SMH !!!

(http://www.dogheirs.com/dogheirs/questions/69-heiry-question-risking-arrest-for-taking-in-loose-dogs)

In Mississippi, it is illegal for any person to steal, take, or carry away another person's dog. It seems clear that the law prohibits theft of another person's dog. However, what happens when ownership of the dog isn't clear and the dog is found wandering around? Apparently, in Mississippi, if you try to help a dog who looks like a stray, but isn't actually a stray, you could be arrested.

Would you take in and help a "stray" dog do if you were in this situation?

dog owners claim rescuer stoleStephanie Mitchell, director at Drifter's Place Animal Rescue did. She found a dog wandering on the side of the highway in Oxford, Mississipi. The dog did not have tags, so she took the dog home for the night. She spent the next half day trying to find the owners. After trips to three veterinarians and a nearby gas station, she put the dog's picture on Facebook. Within an hour, she said a friend identified the owners.

Then the dog's rescue took an unexpected turn. Mitchell said one of the dog owners accused her of stealing the dog and they argued over the phone. After the argument she dropped the dog off a vet and told the owners to pick him up there.

"Later on that afternoon I received a phone call that I was to come to the sheriff's department because I had a warrant out for my arrest," Mitchell recalled. She was charged with dog napping.

Mississippi law states that any person who steals, takes, or carries away another person's dog can be indicted on the felony charge. Mitchell understands the law's purpose, but doesn't feel it applies in her situation. She wants to change the law so people don't feel afraid to help an animal in trouble.

"If I see a dog in distress, I'm going to help it, and I don't want to be arrested," said Mitchell. Of the police's duties she said: "They have a job to do, just like we do, but it's not appropriate in this case. There was no intent to steal a dog, obviously."

Wow! That's ridiculous. And how nasty of the ungrateful owners. I hate people like that.

Sounds like typical Mississippi.

Totally stupid... I hope karma slaps those owners in the ass.

the law might not be there if petaphiles didn't steal hunting dogs on the pretext of "i thought it was stray"

I've heard this, but do you have any sources?

I don't know about hounds, but all the bird dogs I've known are plastered with orange collars, tags, and e collars. Except for some pointers anyone trying to steal the dog would quickly find the owner in shotgun range.

Yeah, every hunting dog in MS I've seen, ever...from Catahoula to Lab to Beagle to whatever always had at least an orange collar on. Most had shock collars too.

Never had someone tell me I was stealing their dog. But considering the area, I wouldn't be surprised.

yeah shortly after the two PETA nimrods got busted in NC for killing & dumping puppies & kittens, another PETA employee was caught by a county sheriff deputy in tidewater VA (i want to say southhampton county) trying to steal one of his deerdogs. he was going to where his tracker said the dog had come out to the road & stopped. just before he got to the "dog" he passeda van going the other way w/two women in it one was between the seats messing w/ something in the back. he pulled up & saw his collar on the ground beside the road. it had clearly been opened and there were no bushes to hang up on. he picked it up & spun his truck around. he put his light on the dash & pulled over the van. he walked & showed the driver his credentials. then he asked her where she got the walker hound in the back. she said she had just picked it up at a shelter in the next county. then when he pointed out that the dog was freeze branded w/ his initials, she claimed to have picked it up thinking it was a stray. since he had been so intent on recovering his dog he hadn't made a righteous stop so he just took his dog back and let her go. the deputy shared this story in a letter to the newspaper (if i remember correctly it was the virginia pilot) somewhere in the early 2000s.
also people that know the deputy & were hunting w/ him that day, can be found on speed dogs.

the article didn't state if the dog in the picture was the dog picked up. if so then yes they should have left it. tracking collar or not you can usually find your HUNTING dog where you dropped it. they will usually backtrack and if you leave a coat or hat they will generally stay in the area. while birddogs get lost more easily than hounds (less interest in backtracking) it is still fairly common to drop a coat and keep checking back if you don't find them that day. also most people are ignorant of what a fit dog looks like and think conditioned hunting dogs are "starved."