How long are your dogs 'your's'?

Would you want your dog back/Give the adopted dog back?

  • I would want my dog back over 1 year/ I would return the dog over 1 year

    Votes: 24 68.6%
  • I would want my dog back less than 1 year/ I would return dog less than 1 year

    Votes: 1 2.9%
  • I would want my dog back but would not pursue legal action

    Votes: 1 2.9%
  • I would not want my dog back over 1 year/ I would not give the dog back over a year

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I would not want the dog back in less than 1 year/ I would not give the dog back in less than 1 year

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • No- other

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Yes- other

    Votes: 9 25.7%
  • I would get another dog

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    35

CatStina

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#21
Wouldn't it technically be possession of stolen "property" to have a dog that belonged to someone else? I, too, would be pissed to find out that a "rescue" had found my dog and not even tried to find me. He is microchipped and ALWAYS wears a collar with tags. If they wanted to, they could find me. If they didn't even try, they stole him. I would pursue legal action if they refused to give him back.
 

Shakou

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#22
I guess I'm on the other end of this. Charlotte was found as a stray in Nashville, TN 5 years ago when my husband was traveling through the area. He was staying with some friends at their house, when Charlotte came trotting in through the open front door like she owned the place, lol. She was emaciated, filthy, beat up from fights with other dogs, but still in really good spirits. She came and went from the house as she pleased over the course of a few days, eluding animal control who made a few attempts to catch her and failed, and soon my husband started getting attached. So when his friend was getting ready to drop her off at animal control there himself, my husband decided to step up to the plate and adopt her. Which is lucky for her, because we later learned that while there is no ban on Pit Bulls in Nashville, they aren't adopted out from animal control, regardless of how good their temperament is...


Now that we've had her a while, it's become pretty clear that she wasn't a stray all her life. At some point, someone owned this dog and loved her very, very much. For one thing,she's old. Probably somewhere around 10 now. She loves and respects people probably more then any dog I've ever met, particularly kids, which makes me think she was brought up around some. Also, after an exam done by our vet, we found out that at some point in her life, she had one of her back molars extracted....NOT a cheap procedure.

So given all that, it's clear she once belonged to someone that actually cared. I've often wondered how it was she came to end up with us. She wasn't fixed when my husband found her (infact, it appeared that she had just had a litter of puppies), and she had no collar. Also, it was right after a major flood. I sometimes wonder if her previous owners miss her and wonder what ever happened to her.

If they ever found us and asked for her back, I wouldn't return her. She's part of our family now, and we love her with all our hearts. I would have sympathy for them however, and send them pictures and allow them to visit her when we travel through the area, if they really wanted too. If we ever ended up losing her or Ma'ii, and we found them years down the road with someone else, of course I'd want them back, but if the new owners loved them as much as we do, and refused to do so, I'd just hope they'd give me the same mercy, and allow me to keep in touch and visit on occasion.

God, now I need to go hug my dogs, lol.
 
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Shakou

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#23
I also wanted to add that in the case of Katrina, I would have NEVER EVER left my dogs to fend for themselves while I took cover in a shelter.
 

Julee

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#24
I don't think people who abandon their animals in cases like Katrina DESERVE to get them back. Period.
 

crazedACD

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#25
I think of the big issues was the lack of organization in the whole thing. Nothing was done with the pets until people started seeing dogs on roofs and thought "Oh, what do we do about the animals?" It ended up being a big mess.
Everything about that storm was done horribly. The people and the animals suffered like they really shouldn't have in the year 2005 in the United States. Weren't there people dying from lack of care in the Dome? AFTER the hurricane? Makes me sick.

In a disaster like Katrina, I wouldn't leave my dog. But also as Sassafrass said...many of those groups did more harm than good.
I wouldn't leave my dogs willingly either, but there were several cases of people being made to leave their dogs at gunpoint. One woman with a poodle was very vocal about it.

Don't forget St. Bernard's parish too...the dogs that were left in the school and were all shot. It seems the blog with the pictures has dried up now, but I will never forget that. It's actually making me tear up right now...geez. And the cops that were shooting dogs in the streets.
This is the story..it's graphic (no pics) http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?id=3265151&page=2

Pets are Property , Period.

Yes people do not get there pets / spayed , make them live outside , and feed them crap . These things happen a lot down here. Just because a person does not take the same level of care you do , does not give a "rescue" organization the right to take your pet and give it away.
I don't think she is saying they should be legally given away, but hopefully the previous owner would take it upon themselves to realize those dogs are being better cared for in the house, with vet care, etc.
 

Flyinsbt

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#26
I don't think people who abandon their animals in cases like Katrina DESERVE to get them back. Period.
Many, if not most, of those people didn't want to leave their pets, they were put in an intolerable position. If you're trying to get your children to shelter, and you're told you can't bring your dog, do you let your kids die?

The situation was handled horribly. The only good that came of it is that it became obvious that in an evacuation situation, there does have to be provision made for pets. So hopefully, that exact situation would not repeat. But I can still easily see situations where a person might get separated from their pet in case of disaster. ie; I work 25 miles from my home, and live on a peninsula with limited routes to access. And traffic is bad in my city at the best of times. In case of a disaster, I could easily see it becoming impossible for me to get home to my dogs. I would certainly be trying, but what if I failed? What if they close down the roads that allow access, and won't let anyone pass?

My dogs are mine, and I would always want them back. And painful as it would be, if I adopted a pet who it later turned out was separated from it's owner due to circumstances beyond their control, I would return it. Because I'd know that I would want the same.
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#27
It truly depends for me, we had a dog stolen as a kid and it was subsequently sold. The new owner was seen by my mom several years later. The timelines matched and the dog seemed to recognize/be the same. My mom however didn't take the dog back, it was happy and the new owner had done no wrong. I'm not sure if I would make the same choice but I don't think she did wrong by the dog.
 

Julee

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#28
Sorry, I don't go with that. If a hurricane is coming, why are you trying to bunker down and put yourself and your pets in danger? Get the hell out of there. It's not a matter of leaving them or staying with them in the path of danger, both are equally bad IMO. It's get out and save both of you.
 

-bogart-

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#29
I also wanted to add that in the case of Katrina, I would have NEVER EVER left my dogs to fend for themselves while I took cover in a shelter.
The thing is . a lot of people had no choice . well stay and watch there children die? is that better?
There where A LOT of people who did just that , stayed with the dogs and drowned in there own attic.

Evacuate? yeah well that takes money , and when you are living paycheck to paycheck it is hard to drop everything and leave town , if they had a car to leave town in. There are no easy answers .

I do know some rescue did it right after Katrina , others stole a lot of pets.
 

-bogart-

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#30
Sorry, I don't go with that. If a hurricane is coming, why are you trying to bunker down and put yourself and your pets in danger? Get the hell out of there. It's not a matter of leaving them or staying with them in the path of danger, both are equally bad IMO. It's get out and save both of you.
Do you realize that the flooding in New Orleans was caused by the Levees failing hours after Katrina had passed? So if the ACOE had done there job properly The city would not have flooded and the people who had stayed would have been ok?

If there is no way to leave what choice is there , start walking on the interstate and sleep in the ditch and steal food?

Thankfully now we have a system in place to help.
 

Julee

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#31
Yes, I do. I'm not talking specifically about Katrina - hurricanes and other natural disasters in general. Everybody needs to have a plan, and a back up plan, in place.

When it comes to my pets, I wouldn't hang around to see what happens. I'd play it safe.


That's just me.
 

Flyinsbt

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#32
Yes, I do. I'm not talking specifically about Katrina - hurricanes and other natural disasters in general. Everybody needs to have a plan, and a back up plan, in place.

When it comes to my pets, I wouldn't hang around to see what happens. I'd play it safe.


That's just me.
I have a plan, but things don't always work the way one plans for. I also have a reasonable income, credit cards, and a car, so in an emergency, if I'm home, I can pack the dogs and head for a safer spot. Stay in motels if necessary. Not everybody has that luxury.

But again, that's if I'm home. All my credit cards, and my car, won't help me if I can't get back to my dogs. Yes, obviously if one had forewarning, one could go get them before things get dangerous. But disasters don't always come with forewarning.

And assuming I'd head for a safer spot might not work if there is no forewarning of the disaster, either. It might not be possible for me to drive out. If they send in helicopters and offer to airlift me out, but not my dogs, do I stay and die, or go? Well, I'd actually choose to stay and die, but if I had kids, or other people dependent on me, that would be a harder choice to make.
 

Equinox

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#33
I agree with everyone saying their dog is theirs forever. I would look for my dog for 10 or 15 or 20 years if that was how long it took... I'd probably let it go at 20, though. Anyone who kept my dog alive for 20 years probably deserves to keep him :p

In our case, it would be more for me and less for my dog. Trent could adapt to a new home, if they had prior experience with dogs like him, he would adjust quickly and happily to a new home. I just wouldn't want to relinquish ownership of him for anything. It is incredibly selfish but I would most likely pursue legal action regardless of how much the family loves him, if they have kids, someone using him as a service dog or emotional support dog, etc. I'd want my dog back.

And since someone brought up intact dogs, holy crow if I find my dog and found out he was neutered, I would cut someone.

Only exception to me reclaiming ownership is if they are legitimately providing a significantly better home for him in every single way. If they were bajillionaires with a huge fenced in yard, intent on keeping Trent the only dog in the house, have no kids living with them, spent 6 months of the year at the beach with him, and were training him in agility and IPO with a club that met in their backyard every week... I'll give in.

Or demand to move in with them, too. Either way :rofl1:
 

Shakou

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#34
There where A LOT of people who did just that , stayed with the dogs and drowned in there own attic.
And if I had been in New Orleans at the time, I'd of probably been one of those poor fools.

My dogs ARE my kids.
 

Fran101

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#35
I agree with everyone saying their dog is theirs forever. I would look for my dog for 10 or 15 or 20 years if that was how long it took... I'd probably let it go at 20, though. Anyone who kept my dog alive for 20 years probably deserves to keep him :p

In our case, it would be more for me and less for my dog. Trent could adapt to a new home, if they had prior experience with dogs like him, he would adjust quickly and happily to a new home. I just wouldn't want to relinquish ownership of him for anything. It is incredibly selfish but I would most likely pursue legal action regardless of how much the family loves him, if they have kids, someone using him as a service dog or emotional support dog, etc. I'd want my dog back.
Basically this.
Call it selfish.. but I KNOW it wouldn't be about Merlin, I know Merlin would adjust.. but I would want my dog. period.
I might allow the family to visit but..I want my dog back. He is chipped, I have pictures, I would totally pursue legal action. No matter how long it took.

especially if it was a "regular" home that had him. Like, regular working family where he was "just a dog". Even if they loved him.. I know I can do better and he is the kind of dog that loves adventures and activities and training.

I would want him back. Period.
 

JessLough

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#36
I also think there's a huge difference between being lost due to a natural disaster and being lost because they got out of my house. For the latter, I don't think I'd be in any place to judge how responsible the other person was because, well, its MY dog that got loose.
 
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#37
I honestly don't know what to say in this thread, just seems like it would be a sad ending for someone no matter what.

All I know is it gives me a stomachache thinking about it and I'm going to go hug my dogs and tell them they're never allowed to go anywhere.
 

GoingNowhere

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#38
This is a hard one for me. I think about how I wouldn't be able/want to let go, but then I think that it would be the same on the flip side. At what point does your adopted dog become "mine forever" and not "the previous owner's"?

So far as I know, Boo was an owner surrender, not a stray, but if someone were to come knocking on my door showing me photos and telling me that Boo was really their dog, in no way would I just smile and hand over the leash. She's mine. And I feel as vehemently about that as any of the rest of you do about your own dogs, I'm sure. Those of you with rescues who say that your dog is "yours forever" - does that apply to other people's dogs too? If so, if a previous owner came knocking on your door, would you relinquish your dog to them because in reality the dog should be "theirs forever"?

That said, I'm a filthy hypocrite, because if Boo were to escape and I were to find her with someone else, I'd absolutely want her back.


But - if she weren't microchipped and it had been years, not just months and I found out that she was loved and happy in a different home, I probably wouldn't do much more than ask and see if they'd give her up to me. Because she's microchipped, I feel like it's a bit more of a moot point. A good owner would take their new dog to the vet. A good vet would scan an "ex stray" for a microchip. A good owner would then make the best effort possible to find the owner who planted that microchip. If they had found the microchip and ignored it, I'd be (reasonably in my opinion) upset and might want to take bigger means to get her back.
 

Shakou

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#39
Wasn't there a story in the news a while back about something kind of like this, where a women in NM lost her dog, then found out a few months later that the dog had been adopted by another women 30 miles away from the shelter, and a HUGE **** storm broke out because the new owner refused to give the dog back and was in the legal right to do so, despite the fact that the dog had been microchipped by it's old owner?

Anyone know what I'm talking about? And if so, how did that end?
 

Airn

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#40
I would try my hardest to get to a point where I could have ALL of my family safe. But the local shelters said NO ANIMALS. Obviously, plans would be to go to a place that allowed pets, but that may not happen.

I don't think people are bad owners in that situation. A lot of the residents were not well off and couldn't afford to leave town. Or they couldn't take the animals, for whatever reason. I think it's a bit harsh to say "Anyone who did not take their animals in that situation don't deserve their pets."

Like others have said, it was a mess. Although I do think a huge set back was the lack of micro chipping. (Vaccines and spay/neuter were later issues.)

Some of the people loved their dogs very much. But they weren't chipped. I think that was more of an ignorance/lack of funds thing than anything.

Gwen is chipped and spayed, so I'm not too concerned with her not being returned to me.

It was just a really bad situation, honestly. I don't know where I stand on a lot of the cases. Some dogs I would return to the owners and some I wouldn't. It's a personal thing. The lady with the GSD would not be getting her dog back, if it was up to me.

I've never been in a situation like that and I really don't know how I'd respond.
 

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