Lost and found pets

Jack B. Badd

Recently my sister found a collarless dog near work and took her home as she seemed to be lost and quite distressed. She put the word out that she'd found the dog but as she seemed to be in good health and my sister was quite busy she didn't get a chance to take her to a vet to check her for a chip for a week or so. Before she got to take her to the vet she was confronted in her home by a really aggressive couple claiming to be the dog's owners. Apparently the dog had wandered off and instead of looking for her, they fecked off on holiday for a week. Presumably leaving some randomer to take care of your dog is cheaper than taking it to a kennels while you are on holiday. On returning and finding that my sister had taken the dog in, almost attacked her for taking their dog.

A workmate of a friend of mine apparently encountered a similar issue when she found a dog, took it in and put Lost Dog posters around the place to alert the owners. The couple who claimed the dog were really abusive about it.

Now, if my pet went missing and I found out that some good soul had taken her in, fed and looked after her while lost, I'd be so grateful to them. I certainly wouldn't abuse them because they were concerned about my animal's welfare.
I'm wondering if anyone else has come across similar attitudes when taking in strays and lost animals? It really does boggle the mind! :mad:

medeame

Jack B. Badd wrote: »

Recently my sister found a collarless dog near work and took her home as she seemed to be lost and quite distressed. She put the word out that she'd found the dog but as she seemed to be in good health and my sister was quite busy she didn't get a chance to take her to a vet to check her for a chip for a week or so. Before she got to take her to the vet she was confronted in her home by a really aggressive couple claiming to be the dog's owners. Apparently the dog had wandered off and instead of looking for her, they fecked off on holiday for a week. Presumably leaving some randomer to take care of your dog is cheaper than taking it to a kennels while you are on holiday. On returning and finding that my sister had taken the dog in, almost attacked her for taking their dog.

A workmate of a friend of mine apparently encountered a similar issue when she found a dog, took it in and put Lost Dog posters around the place to alert the owners. The couple who claimed the dog were really abusive about it.

Now, if my pet went missing and I found out that some good soul had taken her in, fed and looked after her while lost, I'd be so grateful to them. I certainly wouldn't abuse them because they were concerned about my animal's welfare.
I'm wondering if anyone else has come across similar attitudes when taking in strays and lost animals? It really does boggle the mind! :mad:

I never had a pet and wasnt a particular fan of cats or dogs, 3 years ago a tiny cat sat on my window sill for 2 nights crying, in february. i brought her in once or twice to shelter her from the rain, i rang all cat and dog authorities in Galway, most didnt bother picking up the phone or replying to my message - one offered to send a cage to trap and put her down, i was horrified.

On day 3 i had to let her sleep inside as it was terrible weathe and gave her food. No one claimed her, despite adds on the radio, flyers pictures, so, there i was with a new charge. About 6 weeks later a woman rang from Limerick, insisting this was probably her cat who would have hitched a ride under the bonnet of a car, from Limerick to Galway, and wanted to pick her up.
I found the story incrediulous, and the woman insistant to the point of aggresion, so i declined to have her come and collect the cat.

Mia (we named her and gave her a birthdate of valentines day - as the vet said she was about 2 or 3) has lived here as part of the family, she was already neutered and vaccinated and house trained (not in anyshape looking as if she rode on an oily engine from Limerick)i feel her owner may have died because she was well cared for and clean and after weeks of trying we simply could not find her owner.

So, as she sits next to me on the bed as i type this, all comfy and cuddly, i would bless anyone who fed and housed her if she wondered off, as cats and dogs can do.

Well done to your sister, and sorry you had such and awful response to caring for anothers pet. Some people are just horrid. If you felt any fear for the dog, you could always contact a shelter and ask them to become involved, just to see the dog does belong to the people and they are responsible owners - which is highly doubtful if they cleared off on holiday abandoning their pet!

Know it was a wonderful thing your sister did, to care for the animal, no matter how ungreatful those owners were, i am glad she had such a good heart, tell her, well done.

tullster

We have lost our much loved brown and white springer spaniel since saturday - from foxrock..
please contact us if you have ANY information AT ALL ... we miss her dreadfully and really want her home and warm and safe -0868256734

Windwalker

I have found a lovely old collie dog, he followed us home from a walk with our own fella. He has no collar but doesn't seem skinny, his coat is quite matted but overall he seems in good health.
We intend on seeing if we can get him into LAW but I'd love to reunite this guy with his owners if he has any.
We are in the Castletroy area of Limerick, so if you are missing a gentle, older collie or perhaps know of someone who is, please let me know.
Thanks.

Cherry Blossom

User Friendly wrote: »

sorry but am i the only one a little wide eyed at this post?

Firstly - that post is over 2 years old

Secondly - A 2 month old pup appeared on my doorstep years ago. A couple had bought the small cottage down the road as a weekend retreat and bought a weekend dog to go with it :mad:. My cousin informed the people on a number of occasions (and a no. of other people that came into contact with them) that we had the pup and they denied all knowledge of it or of owning any dog. Almost a year on they arrived at the door wanting their dog back, claiming they had looked everywhere for it and they had no knowledge of us having it and all these people that said they had mentioned it to them were liars. Long story short the dog was very happy to see them and my father let them take him. A week later one the neighbours informed us that they'd had him pts the following day, so I can safely say I wish my father had taken a leaf out of that posters book. To this day the only reason I can think of for this madness is that anyone who asked anything about him was told the story how we got him and we were making them look bad. Complete and utter nutjobs!!!

In my book anyone who lets their pets wander and can't be bothered to look after their interests has no business owning them.

Cherry Blossom

Windwalker wrote: »

I have found a lovely old collie dog, he followed us home from a walk with our own fella. He has no collar but doesn't seem skinny, his coat is quite matted but overall he seems in good health.
We intend on seeing if we can get him into LAW but I'd love to reunite this guy with his owners if he has any.
We are in the Castletroy area of Limerick, so if you are missing a gentle, older collie or perhaps know of someone who is, please let me know.
Thanks.

Take him to a vet and get him scanned for a microchip, his owner can be contacted that way. Also you need to report that you have found him to the local garda station. I'd also ring local shelters and leave your details and put a notice on the local radio station if the chip route draws a blank.

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/1986/en/act/pub/0032/sec0013.html#zza32y1986s13

User Friendly

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

Firstly - that post is over 2 years old

honestly didnt see that:o.........

Secondly - A 2 month old pup appeared on my doorstep years ago. A couple had bought the small cottage down the road as a weekend retreat and bought a weekend dog to go with it :mad:. My cousin informed the people on a number of occasions (and a no. of other people that came into contact with them) that we had the pup and they denied all knowledge of it or of owning any dog. Almost a year on they arrived at the door wanting their dog back, claiming they had looked everywhere for it and they had no knowledge of us having it and all these people that said they had mentioned it to them were liars. Long story short the dog was very happy to see them and my father let them take him. A week later one the neighbours informed us that they'd had him pts the following day, so I can safely say I wish my father had taken a leaf out of that posters book. To this day the only reason I can think of for this madness is that anyone who asked anything about him was told the story how we got him and we were making them look bad. Complete and utter nutjobs!!!

In my book anyone who lets their pets wander and can't be bothered to look after their interests has no business owning them.

anyway,goodluck for now.

mosi

My own dog was one that I initially found as a stray. I put up ads and contacted all of the relevant authorities which led to a call from a woman, two days later, saying that the dog was her brothers (she got my number from the pound). She said that she would call for him later that evening as she had a few things to do in the afternoon. We thought that all sounded fine and waited to hear from her. And waited. And waited. I called her and she made some excuse about her kids and that she would pick him up the next day.
We didn't hear anything from her then and let another two days go by to see if she would call. At this stage, all sorts of thoughts were going on - was she up to some kind of scam, was the dog not hers etc. I know that if I was in her position, I would have collected my dog immediately (or, if I genuinely couldn't I would get a friend/family member to do it - and at least make a phone call!). My boyfriend then called her and gave her a bit of a grilling as to what was going on. She said that none of her friends would give the dog a lift without a crate and insisted that he was her brother's dog (who seemingly wasn't bothered to look for him himself - she made some excuse about him being sick).
We had mixed feelings at this point. Do we hang on to the dog, or find him a good home - or do we hand him over to these people. We decided that we would take him up to their place and see his - and their reactions. When we got there, the children were waiting at the door, he went wild with excitement to be home, and the woman we spoke to gave us a thank you card with €25 in it. She said he had never strayed and she was terrified of something bad happening to him etc. It seemed to be a happy ending.

Three months later, however, I spotted his mugshot online. He was in the dog pound. We went up and gave the owner's number to the staff who called the woman. The staff then informed us that she did not want to pay the release fee for him. Obviously, we decided that we would give him a home.

I sometimes think that we should have kept him the first time, when we were feeling uneasy about his owners. It would have saved him a lot of trauma. Still, it all turned out well in the end and he is the happiest little pet now.

boomerang

Windwalker wrote: »

I have found a lovely old collie dog, he followed us home from a walk with our own fella. He has no collar but doesn't seem skinny, his coat is quite matted but overall he seems in good health.
We intend on seeing if we can get him into LAW but I'd love to reunite this guy with his owners if he has any.
We are in the Castletroy area of Limerick, so if you are missing a gentle, older collie or perhaps know of someone who is, please let me know.
Thanks.

Unfortunately LAW are absolutely full to bursting at the moment - I'm a volunteer for them and I have a big stray fella here with me that I found in the middle of nowhere last Sunday. I don't think there'll be room for him at the sanctuary until after Christmas so I'd say it'll be the same with your lovely old collie. But get on to them asap and let them know you have the dog in case they are contacted by his owners. You could also notify the pound, in case the owners have tried there. Another tried and trusted method is to send in his pic to Catriona in the Limerick Post - pets@limerickpost.ie

The cut-off date for getting the pic in next week's edition of the Post is Tuesday.

The pound only answer the phones for an hour or two in the morning - number is in the phone book in the green pages.

Good on you for helping the poor craythur.

tudlytops

That is terrible, i have to say that i have never encountered nothing but happy owners, happy that i had taken the dog in and looked for them.

If one of my pets went missing and someone help him, i would be so grateful, some people are just idiots.

Hope this doesn't put you or your sister off next time you see a animal in distress.

crally

hi

if a dog is not chipped how can anyone claim/insist that they own it?

boomerang

Their dog licence, photos, etc. AFAIK microchipping is not legal proof of ownership.

Discodog

The only legal proof of ownership is a dog license valid for when the dog went missing. This is about the only good reason to get a license !. If, as in the old example someone went on holiday knowing their dog was missing, I would not of returned the dog. If they created a fuss then I would of instigated a private prosecution for abandonment.