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Original poster

What to do with a 'found' dog that's clearly been neglected?

80 replies

Bettyhatesavocados · 29/08/2021 16:45

Friend and I found a dog wandering the road a few miles away from where my friend lives. No collar, a bit timid at first but then super friendly. Took the dog back to my friend's (who has two dogs already...so not ideal but getting on okay).
The dog is gorgeous, a bitch, seems young as she is very playful (playing a lot with friend's younger dog who is almost 11 months old and also a bitch). Also picked up dog rope toy. Jumps up on the sofa and snuggles in. Drank lots of water but refused food. Has peed three times in the house, thankfully not on carpet. Friend has taken her for a walk and said she walks well on the lead.
Little dog ate a bit of dog sausage treat so maybe just fussy. Doesn't appear to be underweight, teeth seem good. The problem is that she is severely matted from half way down her back to the tail, backside and underbelly, and back legs. Oddly, no matting on head, front legs and chest... It's like the front end is one dog and the back end is another dog! There is also a 'greasy' are in the middle of her back which, strangely, smells like she's been sprayed with air freshener or something! No visible fleas but seems itchy...possibly the matted areas bothering her.
My friend probably can't keep her and neither can I :( But, if we take her to a vet and she is chipped we are both more than reluctant to hand her back over to whoever let the poor thing get into this state. I don't think this is something that has happened to her in the course of being lost... The matted parts are just too established.
Friend and I have called a groomer and explained the situation. She has kindly said she will shave her on after the BH. We have asked her if she can bag the matted fur she cuts off so my friend can present it to his vet when he takes her to get checked for a microchip...
Would love some advice on what to do, especially if she is chipped. I can't bear the thought of her going back to a life of neglect :( She is a beautiful little Shih Tzu with a lot of years ahead of her, I'm guessing.
Whether to contact the RSPCA (because of the neglect)...though I know they get a bad rap on here.. Or give her to Dogs' Trust or contact local charities for help?
Can anyone offer any advice? She is adorable and I want the best for her. Friend has agreed to keep her over the BH, get her shaved and take it from there...
Thanks!

OP posts:
Original poster
Bettyhatesavocados · 29/08/2021 17:10

BillMasheen Thank you. I had not considered that. I must admit that she doesn't seem underweight, is very friendly and well socialised, walks well on the lead... So, perhaps she is stolen. At the risk of sounding judgemental, we found her in an area of the city that is considered 'rough'. I often read about instances of pet cruelty and neglect in this area in the local paper... It's renowned for it :( My friend is going to look up the emergency vet's number and call. Thanks.

OP posts:
Hellocatshome · 29/08/2021 17:11

vulnerable or not, I wouldn't want her to go back to someone who clearly cannot or will not care for her

Nobody does and what I am saying is there are procedures in place to stop that happening. Unfortunately this isn't the first dog to be found in poor condition, vets/rescues/dog wardens have unfortunately seen it all before many times they know what they are doing and can do it correctly and legally.

Original poster
Bettyhatesavocados · 29/08/2021 17:13

Thanks, sjxoxo I appreciate your kind comment. Thanks everyone. We will call the vet and update for those who are interested.

OP posts:

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Dogs
whojamaflip · 29/08/2021 17:14

Please get her scanned. Our girl disappeared just over 3 years ago and we now believe one of 3 things happened.

She was stolen for puppy farming

She was stolen and sold on to someone unsuspecting (if so I pray she's happy)

She was found wandering and the finder decided to keep her (theft by finding)

Whichever happened I hope if anyone comes across her they will take her to a vet and get her scanned.....

Takingabreakagain · 29/08/2021 17:14

OP is there is lost and found pets page on Facebook near to you? We have one near us and the admins have access to scanners.

hellcatspangle · 29/08/2021 17:18

It's possible she was stolen and dumped, so it might not be the owners who are at fault.

TheVolturi · 29/08/2021 17:18

Op, your heart is on the right place but please report the dog as found asap. There could be a very sad lonely person right now heartbroken that their dog is missing. It's easy for shihtzu to get matted. We have one and he's only 9 months, I keep him clipped short because it clumps so quickly, they are a really high maintenance dog, lots of grooming and bathing needed. Who's to say the dog hasn't been able to get in the groomers lately. If the dog is well fed and friendly then the partially matted fur in itself doesn't indicate neglect. Post a pic?

Branleuse · 29/08/2021 17:19

We called the rspCA when we found a dog in neglected condition. Turned out that because they provided dog with shelter and food, that it meant they passed minimum requirements and the dog was returned to them. Makes me sick really. Nothing else you can do, as dogs are legally possessions and the benchmark for neglect is way too high

seasidehouse · 29/08/2021 17:20

I was also coming on to suggest she may have been stolen then dumped , please contact the dog warden or police as she is most probably someone's much loved pet

MissBattleaxe · 29/08/2021 17:22

I'm going to come at this from the angle of an owner whose pet was nearly kept by well meaning people. In my case, it was my cat. He has had an ongoing skin problem for a long time and is a regular at the vet, fully insured, chipped, groomed daily, deflea-ed monthly and fed a grain free diet. When he has a flare up between treatments it looks dreadful, as if he is a stray. A couple took him in, took him to the vet and got very angry when the vet read his chip and called me to get him back. They were so angry, they followed me home and reported me to the RSPCA.

The RSPCA man was very nice, the vet assured them my cat was a regular and they still weren't having it that I was looking after him. They even came to my house twice to ask to see the cat. If they had come a third time I would have called the police.

Get the dog to a vet, get the chip read and take it from there. You don't know the whole story until you get answers.

Hellocatshome · 29/08/2021 17:23

We called the rspCA when we found a dog in neglected condition. Turned out that because they provided dog with shelter and food, that it meant they passed minimum requirements and the dog was returned to them. Makes me sick really. Nothing else you can do, as dogs are legally possessions and the benchmark for neglect is way too high

I would never call RSPCA as a first port of call for cases of animal neglect/abuse as you say their minimum standards are far too low. We have some fantastic local animal charities around here who seem to have a far better success rate of getting owners to hand their abused/neglected pets over to them without it ever getting as far as court etc.

Branleuse · 29/08/2021 17:24

@Hellocatshome

We called the rspCA when we found a dog in neglected condition. Turned out that because they provided dog with shelter and food, that it meant they passed minimum requirements and the dog was returned to them. Makes me sick really. Nothing else you can do, as dogs are legally possessions and the benchmark for neglect is way too high

I would never call RSPCA as a first port of call for cases of animal neglect/abuse as you say their minimum standards are far too low. We have some fantastic local animal charities around here who seem to have a far better success rate of getting owners to hand their abused/neglected pets over to them without it ever getting as far as court etc.

I wouldnt do it again tbh, although dp was on about keeping the dog as he couldnt bear to see an animal in this condition, but you cant just keep an animal you find, legally
Thesearmsofmine · 29/08/2021 17:32

Get her to the vet, this dog does not belong to you and you have no idea why her fur is matted so let the professionals deal with it, don’t take it to get groomed!

bobandhisburgers · 29/08/2021 17:39

What breed of dog is she OP?
My friend's dog was stolen in Derbyshire a few weeks, ago along with 2 others.

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/local-news/families-heartbroken-after-three-dogs-5740880.amp

Izzy24 · 29/08/2021 17:44

So glad you’ve decided to get on with taking her to a vet. Seems very possible she is a stolen/lost/much loved pet .

Floralnomad · 29/08/2021 17:45

Call the local dog warden or an emergency vet and get her scanned for a chip , they will usually be more than happy for you to keep hold of her until her family can be found if she is lost / stolen . If she’s not lost then rehoming her can be sorted out later .

Geriatric1234 · 29/08/2021 17:51

Hi OP,

Have you checked on Dog Lost? www.doglost.co.uk/

They also have volunteers around the country with scanners who will come and scan a found dog. You can list the dog as found on there too.

I wouldn’t judge a dog with a bit of matting as neglected too quickly. There may be a very desperate owner out there and yes, theft by finding is real. Good luck!

girlmom21 · 29/08/2021 18:01

Please take her to the vets. They'll be best placed to assess her condition properly. It might be that the dog has been lost for a little while and that's why her fur isn't in great condition. They won't send her back to a neglectful home.

2bazookas · 29/08/2021 18:15

You call 101 and report to police. They will either collect it or tell you where to take it .

You have NO IDEA what happened to that dog and its owner may be desperately searching, has already called police etc. The owner may not be responsible for the state its in. Do NOT clip the dog, it doesn't belong to you.

If you take it to a vet they will tell you all the above; and they will of course expect to be paid by you for the consult.

Hellocatshome · 29/08/2021 18:24

If you take it to a vet they will tell you all the above; and they will of course expect to be paid by you for the consult.

If you take a dog to the vets and tell them you found it roaming the streets they do not charge you for a consult. They scan it and contact the owners or if no chip liase with a rescue to get it rehomed. They also don't charge you if you take wildlife in.

Original poster
Bettyhatesavocados · 29/08/2021 18:52

Too upset to read these replies. Friend took dog to emergency vet and scanned her. No chip. The nurse took her from my friend for a check. Ten minutes later, comes back minus the dog, said they need to keep the dog in. Very evasive when asked what would happen next wrt RSPCA etc. Wouldn't let friend say goodbye to the dog, so now the poor thing is stuck in a cage over the BH. She was settled at my friend's and seemed happy. Fucking great. I feel like shit and so does my friend.
The nurse said they would try to find the owner via SM as no chip or collar. So, I presume any Tom, Dick or Harry can lay claim to her... When friend asked how they could ensure the dog was reunited wtih the rightful owner should someone come forward, they said they have ways and means... That sounds like BS to me. I mean...no tag, no collar, no chip...How are they supposed to find the owner?
So, here I am feeling like the shittiest human being on the planet. I am so angry with myself and feel like my friend and I have let the dog down very badly. I wish we had waited till Tues morning so my friend could have taken her to his own vet. :(

OP posts:
icedcoffees · 29/08/2021 19:00

The vet have a duty of care to the dog - they can't just let a random stranger keep her.

You did the right thing and so did they.

Random789 · 29/08/2021 19:05

I can't understnd why you think that is a bad outcome,OP. When you say "I presume any Tom, Dick or Harry can lay claim to her, do you not realise that as far as the nurse is concerned you and your friend are "any Tom, Dick or Harry."

You have no claim on the dog. The vet is where she should have gone as soon as you found her. They can shave off any hair that is causing distress -- no need for a groomer to do that. And they are in a FAR better position than you to consider what should be done next in the dog's best interest.

girlmom21 · 29/08/2021 19:12

Anyone who tries to claim the dog will need to prove its theirs. It's fairly easy to prove dog ownership - papers, veterinary records etc.

Hellocatshome · 29/08/2021 19:17

As far as the vet is concerned you are any Tom, Dick or Harry. I know vet nurses and any animals they have for overnight stays are very well looked after. As this one isn't convalescing or poorly it will probably be allowed a lot of time out of its kennel and fussed over. They will have ways of reuniting it with the right people. AND if anyone was abusing her or dumped her they are not exactly going to walk into the vets and ask for her back. Most likely outcome is that she will be rehomed.