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AIBU?

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Original poster

to want to keep the lost dog we found?

70 replies

Hoptastic53 · 19/03/2017 22:59

We found a lost dog tonight. She didn't have a collar on and was near a main road so I put my dogs lead and collar on and bought her home. She has been lovely, obviously we were extremely careful but she has been fabulous with our DC. She's very affectionate and happy and playful.

We posted on local Facebook pages but no one claimed her. Someone offered to scan her to see if she has been microchipped and she had, but the phone number wasn't working and the person who scanned her said she'd been returned to a different address when she was last bought to their attention. We tried there and there was no answer, the neighbours said they'd never seen a dog at that address.

The dog is a staffy and seems malnourished. The rules with the dog warden here are that if you're happy to keep the dog you can do for 28 days and then for good if no one claims them during that period. We'd happily take her on if she had nowhere to go but my only concern is our dog. He's a rescue so we're not sure precisely how old he is but he's at least 11 and possibly up to 13. He's a Jack Russel. So far they have been fine together outside but she hasn't been spayed, he tried to hump her and she growled at him, he growled at her and got off. There's been a few more growling incidents indoors but mainly they've ignored each other.

Obviously they're sleeping separately tonight and will not be left alone either together or with the DC but do you think this could be doable if the owner isn't located, or does initial agression show they won't get along?

OP posts:
DayToDayGlobalShit · 19/03/2017 23:03

Have you reported to the dog warden that you have found the dog? You must do that by law first. You may be able to keep her after the 28 days though

Kpo58 · 19/03/2017 23:04

Have you taken the dog to some local vets to see if any of the staff recognise the dog?

GardenGeek · 19/03/2017 23:04

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Cherrysoup · 19/03/2017 23:06

Please do everything you can to find the owner. My dog was a positive Houdini for ages, I went looking several times and would have been devastated not to find him. I've never moved, so haven't needed to update the chip details, but I scoured the streets, phoned all the local vets, the works.

Original poster
Hoptastic53 · 19/03/2017 23:09

No vets were open tonight. We've tried phone number, email address and actual address and left a note but the property looked empty. No answer at the dog warden so far.

OP posts:
flyingspaghettimonster · 19/03/2017 23:12

You need to attempt to find owners - put up some posters. But if they don't claim her then it's probably fine to keep her after the 28 days... Just watch out for the signs of aggression

Isadora2007 · 19/03/2017 23:13

It's fine to keep her for now and call dog warden tomorrow and a vets to get chip scanned? (Did you definitely manage that?)

And if you're happy keeping her for a bit and no one claims her then that will be a happy ending for her as it doesn't sound like she is well looked after.

I'd be a teeny bit worried about her getting pregnant from your randy old boy though...

flyingspaghettimonster · 19/03/2017 23:13

Oh and don't feed them together or let the kids her when se is eating as food aggression can be scary if anyone gets between her and her meal...

Original poster
Hoptastic53 · 19/03/2017 23:14

We're doing posters tomorrow as it was too late tonight. I thought she was a boxer cross puppy because she's so small and skinny, she hardly looks like a staffy at all. I just worry about sending her back to a home where she's poorly treated.

OP posts:
stonecircle · 19/03/2017 23:15

Curious as to how she was scanned - I thought only vets had the equipment to do that?

Presumably if you keep her you'll get her spayed? I wouldn't worry too much about a bit of initial growling - not unusual when you add a new dog to the mix.

Original poster
Hoptastic53 · 19/03/2017 23:17

Our dog had the op many years ago so she's safe there. We've been giving him treats first and then her and they've been fine with that, but we fed them separately. She seems good around human food so far.

OP posts:
Original poster
Hoptastic53 · 19/03/2017 23:18

Yes we'd get her spayed. There's a local person who runs a lost and found dog page on Facebook and had a scanner.

OP posts:
CrochetBelle · 19/03/2017 23:20

I think you can contact the police with stray dogs, can't you?

Isadora2007 · 19/03/2017 23:24

Photo required.
(Just cause I am all "awwww" about dogs)
If she is small and malnourished then she doesn't sound cared for. By all means do the legal bits (checking chip and telling dog warden) but I'd not be knocking up posters or advertising on fb to return the poor pooch to feckless owners.

GardenGeek · 19/03/2017 23:24

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Original poster
Hoptastic53 · 19/03/2017 23:28

If the property was empty, perhaps she had been left there and only just managed to escape? She could have been malnourished because of poor owners rather than because she's been missing for a long time.

OP posts:
Fortheloveofscience · 19/03/2017 23:29

I've still got the small malnourished stray I picked up off the street 5 year ago OP. As well as informing the dog warden and local vet practices we also kept an eye on the dogslost website but she was never reported missing and no one came forwards.

If you do end up keeping her you should be able to ask the dog warden for a voucher for a free spay.

sobeyondthehills · 19/03/2017 23:33

If you are on the Surrey Hampshire boarder, there is a female puppy that went missing, 2 days ago without a collar.

Original poster
Hoptastic53 · 19/03/2017 23:33

That's good to know, thank you Fortheloveofscience.

OP posts:
Coastalcommand · 19/03/2017 23:33

Aww you sound lovely. If you don't find the owners then it would be great for you to keep him. Your older dog will bond with him. Just keep her top dog by feeding her first etc.

Original poster
Hoptastic53 · 19/03/2017 23:34

No nowhere near there. The chip says this dog is 5, she is just so small that I thought she was a pup.

OP posts:
Serin · 19/03/2017 23:37

OMG Just a thought but you don't think she could have puppies somewhere do you?

Just with you saying she looks malnourished?

WorraLiberty · 19/03/2017 23:40

If she had puppies she'd have huge nipples hanging down.

OP, I wouldn't assume because she is thin that she's malnourished.

However, you do need to get her to a vet tomorrow because for all you know, she may have a medical problem that requires a special diet or medicine.

My dog for example is diabetic and needs insulin twice a day.

OneSecondAfter · 19/03/2017 23:41

Just to address this point:

but do you think this could be doable if the owner isn't located, or does initial agression show they won't get along?

Some growling when one of the dogs steps over the line is not really "aggression". It's just the staffie telling your JRT not to hump her!

It's hard for any of use to know how they will get along, but if they've been "mainly ignoring each other" so far then that's a good sign.

MaryPoppinsPenguins · 19/03/2017 23:48

I also found a dog today! I so wanted to keep her, my children fell in love in 30 seconds flat... but sadly we found the owner...

Both my DD's cried when she was picked up Sad