To not know what to do with this dog

[Unexpecteddogmum]

So in the past i had seen a small dog roaming around my street on his own but it never came near anyone, and people said it lived nearby. One of my neighbours said she saw it walking itself every day pretty much.

On Monday I came home to find it in my garden with my two dogs, so I posted on FB and asked all my neighbours, eventually someone walking past said they knew the owner and would send him up.

2 hours later a man knocked (the dog had been at my house all day at this point) and the little dog went straight with him and he took him home. Said he was 15yrs old and a Houdini, who escapes out of the fence all the time.

Cue me coming back from the school run yesterday morning and I find the dog in my kitchen, turns out he can fit through my cat flap! He’s a lovely little dog and absolutely no bother to us so I just left him there while I tried to find out where the owner lives.

I finally got the mans house number and knocked, I told him his dog was at my house and he said “he’s alright kick him out he’ll come home when he’s hungry, he’s done this for years sorry”. He said the dog got out in the morning but he had to go to work so he just left it and “knew he would come home eventually, he always does”.

The thing is no matter how much I put the dog out, it always comes back to my house. I dont think it went home at any point in the past couple of days. The man hasn’t come to collect his dog but I’m confused because he seemed to love and care for it, and has clearly had it a long time.

The dogs still at mine, I’ve tried walking it back to it’s house and it just comes back minutes later. I’m not putting big planks across my fence to stop it fitting through the gaps (it’s a small terrier) and if it wasn’t at mine it would be out wandering the streets anyway. Several people had seen it streets away over the main roads. However it doesn’t seem interested in wandering anymore, just loves my dogs.

It’s a lovely dog and if the man didn’t want him anymore he would be welcome here, but also I’m not feeding it or anything currently and I put him back out regularly. He never gets in my house further than the kitchen which he sneaks in and I don’t fuss him. I’m not trying to take him in any way and have always been available to the owner.

We would take him if it came to that, but on the other hand I don’t want to end up being this man’s free doggy day care

I’m not sure what on earth to do?

So, the owner does not have a secure garden (with kennel or dog flap to house I hope!) and thinks it's alright for his dog to wander the neighbourhood. An unsupervised dog could get run over, cause road accidents, poop everywhere .... I'd say the owner is a bit slapdash and doesn't want to pay for a dog walker. The dog is probably better off with you and his new love.

I’d look after him til the owner comes round.

Lots of dogs lived like this in the 1970's, now not acceptable. Keep him safe and wait for the owner to maybe turn up.

There's someone around here who lets their dog out to wander and it goes over to the children's play park to shit. Nice for the owner to not have to clean it up, nice for the dog to have freedom, but not so nice for the kids who get absolutely covered in dog shit whilst having a kick about.
I'd be calling the dog warden and/or council and reporting the man for allowing his dog to foul and not pick it up. .

I’d give the owner your details and let the owner come to you to get him. I’d also register this with the police as, after six months, ( so I understand as that’s how my mum got her little dog) this little dear will become your’s, if that’s what you’d like ( which I strongly suspect!)

This happened to us with a little chihuahua. We just kept him and every few days his owner would pop round and pick him up. It was like co-parenting tbh 😂
Unconventional but worked for us.

Just to add, my childhood friend had a dog that was allowed to wander. Everyone in the village knew her. She was an elderly, yappy, overweight terrier who would bark at people. Locals knew her and just walked past her but she would sometimes scare some people/kids, especially ones who weren't familiar.
She too used to toilet on the local park ground. My friend and her mum never minded the dog being out and certainly never cleaned up her poop. It worked out well for over a decade until they found her with her head body all smashed in, beaten to death round the side of the park. Clearly someone did have an issue with the loose, aggressive acting (if not in practice) dog.

If you love your dog, you take care of it.

Also here for the photos

@DreadingSeason2020sFinale

Just to add, my childhood friend had a dog that was allowed to wander. Everyone in the village knew her. She was an elderly, yappy, overweight terrier who would bark at people. Locals knew her and just walked past her but she would sometimes scare some people/kids, especially ones who weren't familiar. She too used to toilet on the local park ground. My friend and her mum never minded the dog being out and certainly never cleaned up her poop. It worked out well for over a decade until they found her with her head body all smashed in, beaten to death round the side of the park. Clearly someone did have an issue with the loose, aggressive acting (if not in practice) dog.

If you love your dog, you take care of it.

Or probably someone did it because they could. That level of violence suggests it was more than someone having an issue with the dog, especially after a decade of it wandering.

Don't call the RSPCA they are bobbins. They refused to come out to my neighbours abused dog we must have rang them a dozen times to report.
Dog warden all the way

Where I used to live there were a pair of dogs like this - they just wandered around outside all the time - sort of how I imagine it was in the 70s.

If the dog is a roamer the man probably doesn't think he's been with you this whole time. He may do this kind of thing a lot.

So what happened with the dog OP? Is he yours now?

Also shamelessly wanting an update.!!

I need a picture op!!😁

Keep the dog OP! His owner might love him but clearly cannot look after him (in terms of keeping him in the house and safe from harm).
Perhaps the owner wants to get rid of him and that's why he lets the dog wander..?
I'm so happy you want to keep the dog though. It sounds like he will have a very nice life with you

I would keep the dog informally. Start feeding him and bringing him into your routine. No need for any paperwork or anything formal.

If the owner wants him back he knows where you live. You could even give the owner your phone number and leave it up to him. Or what about suggesting a dog share with the owner, so he feels he can still see his little friend. Until then sort of let him stay with you.

You sound lovely 💕 sounds like the dog is your destiny.

I think that if you involve the warden there's a chance he will have to 'follow procedure' and remove the dog from you as he will know it's not your property. Dog will then spend time in kennels and it could get complicated...... I really think it is a risky option.

If there is any sureing up of fences to do it's up to the owner to secure his own fences and escape routes. Although to be fair he may not have the resources to do that.

I think maybe another chat with him would be best. Try to gauge how he feels if DDog doesn't return, is he worried and does it upset him? Dog may be his only company. Would he consider making things more secure?

Then it's a judgement call really. I wouldn't blame you one jot if you decided to keep the dog. I don't think it should be wandering round alone, it could get run over or if someone non-local sees it they may call the warden themselves or take it to a local vet, which again becomes complicated.

It's obviously left in an unsecured garden all day & lonely, as dogs are social. I'd keep him. If the owner cared, he'd secure his garden better. Don't call him, just start feeding his dog. I bet you he won't come looking.