to be annoyed about this situation with neighbour and her dog?

[CantGetBackToSleep]

I’m lying awake because I don’t know what to do about this situation.

On Sunday our neighbour came to see us visibly upset. Her mum had been taken into hospital and she had been told to get there asap. Her mum lives in Scotland and we are in the South of England so she was panicking about getting there on time and also about who would look after her dog. We helped her book a flight as she was in a state shaking and in no state to think properly. She asked if we could have her dog for a few days. Reluctantly we agreed but said we were leaving to go on holiday on Friday evening so she would need to make other arrangements by Friday morning for him. We went and collected the dog and he has been with us since. We have our own dogs and they are all getting on well.

Our neighbour text me on Monday to say her mum had died. We had a brief text conversation and obviously I said how sorry I was to hear about her mum.

I text her on Wednesday morning to say that I know she has a lot to deal with but we really need to know what she’s doing about her dog as we are due to go away. I didn’t hear anything so I text her again yesterday to ask what she wanted us to do with the dog and got a text from another of her relatives from her phone saying our neighbour is very upset and isn’t in the right place to sort this out. I replied to say I understood but that when we agreed to have the dog, it was on the condition that she made other arrangements for the dog by Friday morning as we are due to go on holiday. I didn’t get a reply. I tried to call last night but it went to voicemail. I had already called our nearest boarding kennels who do have space so I told her on the voicemail that I could drop him at kennels but she needs to give them her payment details. I still haven’t had a reply from my neighbour.

What do we do? I’ve asked other neighbours and they won’t have him. My parents are having our dogs while we are away but are not willing to take the neighbours dog as well.

A friend has suggested I drop him at our local vets which is the vet my neighbour uses but I don’t think they would be ok with that. Another friend said if it comes to it to call the rspca, explain the situation and say he’s basically been abandoned.

I’m so stressed. I know my neighbour has lost her mum but we are not missing our holiday.

I would take him to the kennels, pay the part payment and then head off on holiday, I’m surprised they’ll take him without owners consent though because usually you have to sign a contract.
He then becomes the kennels problem and I wouldn’t pay anymore fees on your return. Usually in a boarding kennel contract if the dog isn’t collected by a certain date and fees paid the dog is rehomed via a rescue.
I would then leave her a voicemail
detailing the address of the kennels and when they are expecting the dog to be picked up and the outstanding fees and you have acted in the dogs best interests.
A vet won’t take the dog off you, most have no one on site after hours unless it’s an emergency, you won’t find a rescue as you have no authority to sign it over and no one will have space anyway, the boarding kennel is your easiest option at the moment.
Go to small claims on your return when she is back to get any costs.

But it isn't the dog's fault.

She's being so unfair to you OP and I hope you're now sorted. I feel for her but I have a dog and elderly parents and although I might ask a neighbour to step in to rush to the hospital I'd be doing everything I could to arrange something after a neighbour had them for a few hours. It's awful that she's going through a bereavement but they can't expect a neighbour to miss a holiday because of that. I wouldn't even expect that of a close friend.

Mind you some of the suggestions on here are utterly ridiculous. Some posters are clearly not on planet earth.

Did you get sorted OP?

Yes this is exactly what they’ll do but it could take time for the dog to be collected and OP doesn’t have that time. It will also buy the owner some extra time to get her act together which she might do once she realises where the dog it

I presume the OP realises that the vet won’t take the dog in forever. She’s probably looking for the easiest option where the dog is safe and she can go on holiday.

I took a dog I found roaming on a busy road into our local vets. They said to leave the dog with them and they would scan for a chip. I called later on to check on the dog and the owners had come to collect him. I don’t know what would have happened if they hadn’t but they did let us leave the dog with them.

Wonder if she’s actually gone on holiday.

They would have sent it to the dog warden/council kennels if no one had some forward.
I worked in the animal care industry for a number of years, most dogs are claimed within a few hours but in the couple of cases we were unable to track anyone down they were collected by the dog warden and kept in kennels for 7 days.
Unless the OP is going to lie and say she found the dog straying, a vets practice isn’t just going to take it once she explains the back story

She doesn’t need to explain the full back story. Just say that this is X clients dog, she can’t contact her and can’t keep the dog as heading on holiday, then leave.

Why couldn’t the relative who answered the phone organise something if neighbour is in that bad a state?

Sounds like they are cut from the same cloth and think that all responsibility should fall on others whilst they are grieving.

I wasn't saying that the OP's parents should take the dog; just that maybe they might reconsider if push comes to shove and otherwise the OP will miss her holiday.
I would be prepared to look after a dog belong to family but would, in the first instance, say no to a random extra. But if my sister, say, told me the circumstances given here, and it was clearly an emergency (for my sister), I would probably do it for her.

Take to the dog warden and tell her you’ve done so. Ridiculous and irresponsible situation on your neighbours part. The world doesn’t stop because her mother died. She still has responsibilities.

If OP gives the dog to the vet or dog warden, she won’t miss her holiday. There is no need for her parents to do anything.

Edit - I was quoting @liveforsummer about taking it to the vet, explaining, and then just leaving.

The dog warden has to collect it.

As much as I'd bitterly resent this, IF my parents were willing to take the dog, I'd do that just for peace of mind. And then never, ever, ever help the woman again.

Why wouldn’t she be able to live with herself?

Could you live with your self if you don’t offer to go to OP’s and pick up the dog?

And when they return from holiday then what happens when/if? the real owner doesn't come back to collect it. Totally irresponsible.

The OP needs permission from the dog owner to do that. The dog owner hasn't as yet replied, despite knowing that the OP is going on holiday today.

Did you reply to the wrong post or something?

That's assuming that either one will accept it. Which, according to some on here, is by no means a given.

No. The OP cannot take the dog to her parents. It's not her dog.

So what should she do?

Of course she can. She's been left with it by the neighbour who is frankly negligent and not returning her calls.
It's entirely up to her at this point what she does with it.

Report to the dog warden an abandoned dog or bring to the vets as an abandoned dog.

In my area:

"If the dog warden cannot collect right away, you may need to hold it safely or see if a local rescue can take it."

Which could be days. Holiday in the bin.

No it's not. It's a duty of care to the dog to report it as abandoned. The OP has contact details of the owner and the vets/dog warden will then contact the actual owner.