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.

Good for you. Enjoy your holiday. Grief or not, your neighbour is an absolute cheeky fucker.

I wish id picked up this post earlier.
I was in a similar situation years ago.
I went to my local animal charity, explained the situation, they were very sympathetic and agreed to look after the dog whilst I was on holiday. I was so grateful to them.

When I returned there was no charge! They are a charity not a boarding kennels. They said i could give a voluntary donation if I felt like it.

I honestly can't remember what happened regarding vaccinations. I would have paid to have had him vaccinated if they had asked me to.

The dog went in under my name and address. The owner was in hospital.

I think it was a bit shitty to dump the dog on the vet. What is the vet supposed to do about it? He is neither a charity or a boarding kennels.
It was very shitty to pretend that you didn't know who the dog was.

The dog will probably end up with the dog warden and may be pts. Personally, I couldn't live with myself if that happened. I know 60% of mumsnet would think that would be an acceptable outcome.
I would be heartbroken if my dog was pts whilst I was arranging my mother's funeral.

Whatever, i forecast an almighty row when the neighbour returns from Scotland.

I would be heartbroken if my dog was pts whilst I was arranging my mother's funeral.

Then the neighbour should have reacted to one of the OP's many attempts to contact her.

I would be heartbroken if my dog was pts whilst I was arranging my mother's funeral.

I have lost both my parents. Neither time did I abandon my dog whom I love.

Its a vile thing to do to your pet and people like this shouldnt have dogs because they are shitty people

Tell that to my DH when he attends a sudden death involving dogs and nobody to take them. There’s a voicemail for the dog warden (does that even exist, never been responded to?) but guess what? If there’s a problem with a dog, the council (Herts) says ‘Call the police’.

Excellent! Have a fab holiday, you can rest easy, I think you did absolutely the right thing! He’ll be looked after and she’ll have to pay the fee.

I would be heartbroken if my dog was pts whilst I was arranging my mother's funeral.

presumably you’d respond to messages and do something about it then.

HarshbutTrue2

The only people who've done a shitty thing are the dog's owner and her relative.* *OP went above and beyond to help in an emergency and the thanks she got was to be left desperately seeking a solution for the dog when about to go on holiday. How you can criticise her is beyond me.
Boarding kennels wouldn't have taken the dog without up-to-date vaccination records even if they had room at this holiday time and I suspect your charity might be less able or willing to help out as they did with you years ago, given how overstretched they are.

To pick up on your comment "what is the vet supposed to do about it" How about, "what is the OP supposed to do about it?" Under the circumstances, really the only thing they could do! Kennels were out- cost notwithstanding all kennels need paperwork which the OP will not have. In my opinion there is nothing shitty about OP's actions. I've said on here already that I've been in a similar situation, a sudden death that sent me nearly 400 miles away. A parent. I didn't suddenly expect someone else to take over long term care of my pet, and in this case the neighbours relative even said nothing was being sorted despite them knowing the OP was going away. The OP has taken the dog to a vet, not dumped it somewhere as others grimly suggested they could. And the vet is not going to destroy the dog on a whim, the OP has already explained that they recognised it at the vets. Last time I checked most vets aren't charnal houses. And if there is an "almighty row" going forward, I'd be on the OPs side all the way.

This. Plus not mysteriously lost the ability to speak 🙄

The OP looked after the dog for the initial time requested. She then ensured the dog was safe before going on her planned holiday. The only person at fault is the owner and I hope she gets a massive bill and a wake up call.

'And the vet is not going to destroy the dog on a whim, the OP has already explained that they recognised it at the vets'

Yes but it's all a bit underhand isn't it, the vets recognised the dog and would check the chip for contact info but the op knew the owners and could've just told them!

The owner is absolutely out of order but i think I'd have gone for a dog shelter/rescue place. Vets don't have staff 24/7 so will probably have just passed it on as a stray anyway.

I'm guessing the vet will have a relationship with a dog rescue, which is great because if the neighbour doesn't come back it will already be in a situation to get a new home. It's the right thing to have done - in effect, the dog was abandoned.

She abandoned the dog. She could have easily sent a message saying please put him in kennels and transferred you money to arrange it, even if she didn’t have the headspace to deal with the kennels herself.

Are you mad?

You can't just put a dog in kennels, like posting a letter in a letterbox. Kennels need a full vaccination record before they'd take it in. They have to have this, to not invalidate their own insurance. Ours are also needs an emergency number, and a vet to contact.
Decent kennels are fully booked this time of year too.
Whoever suggested 'popping' the dog back home with food and water was suggesting something so cruel, I can't believe it.

I'm appalled at your neighbour's behaviour towards you and her dog. I'm pleased he's safe at the vets and you are going to be able to go on holiday.

Poor dog deserves a better owner than your neighbour. You’ve already gone above and beyond. I hope you have a fantastic holiday!

It really does make one think this must be the dog’s actual human here, it’s so defensive!

Whatever, i forecast an almighty row when the neighbour returns from Scotland.

Too right - the OP must be rightly furious with her. Absolute pisstake.

A farmer is more than likely to shoot it, or a herd of cattle trample it, than any happy ending proceed from dumping it in a flipping field. FGS.

I agree. It really puts the vet clinic in a tough spot. The assistant will have to spend quite a bit of time trying to track down the owner's name. It's hard to say how long that will take, or if they'll be able to figure out who it belongs to.

Shame on you

The op was kind enough to take the neighbour's dog on a specified temporary basis as a favour. That doesn't suddenly make her the legal guardian of this dog. That responsibility lies firmly on the shoulders of the neighbour who to all and intents and purposes has abandoned the poor thing. And yes she's going through a bereavement but our responsibility to our pets doesn't end just because we're going through a particularly tough time. The vet will contact the owner and take the appropriate action. The dog is safe, he will be well looked after and that's the most important thing.

The vet recognizes the dog, but doesn't know who the owner is. OP pretended she didn't know. It would be easier for the vet if OP had told them.