Found dog and im clueless !

[BeTheHokeyMan]

Apologies on the length of this post !Was out for a drive in the country today and drove past what I thought was a bundle of clothes in the ditch, as we past I saw it was a little dog tied up with a rope .Got out and sure enough the little one seemed to have been tied to the bushes and abandoned no water no food and the sun beating down on it

Rang the local animal shelter and reported it and they asked us to bring him to them poor fella was so thirsty all I had with me was a sports top bottle of water and he tried his best to drink from it.He was so good natured dh untied him and we bought him to the rescue who checked him over for any injuries (none thankfully).They also scanned for a microchip and no sign of one .

They were full to the brim with dogs so asked if we could take him home with us ,they have to legally wait 5 days to allow the owner to make contact and if they hear nothing then they can find a forever home for him.So we bought him home he is so lovely but I have no idea how to look after a dog ! The rescue wormed him and applied a flea treatment so that's done! I've a bowl of water ,a blanket for him to lie on and I've fed him half a tin when we bought him home .

So my question is do I need to bring him out to the garden every hour or so to go to the toilet? Do I need to watch him 24/7 or can I potter and leave him to sniff and wander around the house ? We have 3 kids so plenty of rubs and petting which he seems to be loving so far but I'm also making sure they aren't being full on and annoying.

We have a large but unsecure garden so I can let him out there unsupervised or off lead (he walks beautifully on the lead!) But will be walking him twice a day from tomorrow. Rescue guess him to be approx 2-4 years and a king charles/collie mix.Any advice or tips are very much appreciated

[Bubble2bubble]

Of course they don't want to give their address, or they could be reported for having a dog without a microchip

[olliegarchy99]

apologies OP for raising the query about the dog licence - I had assumed you were in the UK
Is there an equivalent of the RSPCA in Ireland who looks after the welfare of dogs in the case of neglect? ISPCA?
I see the penalties for not having a dog micro-chipped are quite high in Southern Ireland /Eire so I hope the owner now gets the poor dog chipped so he can be returned more quickly.
You did your best and tried to help - most of us would have done the same.

[BeTheHokeyMan]

Thanks again for all the replies and to namechanging for also sharing the view of an owner in a similar position. Apologies I should have mentioned I'm in southern Ireland so dog licenses are still required by law here. I am often in and about that area where I found him so will no doubt come across the little guy again . I relayed the full conversation that I had with the owner to the rescue including the comments about chains and electric collars but they said their hands are tied ,once a dog is fed,watered and has adequate shelter they can't do a thing . I asked will they be doing a follow up welfare check and they said the owner refused to give their address ( they were also evasive with me too when I enquired if they lived near where I found him they would only say they lived within 1/2 a mile of it ) Felt very sad during the night thinking about him tied up in a yard in the dark when the night before he was sleeping between dh and I

[Bahhhhhumbug]

'Fecking' < throws phone out of window>

[Venusflytwat]

What humbug said. I might find myself driving round there a few times. Just in case...

[Bahhhhhumbug]

Fechin autocorrect l meant rehome

[Bahhhhhumbug]

I bet if you hung around where they live or where you found him now and again when you've got time sooner or later you'd find him again and this time l wouldnt be handing him back. Phone the RSPCA l know they have a reputation for putting dogs down if they can't remove but if you told them you would have him if it happened again ( him getting out l mean)

[Bahhhhhumbug]

would

[Bahhhhhumbug]

Oh no ! Did you suggest to him you wodo have him if ever they couldn't cope (or now !! ) ?

[NameChangingForObviousReasons]

Oh, and BTW, those were the times before the microchips were invented but the dog had a collar with a tag with the address, but although the park was just around the corner, she was found without the collar. By the time she was collected she was sharing a first name with my sister and responded to it

[NameChangingForObviousReasons]

OP, your posts resonate with me as I have been in a similar position but on the side of the owner.

Our dog was 12 years old and free to go between the house and the garden all her life, she was always walked on the lead, was very well taken care for, was very well trained, she was my little friend from when I was 12 years old and I couldn't stop talking about how wonderful she was.

Then one day we had builders in the house and one left a door of the house open at a time the garden's door was open and she was gone.

I drove around my neighbourhood and near Ines for weeks, we offered a reward, we put adds in the newspaper and even one in the radio. We got a lot of weirdos calling pretending to have the dog including one that seem to be masturbating while I was trying to make him tell me where the dog was (that's how sick the world is)

Eventually a woman living a fair distance away from us called saying that her brother had brought the dog to the house but was refusing to return her because he thought if the dog had left it was because it was mistreated and despite all the reward ads, he thought we didn't care about her as we were not faster at finding her. The woman called because she could see that it was a very old dog with good manners and nature and she didn't think she would be that if she had been mistreated or neglected.

On pick up the woman told us that her brother noticed her under a bush in a park on the day that she was lost, and brought her home when he realised she was still there 2 days later. I drove by that park several times but being under a bush I didn't see her.

So, although you may find it upsetting that such sweet natured dog's owner is not making a fuss, they care for it. A neglected dog wouldn't trust you to fall sleep near to you and certainly won't sit or rollover, teaching a dog to rollover takes quite a bit of time and dedication and not many people bother with it because it is not a essential skill. Those kids might spend quite a bit of time around him.

So please don't worry for the little dog, he has some owners that have cared well for him.

I now have a RSPCA dog that also lost for a walk and lost her way. I don't know much about the dog apart that she was picked up in a busy area by the dog warden in a dreadful state. But the little thing is the most affectionate dog ever, she is incredibly trusting, it is like having a cheeky teddy bear that is always ready for a cuddle, a game, etc. If it was a rabbit I would tell you she was pretty well tamed as she really seem to enjoy being handled and fussed over.

I'm sure there are some devastated people out there missing her, their only sin being not having her microchipped. Considering the dog's only problem is that she gets violently sick in the car and doesn't enjoy being taken to busy places, I can only imagine that the owners didn't have a car to go and search around for her and were definitively not anywhere near to where the dog was found.

[olliegarchy99]

feel so sorry for the poor dog
they did not care enough to get him microchipped or at least a tag.
and to tie him up! and not greet and hug him and be thankful he was found. Sadly some people should never have dogs as they really do not care for them.
dog licence? - I thought they were abolished years ago.
OP you did a very good thing and gave that dog a few days of being appreciated and taken care of so for you and your family.

[Justhadmyhaircut]

Op you need a disguise. . Balaclava. . And some mners for alibis. .
After dark you need to go snatch him for the garden. . .
(lighthearted before I am flamed. )
Poor dog though. .
I bet it's not the last you see of him. . .

[Bubble2bubble]

That's gutting OP :(
Such a typical story though ( around where I live anyway) - people want a dog 'for the yard' but have no inclination to keep them safe, and if anyone complains the dog ends up chained 😡

[Abra1d]

Bastard doesn't deserve him.

[BeTheHokeyMan]

Hi again everyone-he was just collected Had to ring the rescue again at 2 as no word from the owner,they got in contact with them and asked them to ring me .Woman rang she was a bit off in manner,never asked if he was OK never thanked me , just asked for my address and said she would be with me within the hour.No sign of her at all then I get a text to say her husband would collect at 6 ! Followed by lots of kisses and dog emojis

6pm comes and goes till there was a knock and asked the man in dog wags his tail ,goes for a rub but the man shook his finger at him and said 'oh you are in trouble' and the dog just deflates He had a dog license and photos of his kids with the dog on his phone so it was definitely his.Asked what had happened he said the dog constantly wanders is nearly always tied up with a rope and that he has no idea what to do with him!? I suggested neutering and making the garden secure if he insists on keeping him outdoors the majority of the time .He said the garden is too large and would cost too much money to fence and that he had already forked out for electric radio fence/ collar and it hadn't worked

I suggested they microchip the dog and buy an identification medal for his collar .He said he was going to buy a chain :-/ He said that dog went missing two days ago and as I said they seemed used to it doing that so didn't bother looking .Obviously someone found the dog wandering with the ropes hanging off it and tied it to the ditch in order to maybe keep it off the road but the family only live half a mile from where he was tied so I don't know how they didn't spot him tied up or how no one recognized the dog ?

All in all I feel sad and angry but I couldn't refuse to hand the dog over as they had been cleared by the rescue .All I can think of is that lovely little dog is probably going to end up shot by a farmer or knocked down

[picklemepopcorn]

No news?

[GinIsIn]

If I found a dog tied up to die in a ditch and I couldn't be satisfied the owners hadn't done it, I really wouldn't care what the rescue had decided!

[Medeci]

I don't think it's up to the OP to decide whether to let the dog go to the owners as rescue have already made the decision.

[GinIsIn]

Even if they are the owners that's not evidence they didn't do this to that poor dog. Please don't let him go too easily!

[Alittlepotofrosie]

What exactly are you suggesting she reports it to the police for? no crime has been committed, a lost dog has been found and the owners have been contacted. From the previous posts and the photo the dog is in good condition and the rescue said it looks well fed so what crime has been committed that needs police involvement?

[Justhadmyhaircut]

Why not advise them the police are looking into suspected animal cruelty charges?
Report to the police. .
Give as much info as you can.

[Medeci]

The owner's story makes sense to me, although I'd still want more evidence, such as seeing how dog reacts to them, photos etc.
Dog seems healthy and well cared for and friendly to people so unlikely to have been mistreated.
Whoever found him could have mistakenly thought he'd be easily spotted if he was at the side of the road, tied up for his own safety.

[LumelaMme]

Well, I hope they are his real owners, and that they really do care - but give them a polite earful about the law on microchips.

He looks a cute boy.

[Mustang27]

Yep I'd want proof. Don't hand him over unless you are entirely sure. Obviously I'd be gutted if this was my dogs but they are chipped and have nametags with my details. The tied up bit is what's getting me. I'd need clarification before handing the wee guy over.