A doggy dilemma.

Forums: Pets, Dogs, Rehoming Pets
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Mo has been working and saving his money all summer so that he could buy a dog. Every day he has cruised the shelters and craigslist looking for a dog that needs a home (I wouldn't let him buy from a breeder).

Today he found one that he really liked. We drove out, looked the dog over, took it for a walk and he decided that it was the dog for him.

The people were rehoming her because they couldn't afford to build the fence their landlord required for them to keep a dog that would grow to this size.

We came home and I told him he had to take the dog for a walk before he brought it in the house so we took off with Diamond (our dog we've had for 6 years) and the new pup for a long walk. We stopped at our regular dog park and introduced the pup around. Then we brought her home.

Mr. B was here and he told us the dog's other owners had called begging for us to return the pup. Mr. B said the guy was kind of frantic. His kids were all miserable and crying for the dog (they didn't seem that upset when we left).

Mo says "No. It's my dog now. I love her. I'm keeping her."

I'm supposed to call the guy back. I'm sure I'll hear a real sob story and honestly, I do really feel for people who have to go through rehoming a pet that they've loved.

What would you do in such a situation?

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@boomerang,

I would return the dog.

I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Wondering what I would do if the people we got Bella from wanted her back. I would have returned her in the first couple of weeks if their living situation had changed - or seemed about to change.

edit: it's not actually a question in my mind. One simply does what is best for the animal. A dog belongs with its pack - if they can make the required modification to allow them to keep her - the best thing for the dog is to be returned to her family.

I have lots more to say on the subject since the loss of Cleo and the arrival of Bella is quite fresh - but bottom line - it's what is best for the dog.

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@ehBeth,

I kind of feel the same way.

But this dog is only 16 weeks old. They'd had it for less than a month. If it was a dog they'd had for years there would be no question in my mind about what was the right thing to do.

Mo is being pretty steadfast. How would you convince him, if you were in my shoes?

Is it fair for us to make him return something that he worked for and paid for on his own?

1 Reply

@boomerang,

Honestly, I don't think it's a question of convincing.

The dog belongs with her pack.

I can't find any way to rationalize the dog staying in your home (there could be other details that might make me change my mind - but based on what you've posted - nope)

___

... and next time out look at rescue groups and consider a foster-to-adopt

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

They posted her for sale and said they were unable to keep her in their current situation. Their situation hasn't changed in the last two hours -- (we picked the dog up at about 3:30).

Anyway....

He just called me back and I told him that I would talk to Mo but that right now Mo was saying "No."

1 Reply

@boomerang,

Seriously? Tough for Mo.

If we were real-life friends, I would talk to you about getting into this situation. Buying pets from individuals never seems to have good results. It comes up in rescue group discussions all the time.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

Educate me -- why is it a bad idea? Because of things like this or is there more to the story?

This was very typical of the craigslist pets. A small fee to make sure that the dog wasn't going to be used for something else (craigslist warns not to give animals away). It's a mutt, not a specific breed of dog. They weren't backyard breeders or anything of the sort.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

craigslist

huge red flag right there

messy situations seem to abound with pets found through craigslist and other similar sites

did you take the dog to the vet before bringing her home?

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

Nope. But we got their vet records and called the vet.

And why would they want the dog back if something was wrong with the dog?

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

Mo says "No. It's my dog now. I love her. I'm keeping her."

The logic seems to be on Mo's side. Anyhow, would you want to return a good (I presume) dog to a home that was so quick to sell her? How about one that is so fickle as to change their minds so quickly?

1 Reply

@roger,

She seems to be a good dog. A little thin for a puppy. A little nervous (understandable). She isn't very good on a leash (they walked her on one of those leashes that extends) but she has decent manners for a puppy.

Right now she's sleeping. All the other pets are curious but leaving her to herself.

I guess I can see returning her because I totally get how upset the kids might be. They didn't seem that upset when we left with her but I know things like this can be really traumatic over time. I can't imagine getting a pet and then giving it up. I can't imagine it for them AND I can't imagine it for Mo.

When I talked to the man he seemed pretty okay with everything but I think his kids are giving him a hard time so he called to test the waters.

I told him I would call him tomorrow and we'd see how things were going. I'll talk to Mo more tonight but I think his mind is made up.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

I'd start by finding out what they've done about the fence requirement.

If they've sorted that out, I'd tell Mo the dog is going back. No convincing required.

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@boomerang,

boomerang wrote:

Nope. But we got their vet records and called the vet.

And why would they want the dog back if something was wrong with the dog?

that question was in reference to risks to your current pets

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

If they could have done something about the fence it seems like they would have done that before listing the dog looking for a new home but I'll check with him tomorrow when we talk.

I think you're wrong about convincing.

1 Reply

@boomerang,

No definite conclusion from me, but I do have two points.

(1) It's Mo's dog now. If I thought he should return her, I would make my case to him, but I'd leave the final decision to him. That's what working for something and paying for it and owning it means. With a 16-week puppy, pack allegiance isn't really an issue. She'll be happy in both packs. While I'm sorry the old pack is upset, its feelings do not trump the new pack's feelings. And the new pack, too, will be upset too if you return her. So, I'd make it Mo's decision.

(2) The old owners had to give the dog away because they had to build the fence and couldn't afford it. How does the owners' children's crying change that? How does the crying enable them to pay for that fence --- not to mention the puppy's upkeep --- after all? Do they want to take their chances with their landlord and risk that the dog go through the same process again when they don't end up building that fence? In deciding whether I'd advise Mo to give the dog back or not, the basis for my decision couldn't be a sob story. It would have to be a clear and credible concept from the old pack for making the puppy's life with it work.

While I'm glad I'm not in your position, I'm leaning towards letting Mo keep her.

2 Replies

@ehBeth,

All my pets are up to date on all of their vaccines and they have all the precautionary things going on (heartworm, flea control) so I think they're fine. If there are other kinds of worms I'm sure we can deal with it.

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@Thomas,

Thomas wrote:

. With a puppy, pack allegiance isn't really an issue. She'll be happy in both packs.

I couldn't disagree more intensely with that.

2 Replies

@boomerang,

I know.

I get that you're generally here to work through your way to rationalizing something you've already decided on.

I post my view, opposing or not, for future readers of the thread.

1 Reply

@ehBeth,

ehBeth wrote:

I couldn't disagree more intensely with that.

How many 16-week-old puppies have you known who pined for their old pack for longer than a few days? How long did 4-year-old Bella pine for her old pack, for that matter?

1 Reply

@Thomas,

That's kind of where I am -- this has to be Mo's decision. Right now, his decision is "no".

But I'm not unsympathetic to the previous owners. I don't think Mo is either. He's a pretty sympathetic guy.

I know Mo will take good care of the dog. He takes our dog out several times a day. We usually walk about 3 miles every morning and then Mo takes him out on his bike and then later he takes him to the dog park. Mo is dog crazy. Seriously dog crazy.

Now he has his own dog -- one he saved for and picked out himself -- and he's in seventh heaven.

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A doggy dilemma.

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