In a predicament - found dog

[SmartieMeUp]

On a FB selling page, somebody posted a "found dog" wandering around in their area, RSPCA was shut as was council. My SIL commented on it saying that my MIL will take care of it. Which then I had a phone call asking if I can put up with it for one night, bearing in mind this is breaching my tenancy, I thought fair enough it's only for one night.

Anyway, MIL, SIL and OH went to pick it up. 25 mins later they returned with this dog. It was in an awful state, it was filthy, matted and definitely uncared for, but had a collar and lead attached to it. Not to mention it stunk like God knows what. After a 5 min run in the front garden we took her into the back and washed her in DD pool. She was trained and knew novice commands. But she started to attack our rabbit hutch, despite having been told and being tapped.

Once we had a little play, we made her a bed in our carpeted shed (18x8ft) with food and water, as I wasn't keeping her in the house. Especially with DD around and the smell.

I don't want this dog, I was doing a nice favour, but OH wants it, and I'm feeling pressured by others too, expecting me to fork out for grooming and take care of it full time. What do I do?

 

[ladyluck8181]

Call the council stray dog department, do not under any circumstances feel pressured into keeping a mutt off the streets. You do not know its history, or even if it is vaccinated or anything about it

 

[ladyluck8181]

Lmao just realised your in donny, they defo have a stray dog department who collect them! We've rung before as you get them a lot here.

 

[Vicyi]

I agree, i would not take in a stay dog when i have a LO in the house. The RSPCA should be able to take it off of your hands and help it find a nice new home. x

 

[missk1989]

Could you maybe compromise? Tell OH you want it sent to a rescue centre where they will do a full health check, vaccinations and behavioural monitoring and then if it all comes back clean you will consider it, providing another family hasnt already stepped in?

 

[SarahP13]

Maybe I'm missing something but have you not considered that there could be a family out there missing their pet?! Given it had a collar and lead it obviously belongs to someone and therefore is not yours to keep. I appreciate that RSPCA may have been closed when the dog was first found but you should be getting in touch with them- or any vet- ASAP to check for a chip. If the dog was lost for several days/weeks that would explain the dirty, matted coat and it sounds like it's been trained so clearly had a half decent owner at some point.

Obviously if no owner turns up then you could consider adopting it but you would need RSPCA approval and, personally, I wouldn't adopt a dog with unknown history when I have LO's. Also if your tenancy says no pets then you would have to talk to your landlord.

 

[lilyd]

I love dogs, but I wouldn't have a dog in my house with LO's unless I had an idea of its history and temperament.

 

[SmartieMeUp]

She is a lovely dog, and loves a fuss, so kudos to the previous owner, but it clearly shows they don't care that much to just let it go without letting it into the public. It's been plastered on FB in posts, I've posted it on the lost and found UK sites this morning. I was doing a good deed in looking after it for the night making sure it was clean, had a warm bed and some food. But it's definitely not microchipped as the original finder scanned for one.

I've tried ringing RSPCA and no answer just put through to an automated machine saying they can't take in stray dogs and gives the number for the dog warden. I rang the warden 10 times since 12pm and after 8-9 rings it's "I'm sorry but the person you are trying to call is not available". They don't seem phased.

OH admitted he'd only keep it for sympathy being that he knows it won't get hurt. So it isn't the actual fact he wants to keep it for the love of it.

 

[Bex84]

Have you tried ringing vets. We found a pet rabbit once (turned out to be from few doors down) we luckily had old cage from our rabbit so he was fed, watered and comfy. We went to local vets and they looked for details on their records and then rang around. We also put letter through doors of our road to see if anyone missing him. They were slow to pick him up (they got home but wasent till we knocked later after someone told us they had rabbit of that description they came got him) I know are local vets are happy to ring around if they have description as I have heard them do it other times been in there when picking up my cats flea treetment

 

[SmartieMeUp]

MIL and OH have took her to the vets to get scanned properly and checked over (there now) and just received a call off OH saying that the microchip is stating that it's a cat? I noticed earlier when I bathed her again that she must have had a tag on her collar, but the keyring was only left of it. As if somebody had manually took it off.

MIL finally got through to the council earlier too which forwarded her to a kennel at the other end of town. We've been told to keep the dog for another 24 hours in case somebody claims her since being advertised, instead of wasting £80 of an official owner to collect her from the kennels.

She was found in a total different area to us, so the note posting won't work in this instance, so really we're depending on FB to make the real owner come forward.

This is her anyway. Before and after.

Spoiler

 

[SmartieMeUp]

OH's back. Vets managed to track her details and get in contact with her assigned owner. He then rehomed her due to being unable to care for her, and now he's trying to get in touch with them. Phew.

 

[special_kala]

How could your OH have kept it, its a lost dog so someone else owns it.

 

[SmartieMeUp]

I have no idea in all honesty. I told him it was somebody else's pet and we just did a good deed of keeping her safe for one night. He just thought I was being biased due to breed. But nobody reported it to be "lost", which the council and vet thought was odd. The new owners are from near my area, but had ran 4 miles away. So, they couldn't have cared that much to not even report her missing.

 

[lhancock90]

I'm glad shes being rehomed! You couldn't of kept her anyway? Not just because shes someone elses but the tenancy thing?

 

[SmartieMeUp]

It was a risk as it was being here with DD, luckily she wasn't introduced to the dog. If it was a serious agreement then I'd have spoken to my agency about the tenancy.

 

[Equreuil]

Don't let yourself be pressured. For one, you said it's against your tenancy. Second, it tried to attack your other pets. Finally, there's plenty of evidence that the dog has an owner.

Take him to the local shelter as soon as it's open. There's a chance the owner has already contacted them, looking. If not, they will make an effort to locate the owner, and care for him in the meantime.

Edit: just read the updates. Glad it's getting worked out!