Adopted shelter dog - 5 months later owner wants her back

[NorCalDressage]

We adopted a young female from the county shelter. She had been picked up as a stray. Was on normal stray hold for about a week and then made available. We adopted her 5 months ago.

Just get a call from Animal Control that the owner contacted them and (of course) wants her back. AC of course tells us the owner is out of luck unless we want to make contact or arrange something ourselves. AC tells me apparently the dog was owned by an 8 year old (with parents hopefully?) that was in a car accident and in the hospital for an extended amount of time. The dog was supposed to be cared for by someone else but apparently that person took it to the shelter?? Which doesn’t make sense because they told us she was picked up as a stray and where she was running loose.

I told AC that they could give my phone # to the family and they could contact me but that we are not going to give the dog to her. The dog has adjusted to our home, our dogs, etc. I don’t think it’s fair to the dog to change her life again. I would be open to the girl/family meeting her at a dog park, but would be leery of giving them our home address - is that being too paranoid? I want to be fair to the family, but also feel this story seems a little questionable. Also, the dog had recently had a little of puppies (based on her teats/udder) and although she is purebred, she is not the quality that a responsible person would purposely breed. She’s a lovely dog, just has some conformational issues. She is also very young - this was probably her first or second heat when she was bred - and that just adds to my “questioning” of the situation.

Any advice on how to handle?

[hosspuller]

Too many discontinuities and time. Leave A/C to deal with former owners. Have no contact with them.

[jherold]

The story makes sense if the person taking care of the dog let it get out and it was subsequently picked up as a stray. But I don’t think you’re paranoid. There are all sorts of crazies out there and no good deed goes unpunished and all that. I’d probably do the same thing.

[kimkatsooo]

Do NOT meet them. Offer to send a “happy” picture of YOUR dog and tell them this is all they get.

Do they know she is spayed? I bet they do not want her once they know this!

Thank with your head and not your heart. Just like jherold said—No good deed goes unpunished. Better safe than sorry.

[Casey09]

Call me mean, but I wouldn’t give them my phone number. I’d send a nice picture to the shelter to pass along to them. Sad as it is, I don’t think it would be good for the dog to transfer ownership back after she has been in a stable environment for 5 months.

[littleum]

Don’t get involved.

[gaitedincali]

@NorCalDressage;7578773

AC tells me apparently the dog was owned by an 8 year old (with parents hopefully?) that was in a car accident and in the hospital for an extended amount of time. The dog was supposed to be cared for by someone else but apparently that person took it to the shelter?? Which doesn’t make sense because they told us she was picked up as a stray and where she was running loose.

While I admittedly am overly cynical, I will mention that I have heard many variations on this sob story as a reason for people not taking care of their dog. There’s a running joke at work about never letting a relative take your dog when you’re sick or on vacation, because in just one week it will develop matting that usually takes 6mo-year to develop, get chronic health problems that only appear to have been left untreated for months, run away and get picked up by the pound, get sold on CL by “accident”, etc.

I would not give out your phone #.

[Rudy]

Give firm NO to AC and then stay the hell out of it.

Do not make contact. Do not open communication lines…nadda

AC followed protocol on rehoming the dog and you have a well adjusted pet. The thing I am shocked at is that AC is trying to involve you in this situation.

[JanM]

No way would I contact these people, or you will be opening up all kinds of problems. Don’t forget that with caller I.D. that someone could easily get your address, or if they get your name they can find you fairly easily. I suspect that once they find out she’s spayed that they will no longer be interested, just as kim said. Don’t leave your gate unsecured, or the dog in the yard unsupervised either.

[RainyDayRide]

too late … the OP has already told AC that they can pass on her phone number.

No way should she talk to the people or even meet with them in a public space.

[suz]

sad story but no way no how. the dog is yours after all of this time.

[fourfillies]

Nice pic via AC. Nothing else.

[bits619]

Absolutely not. That was one of my biggest concerns after I adopted my dog from the pound, who was picked up as a stray… That someone would recognize him and want to get him back.
Call animal control back and tell them not to hand out the phone number if they haven’t yet. Drop off a happy photo of the dog for the former owners to see if they’d like.

[Roxyllsk]

No way would I let them see the dog, and no way would I even talk to them. Take a picture, write a little note saying how much you love her and that she is in a great home now and has a great life. And I would only do that if you were feeling generous.

[RackNRoll]

[QUOTE=bits619;7578986]
Call animal control back and tell them not to hand out the phone number if they haven’t yet. [/QUOTE]

Ditto this.

8 year old children are not dog breeders.

Responsible breeders do not purposefully breed adolescent dogs, and do not keep intact dogs and have accidental breedings. A dog’s first or second heat often occurs at only 6 months and 12 months of age.

Responsible owners do not need 5 WHOLE MONTHS to figure out their dog is missing, nor do they need 5 WHOLE MONTHS to decide they’d like to try to get it back.

Their whole story is an eye-roller for me.

[NorCalDressage]

Appreciate all of the advice! Yes, the more I thought about it, I totally made a mistake okaying my phone & email. I should have taken some time to think about it first - live and learn! It wouldn’t take too much for them to find my address online. Our dogs are mostly inside dogs and are never left outside alone. Hopefully these are people who just made a mistake, not crazies! The previous owner left a voice mail and email. I responded to the email just now stating basically she has a loving and forever home and I hope she finds comfort in that. I’m definitely not going to meet her. I did mention she was spayed.

[alto]

I’d ensure that dog is microchipped & visibly tattooed.

You are obviously the best home for this dog so just stick to your guns :yes:

[FalseImpression]

no way, no how.
I hope they do not start harassing you. Or showing up. Say so in an email so you have a proof you did tell them.
Glad the dog is happy.She probably would not remember the 8 yo IF there was one!

[Chall]

You are a tough crowd, but I guess you have more experience.
Would you have the same position if the dog was lost for only three weeks?

[S1969]

[QUOTE=Chall;7579301]
You are a tough crowd, but I guess you have more experience.
Would you have the same position if the dog was lost for only three weeks?[/QUOTE]

That was my first thought…the dog wasn’t lost very long. BUT…I’d want a lot more information, and no, I wouldn’t have given my home phone number.

I’d at least want vet references, pictures, and for someone (not me, probably) to hear the story from the person that was supposed to be watching the dog…as well as to know what efforts they took to find the dog.

I still might not return it, but I’d feel terrible if it was someone’s beloved pet.

And I actually own a cat that was supposed to be cared for by someone while the owner was in a rehab situation, and they let it out. Lots more detail to it (how they needed it back, then abandoned it again!) but the poor owner never really knew any of it.