[QUOTE=JanM;7582897]
I would be totally enraged that private information was given out by AC.[/QUOTE]
To be clear, AC only gave out OP’s phone number after asking her permission.
We asked our local shelter to contact our adopted dog’s sister’s new owner (how’s that for a mouthful!. They were clear that they could give our info to the other owner, but couldn’t tell us anything about them. We were of course fine with that, and the other owner contacted us shortly after 
[QUOTE=JSwan;7582997]
The sob story sounds a little fishy to me.
Then again, I am still looking for my hound; who disappeared over one year ago.
Well cared for much loved pets do get out. Just because someone finds their dog months after it was lost - does not mean they just discovered it was missing or they did not care.
Some people look for lost/stolen pets for years - and never get closure.
That owner is lucky. At least they know their dog is ok. After this much time it’s kind of ballsy to ask for the dog back. Then again… if I found Atticus I’d ask for him back too. I’m sure the local shelters are sick of me sending them photos.
I can see both sides of it. But given your story I’d guess that the dog is better off with you. I can only hope that if my Atticus is in someone’s home, that they love him as much as I did.[/QUOTE]
Your post just shook me to my core!
I’m not sure if it’s because I have a beagle and I couldn’t imagine loosing him, but there’s also a person in my area who has been missing a dachshund for over a year and they run and ad in the paper every day, and are constantly refreshing signs in a 50 mile radius. Someone was pet sitting and he scooted out the door.
I guess that’s why micro chips are so important. Can someone erase your micro chip you have put in? I know you can update one but how does a company know you didn’t steal the dog?
[QUOTE=Meredith Clark;7583259]
Your post just shook me to my core!
I’m not sure if it’s because I have a beagle and I couldn’t imagine loosing him, but there’s also a person in my area who has been missing a dachshund for over a year and they run and ad in the paper every day, and are constantly refreshing signs in a 50 mile radius. Someone was pet sitting and he scooted out the door.
I guess that’s why micro chips are so important. Can someone erase your micro chip you have put in? I know you can update one but how does a company know you didn’t steal the dog?[/QUOTE]
The company for my microchips (cats) requests proof of ownership (i.e. a bill of sale) and also charges to change the ownership.
I dont see microchips making a difference in this case, do you?
[QUOTE=Chall;7583388]
I dont see microchips making a difference in this case, do you?[/QUOTE]
I do. Had the dog had one, the shelter would have likely called the owner instead of making the dog available for adoption.
If I was the previous owner, I can understand her wanting to check if the dog was in a good home and happy - there may be a slim chance of the OP (or new owner)
not finding the new dog a perfect match and being kind of happy to return the dog.
It would not necessarily unsettle the dog - it would fit right back where it left off five months ago.
Not saying that in this instance the dog should go back, but I would at least try if it was mine and I cared about it. I also would not expect it back, but would think it worth they try.
[QUOTE=JanM;7582426]
After thinking about this, are you positive the dog you adopted is the actually the former owner’s dog? With the age discrepancy, and the flaky story, I’m wondering if the dog you have is even the dog they used to have.[/QUOTE]
Yes, I definitely considered that! Re-looking at the pics she sent me, and although I can’t be 100%, I’m quite certain it’s the same dog.
[QUOTE=Casey09;7583487]
I do. Had the dog had one, the shelter would have likely called the owner instead of making the dog available for adoption.[/QUOTE]
Yes, AC is quite happy to be able to send the dogs back to owners - they always scan for microchips.
I’m not sure what their exact policy would be about spaying before releasing it to the owner if the dog does have a registered chip. Usually any dog found running stray is not released until spay/neut and rabies done. The owner then has to pay for those fees plus impound fees and county/city licensing fees. I can certainly imagine that some people do not claim their dogs due to expense - they figure they can just get another puppy somewhere…
Agreed. If I was the former owner, I’d be upset, but accept that the animal had a new happy home. But I’d also express my interest in the dog being returned to me if they were having issues or had to rehome it.
[QUOTE=Chall;7583388]
I dont see microchips making a difference in this case, do you?[/QUOTE]
Here’s a difference from Homeagain’s web site…
Two Years Later! My bolding …
In November of 2009, our Doberman Red got lost. We looked everywhere for her for days and could not find her. I called HomeAgain and notified them of the unfortunate situation. We would drive around the neighborhood when we heard an ambulance to listen for her howl, but no matter what we did we could not find her. On November 9th, 2011, I received a call from the pet hospital in Kernville, CA saying that our dog Red was scanned at their hospital. It turns out that she was running around in Bodfish and a concerned person took the time to do the right thing and have her microchip scanned at the hospital. Lucky for us we were able to be reunited with our family member and bring her home. We are so thankful for HomeAgain and for the people who took the time to find Red’s owner. Thank you!
Every shelter in this area (that I’ve asked), routinely scans dogs for a chip.
I meant in this case; the OP now believes the previous owner is actually the previous owner.
If I understand it the dog was in the shelter one week, then adopted out.
Microchipped, if the shelter couldn’t contact the owner or say the owner couldn’t afford the fines, the dog still ends up in somewhen else’s home.
[QUOTE=Chall;7584867]
I meant in this case; the OP now believes the previous owner is actually the previous owner.
If I understand it the dog was in the shelter one week, then adopted out.
Microchipped, if the shelter couldn’t contact the owner or say the owner couldn’t afford the fines, the dog still ends up in somewhen else’s home.[/QUOTE]
Usually the microchip company has several numbers. If the animal is chipped, then the shelter usually has a name and previous address. My experience has been that they will put a lot of effort into trying to reach the listed owner. Fines can be an obstacle, but there was a man here that didn’t have the money to pay the fines and I know that the shelter was able to work with him.
I think that the real obstacle would have been finding someone to care for the dog for months. My guess is that even if the owner had been reached, she may have had to allow the shelter to adopt the dog out because she might not have been able to find anyone to keep the dog.
She would have had the chance to try, though. I am actually for requiring microchipping of all dogs with their licenses because they are very useful.
[QUOTE=Casey09;7585155]
… I am actually for requiring microchipping of all dogs with their licenses because they are very useful.[/QUOTE]
I am a proponent of micro chipping. All of my dogs have been chipped and the chip registered.
I am against gov’t requiring the chip though. Pet ownership has responsibilities. Don’t do the right thing from laziness or negligence and suffer the sad story. (as this post tells) It is not up to the gov’t to make people act responsibly
[QUOTE=hosspuller;7585504]
I am against gov’t requiring the chip though. Pet ownership has responsibilities. Don’t do the right thing from laziness or negligence and suffer the sad story. (as this post tells) It is not up to the gov’t to make people act responsibly[/QUOTE]
To add to this thought, what makes anyone thing the people who do not microchip are going to bother to license their dog?
[QUOTE=Casey09;7582986]
However, Dobermans tend to look a lot like other Dobermans of the same color pattern.[/QUOTE]
We have three Dobies now (had four until a year and a half ago) and even if they were all the same color, the differences in their face/head shape and chest depth are huge. Let alone the differences between their ears and tails (yes, cropped and docked…but in this case not relevant because the OP’s dog is not cropped and docked). In the dark without seeing their coat colors, I can tell which dog it is by face shape.
And if this dear girl is actually 7 years old, odds are she’ll already have some (not a ton, but enough to notice) grey hairs around her muzzle and under her chin. A 2-year-old would definitely not.
[QUOTE=hosspuller;7585504]
I am a proponent of micro chipping. All of my dogs have been chipped and the chip registered.
I am against gov’t requiring the chip though. Pet ownership has responsibilities. Don’t do the right thing from laziness or negligence and suffer the sad story. (as this post tells) It is not up to the gov’t to make people act responsibly[/QUOTE]
I think that one of the primary advantages would be in the case of dumped dogs - people would be less likely to just abandon a dog if they knew that a shelter would be calling them about the dog. I live in an area where a lot of people abandon their dogs, and I really think it is animal cruelty. Of course we do have very low compliance with dog licensing, so that would be the issue.
[QUOTE=asb_own_me;7585597]
We have three Dobies now (had four until a year and a half ago) and even if they were all the same color, the differences in their face/head shape and chest depth are huge. Let alone the differences between their ears and tails (yes, cropped and docked…but in this case not relevant because the OP’s dog is not cropped and docked). In the dark without seeing their coat colors, I can tell which dog it is by face shape.
And if this dear girl is actually 7 years old, odds are she’ll already have some (not a ton, but enough to notice) grey hairs around her muzzle and under her chin. A 2-year-old would definitely not.[/QUOTE]
Well, yes, but in terms of identifying marks and to people who don’t know the dog in question well, they look similar. I have two dogs of the same breed. One is tall and narrow, one is short and wide. One is darker. One has cropped ears and one doesn’t. There is a lady that sees and interacts with them several times a week that gets them mixed up.
[QUOTE=Casey09;7585787]
Well, yes, but in terms of identifying marks and to people who don’t know the dog in question well, they look similar. I have two dogs of the same breed. One is tall and narrow, one is short and wide. One is darker. One has cropped ears and one doesn’t. There is a lady that sees and interacts with them several times a week that gets them mixed up.[/QUOTE]
I agree; however, the OP mentioned being able to see a photograph of the dog in question. It’s here on p. 6; I hadn’t read that far when I replied (d’oh!) and it looks like she’s fairly certain it’s the same dog.
Grey hairs would be a dead giveaway, though.
The age discrepancy could very well be that they got the dog’s age wrong at AC. I adopted a border collie mix who was said to be 2 years old at the time. Later when she was supposed to be 7 and was showing signs of loosing her sight I took her to an eye specialist who told me that based on her lense condition she was at least 10 years old. In my case they were off by 3 years and I have a hard time believing that a 7 year old dobie would still look very youthful but it could happen.
Either way if I were in your situation I certainly would not be giving the dog back. I am also surprised that AC even called you about this
[QUOTE=adelmo95;7587766]
The age discrepancy could very well be that they got the dog’s age wrong at AC. I adopted a border collie mix who was said to be 2 years old at the time. Later when she was supposed to be 7 and was showing signs of loosing her sight I took her to an eye specialist who told me that based on her lense condition she was at least 10 years old. In my case they were off by 3 years and I have a hard time believing that a 7 year old dobie would still look very youthful but it could happen.
Either way if I were in your situation I certainly would not be giving the dog back. I am also surprised that AC even called you about this[/QUOTE]
It’s because, for some reason, all strays are two years old unless they’re so toothless and arthritic no one would believe it. I guess it’s meant to encourage people to adopt them. I got taken in the same way with my border collie - I was told she was 3 when I got her (the people who adopted her as a stray got her when she was “two.”) She had a face full of grey hairs and incipient arthritis and may have been anywhere between five and ten, just depending on what kind of life she had before me.
Not complaining, of course. She’s been a marvelous dog and was great on sheep despite her (at the time undiagnosed) hip dysplasia. My and my vet’s best guess at her age now is somewhere between fifteen and seventeen.
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