Neighbor X Took Neighbor Y's Pet to Shelter. WWYD?

[Bicoastal]

Neighbor X declared to me “Pet’s Name doesn’t have a home, we’ve been feeding it for six months, it has no shelter. It doesn’t have a home. So I called to confirm SPCA is a no-kill shelter, told them I’ve been feeding it for six months, it has no shelter from the weather, it’s a stray. They said they would take it.”

I was so taken aback I didn’t say enough at the moment.

I told Neighbor X, who was new, months ago, “Oh, that’s Pet’s Name. It has a home. It lives over there with Neighbor Y.” Yes, its hungry. Yes, it was skinny. Yes, it is outdoors. Yes, it has fleas and ticks. But yes, it definitely has a home. Then I told myself MYOB.

Seems they kept feeding the pet, because pet was always hanging around. At some point Neighbor X told me, “Pet comes around like clockwork for breakfast and dinner. Haha. Guess it adopted us.” I told myself MYOB. At least now it is well fed.

Well the neighbor turned it in as a stray! I know we sometimes promote that on COTH, hopeful pet will get an upgrade. Or it will live out its years in a cage until it dies.

Just because you don’t agree with how someone cares for their pets, doesn’t give you a right to take them and turn them into a shelter.

So do I keep my mouth shut or tell Neighbor X they need to tell Neighbor Y where their pet is because I’m not complicit and I’m not keeping their secret?

[Simkie]

If they’re not feeding it, or housing it, or taking care of it’s medical needs…what exactly are they doing in an “ownership” roll?

It sounds like this dog just got a huge upgrade. I’d keep my mouth shut. What on earth is there to gain–for ANYONE–in sharing this info?

[lenapesadie]

Leave it be. If neighbor Y comes around asking you about, say have you asked Neighbor X? No deets.

Frankly not providing food, shelter and medical care isn’t a case of “I don’t agree” that’s a case of neglect.

[Bicoastal]

I never said it was a dog . Does that change people’s perspectives?

I know Neighbor Y’s pet care and dynamics. Food, water, and shelter were always available. A heated area in winter. One pet would drive out the other, so this one got skinny. Do I treat my pets the same? No. But the care meets legal requirements and is how a lot of people with barns keep such pets.

Welcome to the country, where people have outdoor pets. Don’t feed them if you don’t want to keep them.

[Bicoastal]

[quote=“Simkie, post:2, topic:786931”]
What on earth is there to gain–for ANYONE–in sharing this info?[/quote]

I think the gain is the family knowing what happened to their pet. Then they can decide to claim it or hope it gets adopted.

I feel really icky that I’ve been told and the family hasn’t. That feels complicit.

[Horsecrazy3]

Is the family looking for the pet? If not, MYOB as the pet is not important to them and all you will do is start a possible neighbor feud. Just because the pet lives outside doesn’t mean it can be neglected. It’s up to the owners to make sure all the outside pets receive the proper amount of food and water so no one pet is left skinny and looking else where for food. Skinny pet in my area would have animal control knocking on the owner’s door finding out why the outside pet was roaming and skinny.

[SummerRose]

@Bicoastal

Welcome to the country, where people have outdoor pets.

Absolutely people have outside pets. And if they keep them contained within their property and provide feed, water, and access to shelter, in many places, they can maintain them at a minimum level of care. A neighbor may not go onto the owner’s property, remove the animal, and take it to the shelter.

But the kicker there is the “keep them contained within their property.” I know a lot of people think that being in the country means that you can let your pets - of whatever species - run wild onto other people’s property but in most jurisdictions, that isn’t the case. In most jurisdictions, the owner of the property that the animal is trespassing on has the right to have it removed. Regardless of whether or not the property owner knows who it is who is letting the animal run loose. Different jurisdictions may have different rules about who has the authority to remove trespassing animals, but most jurisdictions allow people to maintain their property free of trespassing pets.

Not trying to be mean, but in my area, it’s “Welcome to the country, where many people actively practice SSS. Please keep your animals on your own property, for their sake.” This is absolutely not something that I condone, but I do feel strongly about people keeping their animals (and not just pets, but also livestock since I live in a “fence-in” state) off of my property. An I’m an animal lover.

[trubandloki]

I am confused, did neighbor X know that this pet was owned by neighbor Y or did they truly think it is a stray?

[Alterwho]

If the “owner” of this pet is really concerned about what happened to it they would go to the shelter and look For it and file a missing pet report. I don’t feel the least bit sorry for them and in that situation would do and have done the same thing. Living in the country isn’t an excuse for neglecting animals

[trubandloki]

This is the only thing that makes me worry some…

I have one of my barn cat who gets fat and lazy in the winter (heated house, heated water bowl, dry food always, wet food fed 2x per day). In the summer the same cat looses quite a bit of weight even though they eat just as much. This cat is also very food motivated so would likely gleefully take food from anyone.

Now, it does not have fleas or ticks because it is regularly treated for that, and gets regular vet care, it also has a microchip.

But those things are not obvious to someone who decides it must be starving (it is not, it is healthy thin side but to some that is skinny).

And as much as I would like my previously feral barn cat to stay on my property, they do not listen well.

If my cat went missing I would start by contacting all the local shelters so I would then find my cat (they would likely call me since the microchip is registered to me).

[Simkie]

@Bicoastal

I never said it was a dog . Does that change people’s perspectives?

Not in the least little bit. Again, what are these “owners” doing to feed, house, or care for this animal?

Dick all, it sounds like.

The only thing you need to say is that you don’t want to hear about this stuff from neighbor X.

Why on earth would you want this animal to go BACK to such neglect??

[cayuse]

If an animal is truly neglected/starving and/or suffering, I have no problem with someone else looking after it’s welfare.

[candyappy]

@Bicoastal

So do I keep my mouth shut or tell Neighbor X they need to tell Neighbor Y where their pet is because I’m not complicit and I’m not keeping their secret?

You haven’t said anything so far . If neighbor Y refuses to keep their " pet " home and properly fed/ cared for then they should expect it to lose it.

Do I think neighbor X should have said something to neighbor Y at the beginning? Yes. I doubt it would have made a difference.

[Simkie]

@Bicoastal

I never said it was a dog . Does that change people’s perspectives?

The more I think of this, the more distasteful it is. You have a list of animals that are okay to neglect?

@Bicoastal

I feel really icky that I’ve been told and the family hasn’t. That feels complicit.

You can be complicit in helping this animal get better care, or complicit in it’s neglect. One of those seems far more “icky” than the other, no?

I suspect your unease here relates to your own apathy toward the neglect of this animal, especially compared to how neighbor X was able to make a difference in it’s life–first by actually feeding it, and then by taking it somewhere it could actually be cared for. Just because “it’s the country” doesn’t mean you have to look the other way and tolerate neglect. Some introspection about this situation seems worthwhile.

[steelerino]

ACC worker here…If your pet is always on my property and not contained in yours and I’ve had a conversation with you about it yet it continues I’m taking it in.

[punchy]

@Bicoastal

I never said it was a dog . Does that change people’s perspectives?

I know Neighbor Y’s pet care and dynamics. Food, water, and shelter were always available. A heated area in winter. One pet would drive out the other, so this one got skinny. Do I treat my pets the same? No. But the care meets legal requirements and is how a lot of people with barns keep such pets.

Welcome to the country, where people have outdoor pets. Don’t feed them if you don’t want to keep them.

What are the legal requirements that type of pet ownership meets? I’m genuinely curious. It doesn’t have access to food, if the others are running it off.

I live in the country, and these are the kinds of cats that we trap if necessary and take to the vet for spay/neuter/shots and then find homes for (usually ours). I would take this one to the shelter too, if I couldn’t place it myself.

[Djones]

I have taken in and adopted tiny kittens and grown cats that appeared in my pasture or property if they were in obvious need of care, not just wandering in from the neighboring trailer park that abuts my boundary. If it’s covered in fleas and scrawny, there’s not a chance I’m strolling over there and knocking on doors. They are, in order, Boxman, Owl, Pheeble, Tindermous Maximous, and Bob. Bob was a feral stray tom cat that wanted no part of being gentled or domesticated. Bob’s no longer with us.
Dogs have been given the same, I’m not looking for your owner if you NEED obvious medical care- fleas, ticks, mange- you’re coming here and/or from there getting adopted out and/or taken to the shelter. We have some wonderful neighbors and I know their animals and they know mine, all is good- but naw, I’m your neighbor in this case and that dog or cat deserves a chance the current owner isn’t providing.

[Horsecrazy3]

In my neighborhood, a family has a beautiful border collie cross they adopted while they were in Mexico, who kept escaping from their poorly fenced property. I returned her 3 times after finding her in my woodlot. One day I returned home to find their dog and 2 different strangers waiting for me. They thought the dog was mine and wanted to let me know she had been hit by a car and had a hurt leg. I called the owners and the wife came to pick her up. The strangers stayed to relay what they had witnessed. At this point, I had enough of the excuses and told the owner, if the dog ever ended up on my property or I found her wondering the neighborhood, the dog would be going to LAPS, our animal shelter. If they wanted to keep her safe they would provided the necessary fencing to keep her from wandering. They properly fenced their back yard to keep her home and she now stays home. If any animal arrives on my doorstep in need to help, they will receive it. Thankfully, my neighbors on my road are responsible pet and livestock owners.

[Bicoastal]

How many here have barn cats? That’s the situation. Pet had a traditional barn cat life. Spayed. Cat door to a tack room, heated cat house in winter, those gravity food and water things. It also had an a-hole roommate who bullied it.

I talked about the cat’s weight with the owners and they were open to my suggestions.

Do I have barn cats? No. Do I agree with the level of care cat was getting? No. I also don’t agree with a neighbor taking the pet to a shelter claiming it’s a stray. It’s in the shelter under the same name. The name they know was given by its owners.

Laypeople exclaim my dogs are skinny. If you offer food to one of my animals, it will surely act like it’s starving. Feed it again? It’ll act like it’s starving again.

Look, if you’re gonna do this. You need to remember the last “S.” Shut up. I don’t like secrets.

ETA: I guess I can see this happening to anyone with a barn cat. They don’t stay within property lines.

[volvo_240]

@Bicoastal

Laypeople exclaim my dogs are skinny

OT but I was at a dog friendly event last weekend and was horrified at how many obese dogs there were (including one with a known hip problem in need of surgery who would very clearly benefit from losing at least 15% of his bodyweight).

Years on vet med taught me how accustomed most people are to seeing fat pets, especially cats, so that anything in healthy lean body condition is seen as too skinny.

If you want to stay out if it I’d call the shelter and tell them who the owner is. Ball is in their court yo deal with it.