Ethical Question: Do you return a mistreated animal to the owner?

[ted]

I'm not saying you guys aren't right on the legal aspect, but please site what laws would be broken for my own knowledge sake. Would it be considered theft of property?

what do you think so many dogs end up like this http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=c_4ZgY5VOa4 Edited September 7, 2013 by ted

[ted]

Or even worse like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=m-ch-fea&v=YJkZXh9v_i4

[Trekbike]

Ted,
Very sad for sure.

You may have not understood my post you quoted. My question centered around what laws would be broken by not returning the dog to its undeserving owner?

[ted]

Dog laws state of tn. http://www.animallaw.info/statutes/stustnst44_17_101_505.htm Edited September 7, 2013 by ted

[TMF]

I reported animal abuse once to the sheriff's department. They blew me off. I wish I would've just removed the dog myself.
Sometimes doing the "right" thing (legally) does not work.

sent barefoot from the hills of Tennessee

Yep, we've gone through the same thing. Guy got a deferred sentence, nothing on his record. The law don't care.

Right and wrong can be ambiguous on paper. It may be easy to point out what's right or wrong based on sets of rules within our society, but what is truly right or wrong is something experienced in your conscience. I don't care what anyone says, it ain't right to put that dog back where it was and I won't be party to it. He deserves a loving family.

[TMF]

[quote name="Trekbike" post="1028100" timestamp="1378499455"] So were they aware you had the dog, or was it a case of mistaken identity and you had a different dog? :)[/quote] Yep, turns out to be a case of mistaken identity. I wish them the best of luck finding their pet. Edited September 7, 2013 by TMF

[Randall53]

I feel like returning an abused animal to an abusive home is contributing to the abuse.  I refuse to be part of it. I'd find it a good home.

[whitewolf001]

I had to put down my golden retriever of 14 years Wednesday morning and I'm still struggling with it 2 days later. Some of my co-workers understand and others can't seem to grasp the grief, "It's just a damned dog". Any animal that comes under my roof is going to be treated well, not spoiled, but taken care of.

:bat: Wanna introduce me? ;)

 

That strikes home for me cause we have several dogs, one of which is a 110 lb Golden Retriever named after the first Jeep I ever rode in, Willys. Just remember that they're in a better place now and no longer in pain. <=)

[TMF]

[quote name="RED333" post="1028245" timestamp="1378509618"] Good on you TMF!!![/quote] Well my wife is the bleeding heart here, so it is she who I credit with the choice. I'm more or less the action arm of the relationship who effects a decision. I need another dog like a hole in the head but I think I might lose this one with her. The goal is always to rehome the strays we pick up, but this one is really good with the kids and reminds my wife of a dog she had as a kid. Edited September 7, 2013 by TMF

[Erik88]

TMF,

 

thanks for taking in the dog. I wanted to share something that happened to us just a few weeks ago. My GF works late, she doesn't get home until 0200-0300 most of the time.

A few weeks ago I wake up to her making a lot of noise and my Husky is being really strange. It turns out Kelly was pulling into our driveway and spotted this emaciated dog wondering around. This poor guy(collar said Tucker) looked like death. You could see every bone, he had tumors and strange growths and couldn't stop shaking.

 

Kelly brought him into the house convinced that he was some dog that had been chained up and starved. Long story short, the dog came from a great home and just happened to escape. The reason for his appearance and health issues was due to the fact that the dog was really freaking old. 18 to be exact.

 

The owner was extremely grateful when we returned him the next morning. Things are not always what they seem. In your case, it sounds like you did the right thing.

[TMF]

TMF,

thanks for taking in the dog. I wanted to share something that happened to us just a few weeks ago. My GF works late, she doesn't get home until 0200-0300 most of the time.
A few weeks ago I wake up to her making a lot of noise and my Husky is being really strange. It turns out Kelly was pulling into our driveway and spotted this emaciated dog wondering around. This poor guy(collar said Tucker) looked like death. You could see every bone, he had tumors and strange growths and couldn't stop shaking.

Kelly brought him into the house convinced that he was some dog that had been chained up and starved. Long story short, the dog came from a great home and just happened to escape. The reason for his appearance and health issues was due to the fact that the dog was really freaking old. 18 to be exact.

The owner was extremely grateful when we returned him the next morning. Things are not always what they seem. In your case, it sounds like you did the right thing.

Yeah, this was the reason I had to investigate further. I couldn't bear the thought of someone who loved their pet thinking that it had been hit by a car or something, or was slowly dying somewhere. Sometimes things aren't what they seem so I had to look into it with the benefit of the doubt in mind. There's nothing more that I want than to get the dog back with its loved ones. We have returned probably half a dozen pets to their owners over the years and have adopted out twice as many. Unfortunately, in every case that we return the missing dog the people are scummy. We had a couple where the people were straight up rude and didn't even thank us. Good people sometimes have dogs that break out. For the most part it seems though, the dogs we pick up off the street belong to human trash.