Readers' Comments
365 results
Sheryl J.
4 years ago
This is a very sad situation for all. If it was simply a case of a dog escaping and going for a romp as they all do and I was the person who adopted the dog, I would give it back to the original family myself. It does not really state in the story why the dog was loose, if it was a case of neglect then the original family would have to fight me to get the dog back.
Charleshjr
4 years ago
Wow work out joint viisitation, if they lost their dog they should be looking right away if thye dont after a certain time they become property of the shelter but it istill is sad
Sisa
4 years ago
It happened to us once that we adopted 2 little dogs at the shelter and after about a month the real owner who lost these dogs turned up. I have no clue why she did not look for them at the shelter since we lived in a really small town. However, when I saw how excited the dogs were seing her, we gave them back. Sad, but I think it was the right thing to do. There are plenty of other dogs to adopt at shelters.
Christy M.
4 years ago
I'm in agreement with many of the others. The shelter acted within policy, and although unfortunate, it happened. I don't understand why the original owners were not contacting all of the shelters and vet offices to see if their dog had turned up. As harsh as this sounds, you snooze you loose.
Sabrina H.
4 years ago
I would think 5 days is sufficient time for the family to have contacted the shelter. Here in Austin, dogs are available for adoption after 3 days. The new family shoudn't have to give Tootsie Roll back to her original family. I hope the teenager and her family have learned that animals don't belong chained up in the backyard and will be more responsible if they decide to get another pet.
Lisamarshall821
4 years ago
If my dog ran off the local animal shelter and animal control would be the first place I looked and checked back with on a daily basis. I think it is pretty sad that someone who was kind enough to adopt an animal and give it a home is now at risk for losing their new pet.
Whitney
4 years ago
I hate to by the cynical one, but the dog was chained in the yard with no id. And, when it did disappear a lot of time went by before these people looked for it. Seriously, how much attention was this dog really receiving? I doubt this guy was a such an integral part of the first family.
Jodi S.
4 years ago
The original owners failed to locate their dog during the requisite period, and she has been rehomed. The fact that they resorted to chaining her in the backyard rather than having a fence or crating the dog inside doesn't make me feel more sympathetic for them. The situation is regrettable, but the shelter acted according to policy.
Liz L.
4 years ago
Tough call. I am getting my dog microchipped because guess what? Dogs get loose it happens even to the best of owners. Without ID on the collar and/or a microchip if you don't make the right call you lose your pet.
Apparently this dog had no ID at all. Sorry but Tootsieroll gets to stay with the new family, and the next time these people get a dog they will perhaps make sure he has ID.
Marisa M.
4 years ago
Jeepers--I don't think many people know what the right thing to do is when their pet is missing or lost. People should be told to call the police, check with local animal shelters, etc and also put up fliers....yadda, yadda, yadda. All pet owners should really consider getting their pet microchipped- it's not expensive and worth the piece of mind SHOULD your pet ever go missing.
Jessica T.
4 years ago
Um, this little dog was left outside in the backyard. It escaped, was not microchiped, had no collar or other form of tags on, and was gone for FIVE days before adopted. I don't care how long the previous family had the dog, they were obviously not giving the dog the quality of care that it needed and the new family shouldn't have to deal with the mistakes of the previous owners. Five days in a shelter is a long time. On top of that, once the microchips became available, my vet insisted that our pets had them and the whole thing costed $15. The family could have gotten their dog back if they were being responsable and dedicated owners.
Barbara B.
4 years ago
I think I would give him back, but then I think the first pet owners should pay for the new owners to adopt another dog of their choice. If my dog becomes missing the first thing I am doing is sending a picture flyer to all shelters and finding out everyone I am supposed to identify my lost dog to. I don't think they did enough to get their dog back. This may dicourage people to adopt since they might risk needing to return the dog or puppy. 5 days was a good amount of time to notify the shelter.
Michaelyn
4 years ago
Chain - escape - sounds like a smart dog.
When I was a child, I had a cat that was not allowed in the house. He went missing - I cried - I searched and I found him down the road living INSIDE a neighbor's house. When I knocked on the door, I could see he was stretched out on the couch and being petted by the children. Even as a child, I knew he was happy and I let him go.
Marisa M.
4 years ago
Oh gosh- my heart just broke after reading that article. What a difficult situation. One part of me wishes that the family did MORE to find their dog, but at least they did SOMETHING. Unfortunately, I don't think many people are aware of what they should do in this situation. I think when a person decides to get a new pet, they should be fully aware of what they should do- call the shelters, call the police, call animal control, AND put up fliers, etc. I personally think that the new owners should give the dog back...although, the silver lining is that people ARE adopting pets so we shouldn't shun that!!
Rebecca L.
4 years ago
hmmm thats a tough one. I understand both sides of the story....as a pet parent, I understand what the other family must be going through though. If I was the dog's new owner, I would probably give him back to his family. I do get attached easily, but this girl had him for 7 yrs. Whatever short time the new family has had him, does not come close to the bond that the girl had with him for 7 years. I think that the new family should give him back
Allison M.
4 years ago
This is unfortunate but the original owners should have contacted the shelter and put up missing flyers there as well. I see both sides of the story.
Terrishumaker
5 years ago
This is a very hard situation. The happiness of the dog should be 1st.
SandyReedy
5 years ago
What was a tiny dog doing tied on a chain in the backyard to begin with? Why was there no microchip or ID on the dog? Why, if the owners were so concerned, why did they not contact the animal shelter right away? The dog was there for 5 days before being put up for adoption. Maybe the next time they will take a little more care with their pet and not have to go through this. The dog belongs to the new owners, in my opinion.
Carol M.
5 years ago
I am disturbed that the dog was chained and had no tags. The shelter had no way of knowing this was someone's pet and waited the required number of days before placing it. I don't think the original owners have any grounds for litigation. How much better if the two families could work this out together, amicably.
kristie n.
5 years ago
i dont agree with amimals or anything for that matter being implanted with chips
WANSTREET
5 years ago
I do not agree with chaining your dog outside. There should have been some sort of ID on the dog. Did they check with any local shelters to try to find Tootsie Roll? Sad story for the family but there are some safeguards they should have used. Hope it works out best for the dog.
Jill6Johnson
5 years ago
I wonder how hard they really tried to find him, most people know to check with shelters first. Sad for all involved.
NASCARTONE
5 years ago
the family had five days to find the dog, a shelter would be the first place I would call
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