Found a dog in Ohio

I feel really bad when some kind person emails me about this really nice dog they found because I know there isn't a darn thing I can do to help. I don't feel so bad when the people are NASTY to me about it!

I don't know if it is just the weather but I have received at least 10 emails in the last week about people finding what they think is a JRT and are un able to locate the owner.

I think it is funny (not funny haha but funny strange) because they feel the need to use the excuse of having too many dogs as the reason they aren't keeping the found dog. Like they need an excuse not to keep it, isn't their dog... at least someone feels responsible for the dog cause their owner sure doesn't / didn't.

I just always laugh when someone says "I work full time and have 2 dogs of my own, I just can't keep this dog I found." I feel like saying "wanna trade lives???" LOL!

Anyway, the laws in OHIO says I can't help them. I am not a government run agency so legally I am not aloud to take in real strays. I can only take in dogs either through the shelter or with a signed released an owner surrender dog. However, I don't take in owner surrender dogs because of how many shelter dogs their are and I feel "your dog, your idea to get it in the first place, you find a home for it." I know sounds mean at first but if people aren't responsible for their actions, if every time something does go as planned they can just get rid of the problem (aka dog) they will NEVER learn that an animal is more then just something you can throw away when you are finished with it.

Ohio (and probably other states too) view dogs as property. Just like a car or a CD or a cell phone. So, lets say a man walks up to you on the street and hands you a bag full of jewelry. He says her I found it but can't keep it. You take the bag of jewelry and find people to "adopt it" / take the jewelry. One day you are sitting at home and you get a knock on the door. It is the police! They are looking for the bag of jewelry and because of your ads in the paper or on the internet they know you have the jewelry. The jewelry was actually stolen (or claimed to be stolen) from a person's home.

Well same thing with a dog. If I take a "found" dog and find it a new home and the person who owned the dog was actually looking for it, I can get in big trouble for stealing. First of all I would have to prove that a strange gave me this dog. Let's say I know how to get a hold of the person that gave me the dog.. do you think if they think they will get in trouble for giving me the dog they are going to admit to it? Seriously??! I highly doubt it. So, that leaves me standing their holding the bag, as they saying goes.

Now here is the kicker! Let's say the owner of the dog makes up some incredible story of how valued monetarily the dog is... let's say they owner says $505 is the value of the dog. Well guess what? I AM GOING TO JAIL! Anything stolen over $500 is a felony! No more dog rescue, no more job, bye bye house, bye bye life.

So you tell me. If you were doing (or do) dog rescue are you willing to take that risk?

Oh not to mention you now have to contact the people you adopted this dog to and tell them they need to return the dog to the original jerk owner who let it get away, didn't really look for it and oh yea never had it fixed.

So again you tell me, is it worth taking in a found dog?

NO

I am hoping was your answer.

Yet when I tell people I can't help them by taking the dog into rescue and they need to contact the dog warden I get this nasty email back from them saying things like

"I was just trying to help. Didn't know no one else would care."
"I am not taking it somewhere they will kill it."
"I thought you were a rescue."
"Nice to know you care"
"Then why do you have a rescue if yo can't help dogs that need it."

I explain to people why I can't help and what they need to do. it isn't like they just get an email from me saying. Nope can't help. Sorry. Or no response at all. So frustrating.

And the one thing that makes me the most mad is when people 100% refuse to locate the owner. I just think it is absolutely MEAN, SELFISH, RUDE to keep a found dog. What if it truly was a mistake the dog got away? What if there is a family desperately searching and searching for their pet? You are so selfish and mean that you are going to keep this dog away from finding it's family? Really!!!??

I know if my dog got lost I would call the local animal control and put an ad in the paper. I would be totally devastated if one of my dogs got lost. And you know what they are ANIMALS and they do jump the fence, break the leash, someone comes to your house leaves the door open, etc. and accidents happen. Not everyone who looses a pet is a horrible dog owner. And I would hope that people would stop an thinking to themselves.....what would I do if I lost my dog?? And then do those things in hopes of finding the owners OR if they aren't wanting or willing to do that then they should turn the dog over to animal control.

So that is my thought for the day!