I don't feel like I did anything wrong!

Ok, so I got home this after noon from taking Max to to dog park. And, the stupid neighbors dogs are out AGAIN! so I picked up the one that would come to me and took her to she sehlter to see what could be done. Now, keep in mind these people go through dogs like the rest of us go through water!

The shelter said I should keep her until an ACO gets to my house, then hand her off and let them take care of the stupid neighbors. So that was my plan, but when I got home they were in thier front yard. Once they all went in I took the dog out of my car attempted to take her into my house. My (mean cousin who stole Max) shows up and I proceeded to tell him what was going on. Then HE got made at me! (the neighbor speaks mostly spanish so I didn't having a problem telling my cousin what was happening with a risk of the neighbor understanding me.)

So my cousin gets all huffy puffy and and forces me to give the dog back when the guy walked back outside. I started telling him (not yelling but I WAS very upset) that they need to make sure thier dogs are confined and they need to fix thier fence. The ACO got there about 10 minutes later and told them about the Vac clinic comming up and they had to get thier dogs licensed and all the good stuff. Then she pulls me aside (I know all the ACO's in out area) and starts telling me that I should have givin the dog back right away and that would be the right thing to do. And how b/c I work with the shelter they might take me as an example of what everyone there is like, and I should have acted more professionally.

Keep in mind thier dogs are ALWAYS out and like I said, they go through dogs like I go through water!

So in the end I was in tears (and still am) and I kept appologizing to my neighbor, b/c I really didn't want to start any trouble I just get so worried about thier little doggies when they get out. The wife (who'm I've know for a good 15 years seemed to understand. She gave me her number so that if her dogs get out again with out thier knowledge I can call her and let her know.

and now everyone is mad at me! Who "WHO?" do you ask? well....my cousin who was here, and if he's mad then his wife is mad and if his wife is mad then her dad (my uncle) is mad and if he is mad then his wife is mad. It really shouldn't bother me that much. As they are still mad at me and vise versa about the whole Max thing. I need some encouragement. Do you have any?

Unfortunately while your heart was in the right place, you just can't take someone's dog. I know you just want the best for them, but you'll have to try and find a different way to do it.

Sorry you've had a bad day

Not to be rude but I don't think it was anyone else's business except yours and your neighbors. People should keep their noses out things that don't concern them.

I don't blame you, I know how you feel.

We have a neighbor at home who's dog is ALWAYS out too. The problem is that they pay no attention to it whatsoever, it's almost always tied up outside with no food or water, including in the rain and all winter long. Christmas day I saw the poor thing chewing on a McDonald's cup that had ice frozen into it. And inside they lock it in the basement. This has been going on 2-3 years now. I've called ACO many times and he does nothing about it. The dog gets loose and runs all over the neighborhood and I'm always afraid the poor guy will get hit by a car, so I am always the one chasing him around. I SO want to kidnap this dog and leave him at the humane society, but the humane society knows me as I used to work there and I wouldn't want the neighbors to find out I did it. I'm heavily considering working on paying my little brother to turn him in. At least then if they really want the dog they'll have to pay $25 a day to get him back, which I'm guessing they won't. He's a sweet dog, and it's a no-kill shelter, so I think he'd be better off!

In my city, if there's a dog loose, the ACO's will come and get it and take it to the shelter and charge the owner a fee before they'll release it. Does your city do that? If you do that every time they're out, they may be more likely to fix their fence.

Originally Posted by sarahp

In my city, if there's a dog loose, the ACO's will come and get it and take it to the shelter and charge the owner a fee before they'll release it. Does your city do that? If you do that every time they're out, they may be more likely to fix their fence.

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Yes they do that too. But afterthe conflict today they went right out and got it fixed When I saw to dogs today they looked in good health. But I can only hope that they have water and shelter in the back yard, which is where they spend most of thier time

In my opinion, what you did was good, because the neighbors did fix their fence. But, you probably could have gone about in a more diplomatic manner, especially since they are your neighbors. I just hope this doesn't cause problems between you. Honestly, if the dog was healthy and you saw the neighbors were home when you returned, you should have just returned it to the owner up front and explained why you had the dog, and you were worried it would get hurt.

I agree the owners should have gotten the fence fixed a long time ago but it sounds like they are taken well care of.

Just because a dog is outside doesn't mean the owner doesn't care about it. Our dogs (3 big and 1 little) are crated at night and while we're at work. When we're home, they are let outside and they prefer to stay there. It's a fenced in yard, but our little dog, Buttercup, has found a way out and she likes to do her "business" away from the other dogs so she has free roam for a while. Of course, we also live at the end of a dirt road so I'm not really worried about cars, so it's probably different.

But, at least they got their fence fixed and the dogs are safe. And, if don't sound like they are being neglected (as in food, water, etc) so they should be fine now.

Ugh, I know how you feel.

Our neighbors used to have this older dog, and it never had any food or water, and it was stuck in this little pen in the middle of the backyard with really tall grass, and no one EVER gave it ANY attention.. so one day when one of them were out, my mom said something to the lady, and she said something about how "Oh, if we let him out he'll run away" or some stupid crap (use a leash, idiots!). So one night we had some people over, and mom was telling one of her friends about it, who lives in a town close to us, and she was so mad. So they got in the car and drove over to the house in the dark with the car lights off and snuck out, got the dog, put him in the car, and her friend took him to the vet out by where she lives. Apparently he was close to dying, and they ended up saving him, and I think he ended up finding a good home.

A while later, when we were outside and they had noticed he was gone, they asked if we had seen him out anywhere, and we just shrugged and said no, but we'd say something if we did. Stupid people shouldn't have pets if they're just going to leave them out in a pen and not even bother to give them fresh food and water and any attention.

Calico - you are right, I should have gone about it diffrently. I realize that now. But I did appologize (many times) and the lady said she understood and it was OK. She knew I was just trying to help. (I think she feels she owes us because her kids are idoits and they trash our yard) She gave me her cell # so if the doggies ever got out again I can call her right away. All seems well.