what if you found a dog and have been taking care of it for three years now. You ran ads and posted signs that you found this dog and nobody ever responded. The dog is now your family dog, you love this dog with everything you have, it’s your dog now.
You take the dog to the vet for the first time and the vet recognizes the dog and asks why you have her and not her “real family”. You explain the situation to the vet and he says, “well, I know how to get in touch with her “real family”, here is their number and address, give them a call to let them know you have their dog.”
What would be the right thing to do? Call them and let them know? Never call or go back to that Vet?
This didn’t happen, but I did find my dog three years ago and I love her with all my might. I tried and tried to find her real owners and they never responded. I wonder what I would do if this did in fact happen to me. What would you do?
It would be a pity for the previous family but if you live in such a small area that you happen to use the same vet that they did then how could they conceivably have missed all the posters? I’d probably go with the idea that they couldn’t have looked very hard for her and therefore I cared about her more than they did.
I’m trying to work out how the legality would work. Technically the dog is their property but if it runs away is there a point at which it is considered to be abandoned property and anybody can take it? I guess the answer to that varies depending upon where you live. Just in case I’d die the dog ginger and give it some pointy-ears-on-a-headband before renaming it Tabby.
How did the vet “recognize” the dog? How can he be sure it’s the same dog? Unless the dog has a microchip or a tattoo, I’m sorry, I highly doubt the vet can be that certain.
And if the dog DOES have a microchip or tattoo, all the more reason why the previous owners shouldn’t have that dog anymore; if they couldn’t track it down with those devices, they couldn’t have tried very hard.
I suppose you might call the previous owners and tell them the dog is fine and happy and safe, just so they have peace of mind. Hopefully, they’d have already gotten another dog, and they would thank you for saving the pooch and taking care of it and wish you well.
That being said, I’d be worried that they would fight to get the dog back. And since you’ve had the dog for three years, I don’t think they have any right to it anymore.
It’s a theoretical question, guys. That being said, lots of Vets recognize animals they haven’t seen for years. I know this for a fact because we used to breed Bulldogs and the vet we carried them to would come out in the office and new them by name every few years. I think it’s all on if the person has a good memory or not.
I used to ponder that too because we have a “found” dog.
One day my wife was walking him and some guy started saying “Spooky, hey Spooky” and my dog started wagging his tail. Then, the guy was like, “oh, that isn’t Spooky”.
Of course that dog wags his tail if you call him anything in the right voice. We still call him “Spooky” some times, though.
I don’t know what I’d do. I’d hope the family is happy he found a home, and wouldn’t put another family through losing him.
If you’ve owned the dog for three years, and are only just now taking it to the vet for the first time, I’m not sure you’re the best owner for the animal.
The way the microchip works is someone has to take the dog to the pound or to the vet to scan the microchip, they call it in, then the microchip company calls you. If the dog-finder never went that route then how could the orignal owner “try” any harder?
I knew that one was coming. No need for a vet, she got taken care of when I carried her to the SPCA for them to place a “Found Dog” ad. They checked her out and gave her all the shots and stuff. She gets monthly baths, nail cleanings and anal glands drained from this place down the street.
I’m not questioning your suitability as a dog owner, but why have you not taken her to a vet in three years even though the SPCA gave her her shots initially? At the least, dogs need boosters yearly against such diseases as parvo, distemper, coronavirus, hepatitus, and other contagious diseases. Parvo doesn’t even require dog-to-dog contact, just having your dog in the area where an infected dog has defecated is enough to spread the disease. Depending on your locality, your dog may also require rabies vaccines every one to three years. I have two dogs, take them to the vet yearly for exams and immunizations, and have them on a year-round heartworm vaccine. It’s expensive, but I think if you’re going to own a dog or other pet, you should do the minimum required to keep it in good health. An ounce of prevention and all that.
I had a dog when I was a kid. Later, as an adult, I got another dog and took her to the same vet. The vet smiled when he recognized me and said, “Oh, I remember you. You had a little beagle. He had a white spot on his head, didn’t he?”
Not neccesarily. This depends on a whole bunch of factors, like the area you live in, the age of the dog, laws in your area, other health conditions, etc.
“After one year of age, a health examination should be performed and risk of infection by canine distemper virus, parvovirus, and adenovirus 2 should be assessed yearly. The AAHA Vaccination Guidelines suggest that the duration of immunity induced in the majority of dogs by killed or modified live DA2PP vaccines is at least 3 years. However, if the recombinant distemper virus is used, annual boosters are required. The duration of immunity to canine distemper virus vaccines and parvovirus vaccines are now estimated to be at least 5 years, based on both challenge and serological studies.”
I have two dogs, ages 9 and 11. They get their vaccinations every three years, which is absolutely fine with our vet. We’ve never ever been accused of being bad owners, and indeed we are quite good ones.
As for the OP, I guess what I’d do would depend on what the other family was like.
The previous owners have already gone through whatever someone goes through when they lose their dog. No sense in opening up that wound for them. Dogs are pretty clever, so I think the likelihood of one getting lost would be dwarfed by the likelihood that it just ran away.
Well, as I said, I’m not questioning anyone’s suitability to take care of their dog. Whatever your vet and the local laws dictate is certainly appropriate. I used to live in Denver, where rabies vaccinations were required yearly. Now I live in Tucson, where they’re required once every three years, and I’m fine with that frequency. I was just curious, because I don’t personally know other dog owners who vaccinate less frequently than every year, and my own vets have always sent yearly reminders for my dogs’ boosters. If your own dogs’ vet (or my vet) recommends a visit once every three years, I’m not going to be contrary. I’ll accept whatever your vet’s opinion is as meeting the standards of good care.
