I know I don’t post a lot, but I hope someone will see/share this because I really want to get some input from others as I figure out how to proceed. This very good boy, who currently resides in my bedroom (bc 5 cats in our house), was abandoned in a dumpster on a 111-degree day in Phoenix.
He was found by a homeless person who brought him to a methadone clinic, and an employee there asked my daughter if she’d take him home. The likely alternative was him being passed around between homeless people, so I told her to go ahead and bring him and we’d get him to a shelter or something.
Once he was here, we saw evidence that he’d been mistreated. He has a scabby scar on his neck from being tied up. His nose was sunburned and peeling. And of course there’s that whole “left in a dumpster” thing.
My daughter took him to a nearby vet, and they scanned him for a chip. Turns out he does have one, and we were given a name and two phone numbers for his registered owner. I haven’t called yet because… What if I do reach the owner, but after talking to them, I don’t want to give him back to them?
Btw, I’m the one tasked with these calls because everyone else is working. Anyway, we’ve talked about this at length in our house, and we’ve considered the possibility that his owner isn’t the one who mistreated him. What if he was a rescue, or injured previously under some other circumstance?
We kept coming back to the fact that he was put into a dumpster, though. It seems unlikely that some benevolent dog-rescuer adopted this abused pup and then allowed him to end up abandoned in a dumpster in the Phoenix heat. Possible, I suppose, but unlikely.
I did a little research on the name of the registered owner. I did find a guy in Phoenix with the same name, and that guy has an extensive criminal history as well as a bajillion hardly-used Facebook accounts (typical for a lot of drug addicts). Is he the same guy who owned this dog? Not sure.
Oh, sweet baby! Is there a shelter by where you live? Also, you could maybe take him to a local vet - they might be able to take him or, at least, point you in the right direction to a good shelter.
Did you read the rest of the thread? We have owner info for him but I’m trying to decide how to approach before calling, and what to do if I don’t want to give their dog back. Looking at some shelters but don’t know if they’ll take him. I was gonna make calls today but… long story (sigh).
I thought I did, but I didn't see that one. I did see that he has injuries on his neck. I'd be hesitant to return him to the owners because of that. It might be worth it to take him to a vet, explain the situation. They might be able to suss it out more effectively.
Yeah, I am hesitant. Just not sure if a shelter can take him or not. I should’ve found out today but the time got away from me. Tomorrow I will.
Gotta decide how to talk to the owner (if the phone numbers are good).
I wrote a reply, but am not sure you can see it. I would give the dog and the owner info over to official animal control officers who are required to look into abuse concerns. Most populated counties have one.
I would if I trusted them, but I don’t. Maricopa County is awful with animals.
I’ll figure this out. Glad to hear from folks and get their input, tho, so thanks for the replies.
Please don’t put yourself at risk. Don’t invite the owner to your home. Be careful. Can you give over the dog to a municipal county shelter and include the information you’ve gathered? Ours is staffed with animal control officers who look into abuse concerns. They are obligated to investigate.
I like the "take him to a vet" suggestion - vets generally have a feel for this kind of thing, I've found. I'd take him if I could, by the way. Be careful with that owner - might want to start with "I found your dog in a dumpster," see how they react.
You’re such a lovely man, David. ❤️
Yeah, I’m pretty much just trying to decide how I’ll talk to the owner. Because I have to do that before anything else, really. The first thing the vet or a shelter is gonna ask is whether I’ve talked to the owner. 🫤
I see where you are. Thoughtful and deliberative is what you are 🙏 As you said, the choices all have consequences. Did the owner discuss the mistreatment with you?
Haven’t spoken to them yet. I was trying to get myself in a good headspace to deal with them potentially being difficult. I just didn’t manage to get myself up to it today, but I will tomorrow.
What a shelter should be able to do, is inform you of your legal responsibilities regarding the owner and what laws protect the poor kid from an abusive one. They would also have some experience with determining if the owners are the abusers. The humane society would be best.
