One of their two new Beagle puppies ran away after being let out to play on their two acre farm. The family searched their property and called the neighbors asking if they had seen the dog. At first they thought the dog would just come back like their other one but after a few days they started to worry and think that maybe someone had seen the cute puppy and taken it. But as a last ditch effort they decided to contact their local humane society just in case the puppy was turned in. They were so happy to find out the missing puppy was there. But their happiness gave way to utter shock when they were told they were too late to take their dog back without going through the adoption process because the Humane Society only has to hold the dog for 5 days before they euthanize it. Of course they didn’t euthanize the puppy as it would be adoptable since it was cute and in good health. It doesn’t matter that the dog is registered to them or that they are willing to comply with getting the dog neutered within 30 days of taking it home.
By code the animal shelter is only required to keep a dog for 5 days and even though the county commissioners are stepping in the very same commissioners who wrote the codes and pay the humane society to care for the animals that are picked up as stray the Humane Society will not budge. So now the puppy which could be home safe and cared for is sitting in a kennel not allowed to be adopted out and not allowed to go home with him family. The situation is now under consideration by the commissioners office as to how to proceed and the family is considering taking legal measures to get their dog back. They are willing to pay the fees for the Humane Society having kept their dog safe until they found it they are also willing to have the dog neutered but the Humane Society feels they should also pay the adoption fee and go through the adoption process even though they admit the family is the owners of the dog according to county records.
According to the Commissioners Office:
We pay more to make sure our animals are treated as humanely as possible and so that beloved pets can be returned to their homes without undue hardships placed on them.”
The commissioners cannot believe the Humane Society will not allow the family to have their dog back and the Humane Society when contacted by the Commissioners say they have to follow the code which says the dog was with them past the 5 days and is now the property of the Humane Society to be Adopted out.
The family and Commissioners are given this response even though the family is willing to pay boarding fees for the time the dog was there which would be more then the amount of the adoption and are willing to have the dog neutered by their own vet they would still have to be considered one of the potential adopters and cannot take their dog home:
“It’s not my decision, it’s code. I can’t violate our policy or state code. If the dog is not claimed within five days, the dog becomes the property of the county. We’ve had the dog for 10 days. They can apply to adopt him, but he cannot be adopted without being neutered,” Hollis told Dunn on a speaker phone call. Hollis said the dog could not leave the shelter without being neutered.
Everyone involved believes there should be some flexibility in terms of giving the dog back to the family and cannot understand why the Humane Society it digging in their heels when a family is there begging to have their dog back doing everything possible to bring it home.
Update here is Rolo the puppy’s Petfinder information the Humane Society is calling him Snoopy.
My name is Snoopy and I am a friendly, outgoing 1.5 year old beagle mix. I am an active boy who loves being a beagle and I want to share that enthusiasm with those around me. I am pretty good on a leash. I love sitting near you , and I love long walks so I can put my nose to the ground and “beagle around.” I do well on a leash and I am well mannered. I am good with other dogs and children. I will need neutered upon my adoption. I weigh 28 lbs at this time. 9-26-11
Contacting shelters shouldn’t be a ‘last ditch effort’ but one of the first things one does when losing a pet. Also unfortunate that the breeder of these two dogs didn’t have them neutered before they left the kennel, too. Oh, and microchipped them at the same time, somehthing I did with all the kittens that left my cattery since losing track of 2 a number of years ago due to the family divorcing and not letting me know of their new contact info…
I hope this has a happy ending for this pup.
Teri, dogs aren’t cats, and it’s very unusual for responsible dog breeders to have puppies neutered before they go home. Microchipping is more common, but breeders are human beings like the rest of us, and some believe that microchipping is some kind of plot, whether the Anti-Christ or the Ebil Gubmint.
These people were actively looking for their dog. People don’t all think of the same steps in the same order. A mistake is not the same thing is a moral failing.
This dog belongs to this family, everyone knows it, and the humane society, in this case, doesn’t care. They’ve even gratuitously renamed the dog. What’s the point of that?
“After a few days they started to worry”? Are they freaking kidding me? Kolchak got out a few weeks ago and within minutes I was a worn to the nerves, frazzled mess. It wouldn’t take me a few *hours* to call our local shelter forget a few DAYS. It all comes down to whether or not they were actively looking for the dog, to me. Signs? Visiting all the neighbors? Going out to look? Or did they literally just think “oh he’ll turn up eventually” and leave it at that? To me, that’s where the bright white line lays. Just my opinion.