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This is such a sad story. If the family has a history of animal abuse( and even if it didn't) how could the authorities charge this woman with theft if she sees the animal suffering?
If you saw a chained up dog left outside to suffer in terrible winter conditions, would you be able to turn a blind eye? Not me but I think I would have called authorities or animal control to help before I would take it and claim it as my own.
Years ago every day, twice a day and for several months I passed a poor ole dog chained up outside with no dog house and it was filthy and looked so sad. i even stopped once to ask the people if they still wanted the dog. They slammed the door in my face. I called animal control and the next day it was gone. Even if it was PTS that would have been more humane than the suffering it was going through.
The LAW: Animals = PROPERTY and as sad as animal abuse is, people can't go stealing from others because they don't agree. If you don't agree, get the authorities involved, and keep complaining about it until something gets done. I would call every single day. I'm serious, I call it "polite harrassment" and it gets things done with city authorities, dodgy landlords who won't give back the security deposit or fix your heat and such.
Sorry this dog was abused but people can't go taking the law into their own hands (and frankly, not too bright thinking she can).
I agree with her actions in a way, but there's still a line to draw when you consider that there are people out there who steal pets right out of yards to resell them and/or put them into abusive situations (dog-fighting, puppy mills).
Stealing the dog, lying to police, and obstructing justice doesn't sound like a "good samaritan" to me, however, she paid the owner $500 for the dog, and then the owner files criminal charges. Case should be dismissed based on the payment for the dog, and resolution between all parties prior to the owner filing charges - that strikes me as a tad vindictive.
I agree with the above posters that the correct way to deal with this is to report it to authorities, and if required, make yourself a PITA to the proper authorities until corrective action is taken.
I think she wrecked her credibility when she started lying to cover it up. She could have gone on the offensive with "Yep, I stole him. Why didn't you do anything about this when the dog was chained up in sub-zero temps at a house with a history of animal abuse?" She should have documented everything and had enough evidence to have the people charged with animal cruelty and been very open and up-front about it.
But given that she paid them for the dog, I don't see how they can have her charged with theft. At that point, by accepting money, they have implicitly turned it into a business transaction. I hope she got a receipt.
Animals are just considered property.
If this lady had tried to do it the legal way nothing would have happened that was in the dogs favor.
I don't think this lady was a dog stealer more like a dog protector.
There are a lot of people out there who think that a properly cared for animal is abused. So, those of you who think it is OK to steal a dog that is not well cared for, how happy would you be to have some stranger get it into their head that your dog wasn't getting proper care?
You think they should just take it and have no consequences a soon as they decided that the dog was abused? You don't think you'd like a chance to present your side of the story and have someone with some authority take a look at your pet before your dog disappeared to nobody knows where?
I've heard people who were really upset about "starving" horses when those fat horses were standing in pasture up to their knees. I've seen people declare that mud on an animal's coat from playing outside was proof of neglect. I've heard charges of abuse when the dog was left in the house while the owner went to work, or the dog didn't get "enough" walks in a day.
Where do you draw the line? Who gets to decide if care is adequate? You think those people should be the ones to decide whose dog gets stolen with no consequences?
That's why you report animal abuse to the proper authorities and let them decide what is abuse and what isn't. You don't get to be the one who decides, because maybe you are as wackadoodle as the people who let chickens out of their coops to fly free.
I know what the press is like and they will drum up drama by giving one side of the story and exaggerating. Maybe there is another side to this story, but whether there is or not, stealing a pet is never OK.
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