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If you adopted a pet and found out weeks or months later that the original owners where looking for the pet and found you, would you give the animal back?
Conditions:
The pet was not abandoned
not abused
original owners were good owners
pet was lost or separated from original owners under conditions that were out of owners control
Under those conditions, I would give them their pet back. My reason why would be all the conditions you listed. I would only hope someone would do the same for me if it was mine.
Totally agree. There are so many wonderful pets that need homes or face death, that finding another pet if I decided to would be easy. But they can't replace their family member, and that's what it is based on the scenario you provided.
Totally agree. There are so many wonderful pets that need homes or face death, that finding another pet if I decided to would be easy. But they can't replace their family member, and that's what it is based on the scenario you provided.
But...if they've had the animal 6 months, it's now their family member too. There's a difference between 2 weeks and 6 months, imo.
I don't know what I would do. I would be CRUSHED if someone came to me and told me my dog belonged to them, and they wanted her back. I've paid zillions of dollars and poured countless hours into training her in obedience and agility, trialing her, loving her, taking her on vacations, etc. She is MY dog now, and the love of my life. I would have a very, very hard time giving her back. I don't think I would be able to.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mekia02
If you adopted a pet and found out weeks or months later that the original owners where looking for the pet and found you, would you give the animal back?
Conditions:
The pet was not abandoned
not abused
original owners were good owners
pet was lost or separated from original owners under conditions that were out of owners control
would you give it back, why or why not?
Yes, I would return the dog under those conditions. What kind of person wouldn't?
It's one thing if the dog had been under my care for more than a year, we had developed a real bond and a personalized language and culture and I had spent a considerable amount of money on the animal's health - but out to about 12 months (and probably beyond) I would feel obligated to return the dog.
I would give the pet back. I may have started to bond, but the bond between the pet and original owner is probably stronger. I see this firsthand at the stables my daughter rides at. The owner is keeping her friend's dog while she is deployed. I see her dog a few times a week and see how she is adjusting to her surroundings. I witnessed firsthand the day her owner was home on 2 wks leave. It's as if they had never been apart and it had been 9 mths. They were inseparable.
But...if they've had the animal 6 months, it's now their family member too. There's a difference between 2 weeks and 6 months, imo.
I don't know what I would do. I would be CRUSHED if someone came to me and told me my dog belonged to them, and they wanted her back. I've paid zillions of dollars and poured countless hours into training her in obedience and agility, trialing her, loving her, taking her on vacations, etc. She is MY dog now, and the love of my life. I would have a very, very hard time giving her back. I don't think I would be able to.
Oh, don't get me wrong. I'd be crushed too. But under those circumstances, knowing they did nothing wrong and have been looking for their pet? I couldn't tell them no. I'd ask if I could visit occasionally, but I'd give it back and look at adopting a dog that's about to be killed and bond with that pet. I couldn't keep someone's pet from them.
I think of my dog. She came from a shelter. She's my baby. My kids even call her my other daughter. I can't imagine life without my baby girl. If something happened - ie, someone broke in my house and robbed it while we were gone and didn't close the door and she got out and someone picked her up and after months of looking endlessly found that someone had her and that person telling me I couldn't have her back.........OMG. Kill me! That's just double heart ache!
Oh, don't get me wrong. I'd be crushed too. But under those circumstances, knowing they did nothing wrong and have been looking for their pet? I couldn't tell them no. I'd ask if I could visit occasionally, but I'd give it back and look at adopting a dog that's about to be killed and bond with that pet. I couldn't keep someone's pet from them.
I think of my dog. She came from a shelter. She's my baby. My kids even call her my other daughter. I can't imagine life without my baby girl. If something happened - ie, someone broke in my house and robbed it while we were gone and didn't close the door and she got out and someone picked her up and after months of looking endlessly found that someone had her and that person telling me I couldn't have her back.........OMG. Kill me! That's just double heart ache!
So if someone came to you and said that she had been theirs before she was yours, you'd still give her back?
At what point does your bond mean more than theirs? I've had my dog just over two years now, and she was about 3 when we got her from a shelter. We've had her nearly as long (if not longer) than either of her first 2 families. Do we lose just because they had her first?
I would be totally willing to send updates to the family, let them borrow her for weekends, etc...but after 2 years, she's mine, sorry. It's not a financial thing at all, but we've spent over $5000 on medical bills--is the original family going to pay that back? I spent thousands and zillions of hours on training out her reactivity to vehicles and other dogs. I got her her therapy dog title, trained her in obedience, and have titled her in agility. Are they going to continue those things? Repay me for the time spent doing them? I'm not a babysitter. She's now a member of MY family.
I don't know when the magic time frame is that she became mine and I wouldn't have given her back. 2 weeks later, I probably would have returned her. 2 months later, I don't know. 2 years later, no way. Maybe I'm heartless--but I've had her as long as anyone else now, so she's mine. I would die if someone took her from me.
Yes, I would return the dog under those conditions. What kind of person wouldn't?
It's one thing if the dog had been under my care for more than a year, we had developed a real bond and a personalized language and culture and I had spent a considerable amount of money on the animal's health - but out to about 12 months (and probably beyond) I would feel obligated to return the dog.
^^^ yes!!
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaliTerp07
So if someone came to you and said that she had been theirs before she was yours, you'd still give her back?
At what point does your bond mean more than theirs? I've had my dog just over two years now, and she was about 3 when we got her from a shelter. We've had her nearly as long (if not longer) than either of her first 2 families. Do we lose just because they had her first?
I would be totally willing to send updates to the family, let them borrow her for weekends, etc...but after 2 years, she's mine, sorry. It's not a financial thing at all, but we've spent over $5000 on medical bills--is the original family going to pay that back? I spent thousands and zillions of hours on training out her reactivity to vehicles and other dogs. I got her her therapy dog title, trained her in obedience, and have titled her in agility. Are they going to continue those things? Repay me for the time spent doing them? I'm not a babysitter. She's now a member of MY family.
I don't know when the magic time frame is that she became mine and I wouldn't have given her back. 2 weeks later, I probably would have returned her. 2 months later, I don't know. 2 years later, no way. Maybe I'm heartless--but I've had her as long as anyone else now, so she's mine. I would die if someone took her from me.
it is apparent that some history is known about your dog's life before she came to be yours..... totally different situation ..... sounds like at least one, if not both, previous families turned her into the shelter to be rehomed and she was beyond fortunate to find her way to you......
given the circumstances that the op described, then yes, i would have to give the dog back .....
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