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Stolen dog returned now someone is knocking at my door

This is a forum to discuss legislation and legal matters pertaining to the rights and welfare of dogs. Please remember to counter ideas and opinions with which you don't agree with friendly and helpful advice and responses.

  
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Member Since
03/02/2013		 
 
Barked: Sat Mar 2, '13 8:03pm PST 
We got a puppy for our son and raised it for 2 years. We had her fixed and chipped. One day she was stolen from our front yard we live in a rural area so we let her in the yard to run and play. Now it's 2 years later and our local Vet calls and told us she was found and we could come and get her. Great we were so happy she is a very loving border collie. Now 3 days later someone is knocking on our door wanting our dog. They say they have had her for 1 year and have spent $600 in Vet bills.
They demand the dog or $600.
They said the Vet that did the work knew she was chipped and called us but could not reach us.
So instead of finding the true owners of the dog they kept her.
The Vet office that call me the other day had to have given them my name and address. Can they do that?
Can these people take my dog or collect money from me?
We are sick and angry. This went from a great week to a nightmare.
Anyone have any advice.
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Mr. Jake the- Beagle

I am Murphy's- Law Embodied! <3- Me!		 
 
Barked: Sat Mar 2, '13 8:26pm PST 
I'm not sure if they can hold you liable. I'd call a lawyer and consult with them. Or check out small claims since that's were you'll end up going if you don't pay them if they decide to sue you for the money. ( assuming you don't pay). I

I'm not a lawyer by any means but i ca n't see how if you rdog was stolen and then turned up again you're liable. But i've never had jake stolden, harmed and then returned. So i don't know. + if this person's had your dog for a year i don't really see how you could be liable since they had stolen property. But idk not a laywer. good luck.
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Hoss

Hoss the Boss		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 3, '13 6:25am PST 
I also don't think you will be held responsible. Would someone who stole your car expect gas money back? It is sad for them to have adopted the dog unknowingly but the fact is it is your dog and you have the proof in the chip. I would call the police the next time they contact you.
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Squ'mey

too old to eat- any more KD		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 3, '13 8:20am PST 
Call an attorney. DO NOT contact these people or engage in any form of communication with them until you do. Document everything they say to you, save emails. Do NOT reply to any email or attempted communication.
If they show up at your door, do not open it. Tell them they are not allowed on your property. Call the police if they do not leave.
This could be a tricky situation. My gut says "your dog" but we all know common sense & the law don't always agree.
Good luck & keep us posted.
Almost forgot. Huge Congratulations on getting your dog back! blue dog
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Trigger

*Blackdog*		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 3, '13 8:56am PST 
I have a few questions....I'm sorry but lots about this doesn't make sense to me....

If you live in a rural area, and just let your dog out to run and play and then she disappeared....how do you know someone stole her?

If she had been checked for a microchip before, the chip linked back to you but you were unreachable by the numbers and address you had listed how could the vet reach you *now* an entire year later? How could they have given these people your address if they never had it before when the chip was initially checked?

It sounds like these people that want the dog back did nothing wrong. I'm sorry but I think it was your responsibility to keep your dog contained or monitor her closely outside so she couldn't run off or be stolen. After she disappeared it was your responsibility to contact local vets, make sure her microchip information was up to date and to get the word out there that your dog had gone missing. It was your duty to search for her, the people that want her back did everything they could on their end...I'm not sure what else you expected them to do. They are not privy to microchip information. It's not something that's just handed to random people on a printout to do with the dog as they wish. You should have reported your dog missing/stolen to the chip company so that if a vet, animal control or shelter scanned her they'd know and be able to contact you via correct contact information.


Personally, I would give the dog back if it can be confirmed that they did indeed put that much time and money into her care. In the future make sure you're out supervising your pups or fence an area outside to keep them safe at home.
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Nare

Woo-woo- whineybutt		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 3, '13 1:37pm PST 
Trigger from what I understand, it sounds like these were two different vet offices and the dog somehow got away from the people who had the dog, and either someone found her or she ended up on the vet's porch. This vet was able to contact OP, but not the one that the people were taking the dog to.
Either the people who had the dog called around to find the dog, or they did indeed steal the dog from the property and knew where the owner lived anyways.


Honestly, if I had found the dog and had it for 2 years, giving me money wouldn't be an option. The fact that they're considering the dog an 'investment' of $600 in vet bills tells me that they don't really care for the dog's well-being.
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Ava & Nix

Suburban Farm- Dogs		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 3, '13 1:58pm PST 
I'm going to assume you did search for her, post flyers, do the things people would normally do when their dog goes missing, etc.. It is strange that they claim the vet tried to contact you but couldn't, but then found you 2 years later. Now, was it the former caretakers of the dog who said that, or was it the vet? If it was the former caretakers, my first instinct would be that they're lying.

And another thing... If you know for a fact she was stolen and didn't just run off, then how do you know these folks weren't the ones who stole her? There's so many things to consider. Like how did they get your address? I don't know your local laws, but I know here that it is illegal for a business like a vet's to give out their client's private information like that. For that matter, what made them give up the dog so she could go back to you in the first place? Was it the vet who contacted you to say they found your dog? Did these people give her up on their own? Did they give her up believing that they could force you to give them an easy $600? Until you find out, I agree with everything Squ'mey said.

From what little information there is in the first post, I don't really know what to think, but so far I don't trust these strangers one bit.

If I was in your situation I'd be fighting with everything I've got to keep my dog.
Also, if we're considering emotional attachment, sure they had her for 1 year, but you raised her and had her for 2. I might be more sympathetic with the strangers if they had her for 5 years and your dog didn't even recognize you, or something, but that was not the case. I agree with Nare there... "The fact that they're considering the dog an 'investment' of $600 in vet bills tells me that they don't really care for the dog's well-being."

Edited by author Sun Mar 3, '13 2:08pm PST

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Member Since
03/02/2013		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 3, '13 5:01pm PST 
Ok Cassie was playing in my yard she never leaves the yard not ever.I noticed her not in the yard and found her collar and ID tag in the front yard. I dont know where some of you live but here you dont take a mans dog or truck or anything else on his property reason being you may get shot this is just rule of thumb. Now that that is settled A good Sam took her to the Vet in my town. They said she was found on the side of the road in the Town of the people in question. The Vet checked for a chip and called me and told me they had my dog so we went and picked her up.
We did look for her of course. We called every Vet office in 3 counties. We called Animal control we drove up and down every street and road in 4 towns knocking on doors and showing her photo to include posting them.
The people that came to my house said the Vet office found the chip and called be could not reach us. We have voice mail on the home phone number that is on the chip. Then the lady said she tried to call us. I still don't know how she would have my number.
How did this lady get my name and address to show up at my door.
We love Cassie and are so so happy to have her back. She has always been like one of our kids.
Some of you act like if someone came on your property and took your car, tricked it out spending thousands on it and when the police found it the person who had the car and did the work may have the right to keep it or ask you to pay for the improvements.
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Member Since
03/02/2013		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 3, '13 5:12pm PST 
Sorry about sounding like an ass.
Thank you everyone for your response.
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Ezra

1241819		 
 
Barked: Sun Mar 3, '13 5:31pm PST 
I hope you get to keep your dog. But, if Ezra had gotten lost or stolen and I then got him back and found out people had been taking care of him and paid for medical treatment for him, I'd definitely pay them back for the vet bills. If he'd been living with me the whole time I'd certainly have paid for his care, and I'd be really glad that his finders did take him to the vet instead of just leaving him.
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