Was this rude? What would you have done?

[skuttle]

Saturday, I went to the grocery store really quick to pick up a few things we needed to cook dinner. When I got home, there were two dogs (yellow and chocolate lab) roaming around in the neighbor's front yard. I got out of the car and called the dogs over to me...they ran over, jumped all over me, and got me FULL of mud because it had been raining...one even jumped in my car. Yuck! I fought with one to look at the tag...finally got the number on the tag and called. Their dad was at Sam's shopping...about 15 minutes away if there's no traffic. He said he'd come get the dogs and I said I'd put them in my yard, but that my fence was just a short picket fence so I wasn't sure if the dogs would jump.

Finally get the dogs in the yard, then our two dogs (yorkie and corgi) see the dogs and start going nuts! Yellow lab jumps the fence and runs straight to the window...smashing my flowers/plants right under the window. DH goes put our dogs in the bedroom so they wouldn't be distracting and I hearded the yellow lab back in the yard. Since shd could jump, I decided to stay outside with the dogs to make sure they didn't jump the fence again.

So...30 minutes later...after being covered in mud, eaten alive by mosquitos, and discovering a dead snake in my front yard...still no dad to pick up dogs. DH finished dinner around 10 minutes ago. I try to leave the dogs and go inside to eat...yellow lab jumps the fence after me. So, I go back in the yard and call dad again. He's just leaving Sam's...took a while to check out he says. So...I call you 30 minutes ago to tell you I found your dogs and you just finish your shopping and then come get your dogs almost an hour after I first called you?

Is this rude or what? I would have left the store immediately to get my dogs. Only if I was next in line to check out would I have waited to check out...and even then I'm not sure I would have done that!

 

[minniepumpernickel]

Yes, it sounds a bit rude. Eewww you found a dead snake too. That is kind of a bad day!

 

[Chattyaholic]

You said the dogs were in your neighbor's yard, not yours?
Then I wouldn't have even bothered with them. 'Course we live in the country and houses have a lot of space between them, maybe I would feel differently if I lived in town and houses were close together, I don't know.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I would have come immediately and groveled at your feet for being so good to my obnoxious dogs, acknowledging the whole time that it was completely my fault. I would have insisted that you accept a check as a reward and for repairing/cleaning any damage they caused. And I would have thanked God for people like you who do the difficult thing and not the easy thing of just walking into your house and doing nothing. If that guy didn't thank you enough.....

On behalf of lost dogs everywhere, thank you!!

 

[luvmydogs]

Yes, I think it was rude--especially when you were so kind to take in his dogs (look at all the trouble you went through!). Many people wouldn't have been that caring.

I once found a gorgeous Golden Retriever in the parking lot of our Publix store. When I called the owner she said she was sorry but she couldn't come to get "Jessie" for a hour or two---she had some errands to run and then a tennis lesson! So Jessie and I hung out and played with a tennis ball for two hours until she picked him up. It was so hot outside and I was afraid if I made her come get him right away, she'd leave him in the car during her errands and tennis lesson.

 

[N.Bailey]

Maybe he felt that you took on a responsibility that he never asked you to do? and Why should he have to run back to the store, when maybe he thinks you shouldn't have taken the dogs into your yard if you expected him to hurry home? I don't know, I'm just trying to imagine what he might have been thinking and why he maybe didn't rush to your home to pick them up. I'm not defending him, so please don't take this response as such.

Edited to add: I do believe it was very rude on his part.

 

[skuttle]

The dogs were running around in my neighbor's yard, but they weren't my neighbor's. The dogs ended up being from a house a couple of blocks away.

 

[cgcw]

Yes, it was rude.

As bad as this might sound, I know I wouldn't take the dogs in again. In our Village, it's a $75 fine to get your animal back if it's picked up by Animal Control. Knowing the dogs have tags, I would next time take a different route.

 

[Pooh67_68]

Yes it was rude.
We on the other hand were lucky, when we found 2 dogs running in our yard and called the owner he came for them right away.

 

[skuttle]

You know, it's not just that I think it was rude. If those would have been MY dogs, I would have been a nervous wreck that they had gotten out and were with a stranger! The groceries could have waited!

 

[Deb T.]

Wow - you were amazingly generous and he was amazingly rude. I guess you'll be able to recognize them if they ever get loose again - and next time just call animal control. That should teach him a lesson. Kudos to you, though, for being so caring and considerate.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Hmmm...why am I thinking that if you had reached a female at that phone number, she would have been right over to get them. But a male will do whatever he's doing first and then get them.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

I'll probably get flamed for this but here goes...we live on the edge of a small town and have problems with our neighbors dogs (2 golden retrievers). They constantly come into my horses pasture and they will chase and snap at them while the owners watch! They have also come onto our property and fought with our own dog. It's gotten to the point that we will use the pellet gun on them whenever we see them on our property. If I ever managed to get my hands on them I would call animal control immediately.

So in your situation I would have just called animal control. I can't believe that the guy was so rude to you. He should be greatful that you watched out for his animals while finished shopping

 

[Dan Murphy]

Yes

 

[calypso*a*go-go]

Hmmm...kind of makes you wonder if the guy had kids he left out in the car as well.

 

[leahannpen]

I'm kind of confused...did they run away from his home then, if he's from a few blocks away? Or were they with him at the store and they got away?

Either way, the fact that you called to let him know they were by you and he didn't come right away is rude, in my opinion. He could have gotten them and went back to shopping. How did they get away anyway? Wasn't he worried? Or he could have said something like "oh I'm so sorry, I have something really important to get, I'll be there as soon as I can, thank you so much for calling!". Some people are just rude.

 

[Dakota_Lynn]

There's little that frustrates me more than irresponsible dog owners. Where I live, many people think it's perfectly ok to let their dogs run around all day while they are at work. For a long time, I couldn't walk out of my home without somebody's dog jumping on me. I'm allergic, so that is a big problem! Finally, I started calling the Animal Control. That did it! There's quite a bit fewer dogs roaming. It's too bad, really, since it's not the dogs' faults at all. But it was getting to a point that I couldn't enjoy being on my own property.

Anyway, yes, the guy was a JERK. It's bad enough that he's one of those people who let their dogs roam the neighborhood. I realize that sometimes dogs get out accidentally, and I'm not passing judgment on that kind of situation. Being the mother of a 13 year old daughter, I can say this sometimes happens with kids, too! lol! The thing is, for most loving dog owners, their dogs are LIKE their children, and any decent person would pick up their lost child or pet immediately! The fact that this man took his time suggests to me that he's one of those people who frequently let his dogs roam. He obviously didn't see a major problem in the fact that his dogs had roamed a few blocks away and were at somebody else's home.

It was very kind of you to do what you did. It messed up, what happened to you, but at least you know you did a good thing!

 

[ZachnElli]

Yes, he was rude and if it had been my dogs I would have been there immediately. My dogs don't get out much, but I freak out when they do!

 

[MICKEY88]

what if he had a cart full of perishables when you called...should he have just let them sit...

..was it really 30 minutes or did it just seem that way....

kind of the way it always seems to take forever when you're waiting for someone....

 

[Rock'n Robin]

I think it was rude. If I didn't know my dog was out (assuming that he did have them confined) and someone called me and said "I have your dog, he was loose," I would move heaven and earth to go get the dog immediately. If I had a cart full of perishables, yes, I would have left them--people have emergencies when they are shopping and that is what the employees are for. What if a child throws up in a store and you have a lot of perishables? You leave them.
Robin M.