Would YOU Return this dog to its owners?

[Imzadi]

However, IMO, the people who rescued the dog now own it. If they don't want to keep it, it is their choice where it goes next. Either to a new home or back to the original owners, if they see fit. The original family lost its claim on the dog when they left it in the hole, as much as if they dropped it off at a shelter to be euthanized.

I agree. The original owners gave up rights to the dog when they left it for dead. New poeple found the dog and it should be their rights to keep it.

If someone knowingly threw out a lottery ticket before checking to see if they won, the homeless person who fishes the ticket out of the garbage ( and becomes a millionaire) becomes the owner. The original person doesn't get to lay claim to the ticket again because someone else found value after it was discarded.

 

[spima3]

I would move heaven and h#ll to save one of our pets, just as I would to save one of my kids.

Not saying I would sacrifice my kids to save one of the pets, so lets not go down that road.

What a horrible, horrible thing that poor dog had to live through. I think that the people who went through all the trouble to save her should get to keep her if they want. I don't think I would trust the original owners. Original actions were inadequate.

 

[Kim&Chris]

I would move heaven and h#ll to save one of our pets, just as I would to save one of my kids.

Not saying I would sacrifice my kids to save one of the pets, so lets not go down that road.

What a horrible, horrible thing that poor dog had to live through. I think that the people who went through all the trouble to save her should get to keep her if they want. I don't think I would trust the original owners. Original actions were inadequate.

I agree. For a dog to be hit by a car AND to fall down a mine shaft...that poor thing doesn't stand a chance going back to the original owners.

And maybe I missed something, but how did the dog get to the mine shaft in the first place? Was it permitted to wander? I mean, people don't typically have mine shafts in their backyards, right? So I'm wondering if these people were the "open the front door and let the dog out in the morning 'til he's ready to come home tonight" type. If that's the case, then they don't deserve to have ANY animals, let alone this poor baby.

 

[Imzadi]

I agree. For a dog to be hit by a car AND to fall down a mine shaft...that poor thing doesn't stand a chance going back to the original owners.

And maybe I missed something, but how did the dog get to the mine shaft in the first place? Was it permitted to wander?

Yes, it seems there are already TWO examples of when the dog was unsupervised and not leashed.

 

[robinb]

W
Also, wasn't there a case quite a while ago, maybe like 20 years ago or something, about a 1 or 2 year old who fell down not a mine shaft, but a tube thing, and got stuck? Anyone know what I'm talking about?

You're talking about Baby Jessica: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19165433/

 

[lisajl]

You must not be a true animal lover,because I would have done any and everything in my power to get my dog.

ITA-this is one story I cannot stomach. You know I understand if people don't have money to properly take care of their pet, I get it.
What I don't get is why this dog wasn't on a leash or tied up in the yard?
Was it? Did it get away from them? Then shooting it? Sorry..I better stop now before I go into a tirade.

 

[ChrizJen]

OK, so here's my take on the whole thing.
I agree that the owners should NOT be allowed to have the dog back.
I also agree with the others who say that they should have gone back to the mine later just to make sure. They thought the dog was probably dead after being shot, but they had no way of actually knowing. It would have haunted me to the point the I wouldn't have been able to sleep. I would have gone back.
Heck, there was a possum in my back yard one evening that had been attacked by a neighborhood dog. I saw it laying there in the grass, and it wasn't moving. I was afraid that it was dead. I assumed it was dead. But I checked back a few times just to be sure. A few hours later when I couldn't sleep, I checked again. It was gone, so I assume it lived to walk away. I can't imagine what I would have gone through if it had been my pet instead of a wild animal!
OK, so I can undertand that the owners thought they were doing the humane thing. But not knowing for sure whether the dog was dead, and then just leaving him for dead was wrong in my opinion. I cannot even fathom how they slept at night not knowing.

 

[ChrizJen]

It was hit by the car first, I think a few days before, fell down the mine shaft, shot by its owners' direction, left for dead, starved of food and water for 10 days. What a will to live!

Agreed!! What an amazing animal!

 

[chisnpeke]

You must not be a true animal lover,because I would have done any and everything in my power to get my dog.

 

[happygirl]

Sorry I love animals but I have kids and a hubby to think about. I can't go and get myself killed for any animal no matter how much I love them. That not fair to my hubby or kids

 

[ChrizJen]

Sorry I love animals but I have kids and a hubby to think about. I can't go and get myself killed for any animal no matter how much I love them. That not fair to my hubby or kids

I don't think that most here are suggesting that the owners should have risked going into the mine. But once they made the decision to have the dog shot, they should have made sure that the dog was indeed dead. Instead they left, not knowing for sure.

 

[monkey68]

I don't think that most here are suggesting that the owners should have risked going into the mine. But once they made the decision to have the dog shot, they should have made sure that the dog was indeed dead. Instead they left, not knowing for sure.

Were the owners there when the dog was shot? Maybe they were counting on the friend to be sure he was dead. Maybe they would have found it too difficult to go back there because it's associated with a trauma. I don't fault them for not going back, I don't think I would have either. I would go to the mine and picture my dog lying there, it's not an image I would want. So if the person responsible for killing the animal told me it was dead, I would take their word. When the cat got put down, my mom did it without telling me (we didn't know how sick he was, the cat followed us home) but when she told me I didn't go to the vet to be sure that he was gone.

Again, I still think there are too many things that don't add up. Maybe the dog found a little hole in the fence in the backyard and that's how he got out both times. Maybe the family didn't know about the hole, but when he got hit by the car, they maybe just assumed somebody left the gate open. Can you blame them for not knowing there was a hole in the fence which was how the dog got out? I know I wouldn't. But we don't really know what happened, there's a lot of detail missing. So we can only assume.

 

[simba928]

That is an amazing animal. And those people don't deserve that dog back. Working in a humane society, though, I have heard many horrible stories and unfortunately this one does not surprise me anymore. Sometimes people can be downright cruel. Had my dog somehow gotten away from me and hit by a car, you can be sure that she would not have been out of my sight a few days later. Even if she seemed fine after the car incident (no serious injuries or anything), she still obviously could not have been trusted to stay where she needed to be (in my yard) and therefore would not have been out of my sight and/or control.