svufan4ever
Junior Member
What is the name of your state? Washington
Long story short: A dog had been running around the neighborhood for several days over a span of days we had complete down pours/storms, running in traffic what not...definately abandoned. One neighbor saw it out at 4AM. Well one passerby picked the dog up (on a Tues night) and put up 'Found' signs took it home it had no tags no chip or even a collar and was starving.
She called me since she picked it up across from my house said she was going out of town so she was going to take it to the kill shelter with the 72 hr policy - I said no I'll take the dog I can find it a home and found it one in 20 minutes to the perfect home where the people just recently lost their 15 yo dog and desperately needed a new companion.
2 days after the dog is in its new home signs go up that just say brown dog and a ph. #. Thats all the sign said and many days after the fact the dog went missing. She never combed the neighborhood called neighbors or anything. She in fact put up a lost sign over the found sign so we figured oh okay whatever because she never called on the found signs.
Well over many petty circumstances she has decided that the dog that I gave a good home to is hers. We have been on contact with the police the whole time and told them we were to remain anonymous because of her living so close and being unstable. Her multiple displays at the police station comfirmed our reasons! She told the woman who originally picked the dog up that she wanted $500 for this mutt. (dont get me wrong I love dogs, but its a cute benji looking mutt!) So I called her to negotiate and said I dont feel comfortable giving this dog back to you if its yours because of the condition it was found in but I will take it to the shelter for an ID and you can get it there and she hung up on me. I figured she was done. Until she called the police.
One police officer was wonderful and we came to an agreement that I would anonymously call her saying okay you can identify your dog at this shelter at such and such day and time and if its not there then we will get the dog we have back. He also said this is not a police matter because the dog was not stolen it was found in abandoned condition and the woman didnt make attempts to find her until almost a week later. I called her to make the arrangement and she has no answering machine or voice mail. I told the officer that I had tried to make contact multiple times and will continue to try.
Now heres where my legal stuff comes:
The officer I delt with was off duty so another one calls and said Where is the dog? I said do I legally have to answer that question or do I have the option to be quiet? He said that Yes I need to tell him. So I did. Where do I stand on my rights there?
My mom wasn't home and I told him I cant handle this because I've been seriously ill and he wanted to talk to my mom. He told her that he was going to the location of the dog and force the people to relinquish the dog. My mom said you cant do that without a warrant and no crime was committed because we did not steal a dog there was effort to find the owner. Mom said I still want to remain anonymous he refused and said either our names or the people I gave the dogs to name. My mom said IF YOU HAVE TO give her a name, then give her mine but if I, my property or my daughter are harmed by this woman you tell me is so unstable I am holding the city responsible. He hung up on her.
So now the unstable woman has painted 3 signs on huge 3x5 pieces of plywood that "*my moms full name*" refuses to return $500 dog" "*My moms full name* refuses to respect Sgts request" and "*my moms full name* Civil suit Pending". The signs are on the sidewalk in front of her driveway. We assumed she would make contact with us to set something up about the dog. This woman apparently only had this dog like a week she lost. The one she lost I've heard all she did was keep it tied to the door knob. she has lost 2of her other dogs because she is extremely neglectful and never went looking for anyone. If I lost my dog I'd be beating the pavement looking!
Back to the signs though: The police said they cant touch the signs because they are on her property but about the first sign - We do not have the dog, the second sign - the sgt didn't request us to do anything.
My feeling is, and what the policeman said is that she raised so much hell down at the office that he wanted her off his back so he put this woman on ours.
What legal grounds do we have?? We would just assume the dog live happily with its family where it will be spoiled and loved, not abandoned. I also want to know did the policeman act out of line by becoming involved. I requested him to tell her this is not police business, which he agreed with me about but said shes just so nuts he wants it over with so just bring her the dog.
Thoughts?!?!
Long story short: A dog had been running around the neighborhood for several days over a span of days we had complete down pours/storms, running in traffic what not...definately abandoned. One neighbor saw it out at 4AM. Well one passerby picked the dog up (on a Tues night) and put up 'Found' signs took it home it had no tags no chip or even a collar and was starving.
She called me since she picked it up across from my house said she was going out of town so she was going to take it to the kill shelter with the 72 hr policy - I said no I'll take the dog I can find it a home and found it one in 20 minutes to the perfect home where the people just recently lost their 15 yo dog and desperately needed a new companion.
2 days after the dog is in its new home signs go up that just say brown dog and a ph. #. Thats all the sign said and many days after the fact the dog went missing. She never combed the neighborhood called neighbors or anything. She in fact put up a lost sign over the found sign so we figured oh okay whatever because she never called on the found signs.
Well over many petty circumstances she has decided that the dog that I gave a good home to is hers. We have been on contact with the police the whole time and told them we were to remain anonymous because of her living so close and being unstable. Her multiple displays at the police station comfirmed our reasons! She told the woman who originally picked the dog up that she wanted $500 for this mutt. (dont get me wrong I love dogs, but its a cute benji looking mutt!) So I called her to negotiate and said I dont feel comfortable giving this dog back to you if its yours because of the condition it was found in but I will take it to the shelter for an ID and you can get it there and she hung up on me. I figured she was done. Until she called the police.
One police officer was wonderful and we came to an agreement that I would anonymously call her saying okay you can identify your dog at this shelter at such and such day and time and if its not there then we will get the dog we have back. He also said this is not a police matter because the dog was not stolen it was found in abandoned condition and the woman didnt make attempts to find her until almost a week later. I called her to make the arrangement and she has no answering machine or voice mail. I told the officer that I had tried to make contact multiple times and will continue to try.
Now heres where my legal stuff comes:
The officer I delt with was off duty so another one calls and said Where is the dog? I said do I legally have to answer that question or do I have the option to be quiet? He said that Yes I need to tell him. So I did. Where do I stand on my rights there?
My mom wasn't home and I told him I cant handle this because I've been seriously ill and he wanted to talk to my mom. He told her that he was going to the location of the dog and force the people to relinquish the dog. My mom said you cant do that without a warrant and no crime was committed because we did not steal a dog there was effort to find the owner. Mom said I still want to remain anonymous he refused and said either our names or the people I gave the dogs to name. My mom said IF YOU HAVE TO give her a name, then give her mine but if I, my property or my daughter are harmed by this woman you tell me is so unstable I am holding the city responsible. He hung up on her.
So now the unstable woman has painted 3 signs on huge 3x5 pieces of plywood that "*my moms full name*" refuses to return $500 dog" "*My moms full name* refuses to respect Sgts request" and "*my moms full name* Civil suit Pending". The signs are on the sidewalk in front of her driveway. We assumed she would make contact with us to set something up about the dog. This woman apparently only had this dog like a week she lost. The one she lost I've heard all she did was keep it tied to the door knob. she has lost 2of her other dogs because she is extremely neglectful and never went looking for anyone. If I lost my dog I'd be beating the pavement looking!
Back to the signs though: The police said they cant touch the signs because they are on her property but about the first sign - We do not have the dog, the second sign - the sgt didn't request us to do anything.
My feeling is, and what the policeman said is that she raised so much hell down at the office that he wanted her off his back so he put this woman on ours.
What legal grounds do we have?? We would just assume the dog live happily with its family where it will be spoiled and loved, not abandoned. I also want to know did the policeman act out of line by becoming involved. I requested him to tell her this is not police business, which he agreed with me about but said shes just so nuts he wants it over with so just bring her the dog.
Thoughts?!?!