r/AmItheAsshole • u/Delicious-Intern6618 • 2h ago
WIBTAH if I I kept him
I’m struggling with this one. We were leaving town after a wedding, we’d left the hotel late and grabbed a bowl of bacon on the way out. As we were driving down the frontage road, about to merge onto the highway I saw a fluffy dog running TOWARDS oncoming traffic. I pulled off and used my bacon to get him closer… I just reacted. He was matted pretty bad and a bit skinny, but very friendly. No collar, and the only person kind of close said they had no idea who the little guy was. I had an 8 hour drive ahead of me, thought he had been out there for a long time given his state so I wrapped him up and took him with me and my other two dogs.
Once I got home I went straight to the vet, and had them check for a chip. He had none. We agreed I’d take care of the matting then have him fully check out (that’s coming tomorrow his coat was in baaaad shape) Made a post in the area I found him, then called my local shelter. They couldn’t take him in but I was told to keep looking for his owner and to make sure I got verifiable proof if someone came forward.
I did find his family, and they are pissed I took him all the way home. Arrangements have been made for someone to pick him up, and I’ve gotten some proof that he’s theirs. But no recent vet records, only one from years ago…and the longer I’ve had him the worse I realize his condition is. The matting could not have happened within the “day” or so he got out. He’s got critters living on him that would have needed months to get to point they’re in.. I’m torn. I can’t really have another pet, but what if I don’t have a choice? EDIT: What I mean is, what if no one comes to pick him up? And another big issue for me is just the state he is in vs what they’re saying happened. I would not just refuse to give him back-just struggling if I should involve the authorities or Animal Welfare.
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u/doglady1342 2h ago
OMG!! He somehow got out and ran away!!
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u/ArcticAcademic Partassipant [1] 2h ago
Shoot, that was such an unfortunate coincidence... right when OP was about to return it. Oh well, I hope it turns up some day... take care now.
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u/Spectre_Omega Judge, Jury, and Excretioner [319] 2h ago
Y W B T A legally if you simply refuse to hand him back, but YWNBTA morally for being deeply concerned about his neglect.
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u/BoudiccasJustice Partassipant [3] 2h ago
Maybe you tell them he ran away again. . . Or you report the owners to the humane society cruelty investigators, and maybe they can legally take the dog and get it a good new home.
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u/sweet_tea_mama 2h ago
NTA.
I agree that if they get them back you put in an anonymous report in their area so the local asphalt or whoever can check in and make sure pup is being properly cared for.
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u/Ok-Heron8017 Partassipant [1] 2h ago
I'm sorta stuck on "and we grabbed a bowl of bacon". Like wtaf?
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u/Delicious-Intern6618 2h ago
That’s all they had left from the hotel breakfast- and that’s all I had with me to help get him off the road it was that or let him get hit by car
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u/StormCloudRaineeDay Asshole Enthusiast [7] 2h ago
Morally, NTA. But legally, even if they were neglectful and abusive, you don't have the right to just take him away. Take pictures and videos of him before you clean him up, for proof, and get a signed letter from your vet describing his condition, what would possibly lead to his condition, and how long it would take for him to get to that state. If you can get it notarized, even better. Keep physical copies of any correspondence you've had with the owners. Keep all this in one location and email copies of all of it to yourself. Describe the situation to the vet, they might be able to give you some advice.
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u/Delicious-Intern6618 2h ago
Thank you for the input, I also plan to consult my attorney
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u/Malibucat48 Asshole Enthusiast [8] 1h ago
If he doesn’t have a microchip and without current vet records, they don’t have proof he is theirs. Obviously an attorney will give you advice, but if you return him, you will always wonder if he is ok. Is he neutered? That’s another indication of good pet ownership.
Please update after you talk to the attorney. Personally, I would keep him unless they know your address and drive to your house to get him.
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u/Topsidergal 1h ago
Yeah, get notarized statements from the vet and I’m sure all local, overwhelmed animal rescues will send out a team of investigators……oh, please get real!
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u/Signal-Lead-9512 1h ago
NTA. The dog could have been hit by oncoming traffic. He looked like a stray and had no identification. You did the humane thing by taking him in. You also took the time to make a post about a found dog in the area that you discovered him. Not sure if your local authorities or Animal Welfare could investigate when the owners live eight hours away. BTW, why is bacon in a bowl?
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u/Delicious-Intern6618 1h ago
That’s just what the lady at the hotel gave me to put it in. I wasn’t going to turn down free bacon and it came in handy for sure.
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u/Topsidergal 1h ago
DO NOT give him back!!! Do you believe that the condition in was/is in happened overnight or a few days?? And they’re pissed you took this poor animal “all the way” home? Were you supposed to leave him running loose on the road? When I found my 4 weeks missing cat I was absolutely overjoyed, I would have driven thousands of miles if necessary to bring her home. Tell them the dog got out again and took off. Please keep him with you safe and taken care of at your home. Bless you and the puppy.
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u/Delicious-Intern6618 1h ago
That’s no way at ask it could’ve been just an few days, this is weeks of not months of neglect.
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u/Topsidergal 1h ago
Re-read the original post….he had critters living on him that take months to develop and heavy matting doesn’t happen in a few weeks…
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u/Youwhooo60 Pooperintendant [66] 1h ago
Get him chipped, put that in your name & neutered. He's yours.
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u/Letters_from_summer Certified Proctologist [21] 1h ago
So legally he is property. It sucks, but that what it is. So you cant just not give him back but you can offer to purchase him. If they dont come for him I believe he is considered abandoned and you can keep him, but I would get some legal advice on that.
Generally with lost property you have to take it to the police and then after a certain number of days if the property isnt claimed it can be yours if you want it. Obviously you don't drop a dog at the police station, so that part wouldnt apply. Im also not aware of any law that would require you to take a dog to a shelter. I believe posting that you found him like you did would satisfy any legal requirements, but again, check with someone who can give you a legal opinion on that. So even though they are annoyed you took him 8 hours away, I think legally you are fine.
Without knowing their explanation for how he got out and how long he was gone it is hard to give judgement. If he got out/away through normal dog means (slipped his leash, gate left opened, jumped out of a car in an accident, found an escape route from the yard that no one knew about) and has just been gone for months that doesn't mean he wasnt well cared for before trying to LARP Homeward Bound and totally screwing up.
If they said (assuming for this the wedding was Saturday and this happened Sunday). Oh thanks for finding him. He got out Friday night and we have been looking for him and it really is impossible for him to have picked up the critters I guess it is possible to alert authorities but all that will really do is create a paper trail for the future.
NTA for taking him home. If I was the dog owner and my dog got out and was near the highway and the local shelters couldn't take him in or were kill shelters I would 100% rather he was safe 8 hours away having a vet check than still wandering. I also would have done the same thing in your shoes.
I will say if he is a fluffy boy who likes adventures it is amazing how quickly they can go from groomed to 'I swear to god you arent homeless '. Again, not knowing exactly the condition of the dog we cant really say but I will say my floofy boy can go from perfectly groomed to why do you have dredlocks under your armpits and a mat behind your ears, you just got groomed yesterday, after an afternoon of swimming and hiking. The really annoying ones are the hidden butt floof mats he gets from backing that ass up for butt scritches to any human he vibes with. There is so much hair back there that small tangled can get missed and then turn into a mess very quickly. Now, my dog would still look well fed if he got out, but he would come home from a day or two in the wilderness alone having picked up every bug he could find, wearing leaves and twigs luke Y2K hair feathers, and with his fur caked and matted from every bad smelling thing he decided to roll in and rubbing himself on the ground to dry off after each of his 5 million swims.
I say all of that just to say you have way more information than we do. Take a hard look at the dog and figure out if there is neglect or if it is possible this dog is just excellent at becoming disheveled. Talk to your vet. They will be able to note if the dog is s taken care of mess or a neglected mess. The vet will also be able to help you connect with authorities if needed.
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I’m struggling with this one. We were leaving town after a wedding, we’d left the hotel late and grabbed a bowl of bacon on the way out. As we were driving down the frontage road, about to merge onto the highway I saw a fluffy dog running TOWARDS oncoming traffic. I pulled off and used my bacon to get him closer… I just reacted. He was matted pretty bad and a bit skinny, but very friendly. No collar, and the only person kind of close said they had no idea who the little guy was. I had an 8 hour drive ahead of me, thought he had been out there for a long time given his state so I wrapped him up and took him with me and my other two dogs.
Once I got home I went straight to the vet, and had them check for a chip. He had none. We agreed I’d take care of the matting then have him fully check out (that’s coming tomorrow his coat was in baaaad shape) Made a post in the area I found him, then called my local shelter. They couldn’t take him in but I was told to keep looking for his owner and to make sure I got verifiable proof if someone came forward.
I did find his family, and they are pissed I took him all the way home. Arrangements have been made for someone to pick him up, and I’ve gotten some proof that he’s theirs. But no recent vet records, only one from years ago…and the longer I’ve had him the worse I realize his condition is. The matting could not have happened within the “day” or so he got out. He’s got critters living on him that would have needed months to get to point they’re in.. I’m torn. I can’t really have another pet, but what if I don’t have a choice?
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u/solar_wool_key 46m ago
get that vet report in writing today. You cannot legally keep a lost pet just because you think they are being neglected, so if the owners don't show up within a few days, take him to animal control or your local police department. They are the only ones with the legal authority to investigate the abuse claims and decide who gets the dog, while you protect yourself from theft charges by transferring custody properly
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u/kuldrkyvekva Partassipant [3] 13m ago
YWBTA is there a chance this large fluffy matted dog might be a guardian dog?
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u/AriBanana Partassipant [1] 2h ago
What do you mean "what if I don't have a choice?"
You have a choice. Give the dog back.
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u/Delicious-Intern6618 2h ago
I am trying too, my concern is if they do not actually pick him up
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u/Flailing_ameoba 2h ago
Well, if they don’t show up to pick him up see if you can have him registered as abandoned with your local shelter and maybe you can foster him until he finds a better home? I actually have no clue if any of that is possible. As someone who spends so much time and energy trying to keep my dog happy and healthy I just hope he ends up in a home where he is loved AND well cared for.
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u/PeppermintWindFarm Partassipant [3] 2h ago
YTA, you can’t keep someone’s dog, that’s theft not rescue.
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u/Delicious-Intern6618 2h ago
I’m not just trying to keep him, I’ve been trying to coordinate his pick up while taking care of the multitude of issues he has; as well as documenting each step.
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u/Blue_Curve_1 2h ago
You grabbed a bowl of bacon on the way out? Then you drove hours away with someone else’s dog? YTA for hogging all the bacon. YTA for stealing someone’s dog and bowl. And who serves bacon in a bowl? I’m so confused.
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u/Delicious-Intern6618 2h ago
It was literally what was left of the hotel continental breakfast…. She told me to take what I wanted and handed me a bowl…
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u/sciteachhs 1h ago
Your NTA for wanting to help an animal, YTA for not looking into shelters or other rescues or people to help in that area. I live in a tourist area where many people visit from at least 3 hours away, this is an all too frequent occurrence near me where well-meaning people visiting take dogs or cats that belong to people, and then justify it by assuming the dog or cat “was dumped” You should have considered the possibility the dog had a local owner before you drove it 8 hours away. In many states a dog is a possession and this would be stealing…
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u/tyranopussy 41m ago
A severely neglected animal would certainly be taken for a stray, which this poor dog was severely neglected…
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u/Delicious-Intern6618 1h ago
I can’t argue with that. My first thought was not that he could be local, I’ve never been in a situation like this before. And I honestly thought my local shelter would be better equipped to take him, I’ve volunteered there and I knew the area I was in had a very high number of strays as well as kill shelters
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u/Mental_Tart842 Partassipant [1] 2h ago
I would have assumed a dog in that condition, with no collar, was a stray, and made no effort to find an owner. I would have kept the dog with no compunction.