Nookie

[Dixieland Dancer]

Oh Aly... I am so sorry you have to go through this. I hope and pray it all works out for your benefit. Please keep us posted.

{{{{{HUGS}}}}}

[ramanth]

Oh Aly, what a nightmare!!!

Please have someone with you as a witness when you talk to this woman. She sounds coniving.

If Kia or any dog I was watching went missing, the SECOND I find out I'd be calling all the shelters. All day, every day on top of looking around.

And Nookie does not look like the kind of dog that should be outdoors all the time.

How disgusting!!

I hope the previous owner does lose the rights to him. You've done so much for Nookie. He'd be dead right now if it weren't for you.

He's yours.

Case closed.

[Cincy'sMom]

I hope it isn't too late to send out postivie thoughts! I am guessing whatever has already happened. Hopefully the woman didn't care enough to even show up today! I am so sorry you have to go through this, but I have to think the law would be on your side. You have given so much time, love and money to this dog, you deserve him. I really hope all went well....

[sammi]

Oh, Aly I hope that today went ok for you and Nookie. I will be waiting to hear what happened tonight as I think lots of members are.

[aly]

Well the woman started calling the Operations Director at 7am this morning. She cussed her out and ended up hanging up on her on almost every phone call. She said the owner is flying in from Florida tomorrow and then leaving for Japan the next day. I am not sure if she's flying here for the dog or if she was going to fly here anyway. The woman said the owner is beside herself because she lost her husband and now her dog is "stolen". She is demanding a meeting with the Operations Director, Shelter Manager, and President of the Board tomorrow. I don't think she is going to get one though. She said the dog costs lots of money and is stolen "property". Legally, she has no grounds to stand on.

A lot of you might disagree with this, but as far as I'm concerned there is no way Nookie is going to anyone but me. Even if the owner cares about him, he was not cared for medically and he was a purely outside dog. He doesn't deserve to live the rest of his life like that... and it would be a very short life if he went back to her. The psycho woman claims they have vet records from March where Nookie got a clean bill of health. I can tell you there's absolutely no way he developed all these health problems since March. I would love to see these so called vet records. Even if I would consider surrendering him to the real owner, how could I when she's flying to Japan on Wednesday and Nookie would go back into the care of the maniac. No thanks. He's legally mine and is going to stay that way.

[mugsy]

I know I don't disagree with you. You have every right to Nookie. I would tell her to take a long hike off of a short pier and don't look back when she falls. I don't think the woman has a legal leg to stand on. She would have to produce some sort of proof that she was looking for him too, I would think.

[aly]

All they did was put up a few signs. They didn't even check shelters (they admitted this). I think even if they did prove that they were actively looking, the law would still be on my side.

Anyway this is a big sigh of relief for me. I am now afraid they're going to find out where I live though. Scary.

[DoggiesAreTheBest]

Aly, I don't think you have anything to worry about! Let her demand to meet with anyone and everyone at the shelter, there is no way she can take him from you.

So what she has vet records from March. Has she checked the calendar? It's July! Nookie has been in your care for weeks now. Didn't you say he was found in May or June?

Are you fostering Nookie or have you adopted him? Perhaps you had mentioned it before and I missed it. If you have adopted him, he is yours! And if you are fostering, he belongs to the shelter who can refuse to give the animal back to the old owner.

Keep us posted!

[Rachel]

Strange, very strange. A owner who is so beside herself but leaves her dog in the *care* of someone else for months on end. A *caregiver* who is hysterical yet didn't even bother to check the shelters when the dog was lost. Being loud and demanding seems like a tactic to use when the truth might fail!

Seems as if the law would be pretty clear in terms of the number of days that a owner has to claim a pet. If those days expired, the shelter would have custody and be able to adopt the dog out to whomever they wanted based on their procedures. Doesn't seem to me as if these people have any legal (or moral) rights in this case.

[Sudilar]

Good luck in your fight for Nookie. Present them with his vet bills. Then maybe they'll back off.

[ramanth]

Good luck Aly! I totally agree with you.

[anna_66]

Oh how I hope everything is going to go your way. I think he ought to be with you. Let us know what's going on!

[aly]

I just got a call from the Operations Director. She wants me to stay out of the situation because she said this woman is truly psychotic. She's received so many nasty phone calls then today she received some sugary sweet ones from her. She's demanding a one on one meeting with the Operations Director. She said that the real owner couldn't make it. We have a feeling that the real owner isn't even flying into town like she said she was. This weird woman is full of lies. We haven't even received one phone call at all from the real owner. If I was in the owner's shoes, I'd have called the shelter as soon as I found out.

But anyway, its decided. The Operations Director isn't going to give her a meeting. There's no need to have one and she doesn't want that crazy woman in the shelter. She's calling her right now to tell her that Nookie is adopted to someone else and there's nothing legal she can do.

I was originally just fostering Nookie but after this incident he's become mine I guess. At least all the higher ups at the shelter keep telling me he's legally mine. The ONLY worry I have is his food aggression and territory issues. He got Reece last night and it was scary. He didn't hurt Reece but scared him half to death. My dogs aren't used to any kind of aggression at all.

Ok, the Operations Director just called me again. She said the phone call went rather well. The psycho woman is housesitting and living in the owner's house and she was afraid she would be kicked out of the house if she lost the dog. She was actually very agreeable and admitted Nookie is much better off in my hands. She said the owner is never home anyway and is always out of the country. And that she did in fact leave the dog outside all the time because her carpet is expensive and she couldn't risk dog hair or urine inside. All she asked was that we talk to the owner and tell her psycho woman tried to get the dog back for her. So the call ended nicely. I have one thing to say: GET THAT WOMAN SOME MEDICATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So little Nookers has turned from a lawn ornament to a companion and friend.... and his health is getting better even in this short time that he's been shown love and fed properly.

[aly]

His ultrasound and bloodwork appointment is tomorrow. Wish us luck!!!!!

[DoggiesAreTheBest]

Great news, Aly. Phew, what an ordeal!

Good Luck to you, Nookie! Hope your appointment goes well.