Seeking Opinions - Neglected Dog.

[Twisterdog]

Seeking some opinions here, please.

Here is the story:

One of my employee's daughters is in her early twenties, has a baby, is still out at the bars partying almost every night, etc. She is now supposedly getting kicked out of her apartment and has to move. The drama goes on and on ...

She also has a six month old Chinese crested puppy. While I do not think she is outright abusive to the dog, she is, IMO, neglectful. She leaves the puppy, which is not housetrained because she is never home to train it, in an former back porch which was turned into a laundry room. While you can't technically call it "unheated" since it's part of the house, it is NOT warm back there, especially for a hairless dog. Her sister told me the dog "never" has food or water unless she goes over and gives it some. While this is probably an exaggaration, I'm sure there is a lot of truth to it. Her son, who is almost two, is also said to be very rough with the dog.

So, I asked her if she would give me the dog. She told me she would sell me the dog for what she paid for it. (I happen to know she didn't pay for it, she talked her boyfriend-du-jour into buying it for her, but whatever.) She will not budge on the price. While I can afford it, and really want to help this dog, something about buying a BYB puppy from a flaky kid kind of rubs me the wrong way. You know?

So, what do you think? Buy the puppy to save it, or let things be?

Thanks.

[finn's mom]

If there's another way to help the puppy, I'd try it. If not, and I had the money, I'd probably buy it. What a crappy situation, though.

[Giselle]

I would not buy the puppy. It doesn't feel ethical to me. In my book, it's sort of rewarding her for being a neglectful piece of ****.

She buys a puppy. She doesn't give a rat's arse about it. And she gets compensated for it and can relinquish it with impunity? Nope! No way would I pay her.

And in the case the situation gets dangerous: Call AC.

[caseysmom]

I would pay her and take the poor thing...think of him not the girl.

[Grace]

Seems to me that someone should take the dog and the baby.

[scrain2329]

well, I couldn't do the poll.. to open ended.
I would explain basically what you explained here. Say that by the looks of it, it is a neglectful situation. Explain that you can call animal control and she can pay the consequences there, (I was thinking mention what would happen to the puppy but it seems like that might not even matter..) or say surrender the dog to you, without paying, and let her know she honestly wins this way. refuse to pay for the dog, tell her she will end up paying herself and really be in trouble then. If the puppy is physically suffering, its only fair to take the dog and pay for its sake, but try to work around the situation first. At least, this is what I would do. Good luck, and hope to hear good news!

[Freedom]

One of my employee's daughters . . . .

Is the mom involved at all in helping the dog? I mean, sounds like that is how you found out about it. Or is the mom saying, deal with the daughter directly?

I think I would do what scrain 2329 advised, try talking to her. You need to learn who the vet is, as you will want to get any vet history. Is she willing to give that to ya?

If you KNOW she didn't pay for the dog, why not say that when she says she wants what she paid for it?

Part of me just wants to report her to animal and child welfare!

Please don't do NOTHING, this doggie needs you or someone to help it, somehow!

Glad you are investigating options! Keep it up.

[lizbud]

I would pay & take the dog out of there. It's not the pup's fault she's
such a loser.

I think she'd probably jump at the chance for a fist full of cash. Best of
luck getting the dog away from that situation.

[Twisterdog]

I have already called Animal Control. I knew, based on decades of past experience with our AC, what the response would be before I even called, but I had to give the token effort. They said they would have to see and document the fact that the dog had no food or water, over a period of time, before they could even give her a warning. They told me that, frankly, this would be impossible to do with a dog kept in the house. All the owner has to do is say, "I picked up the bowls to sweep." AC basically told me good luck, maybe I could get the dog away from her, but they couldn't do anything.

She does have vet records, and the dog is up to date on shots ... only because her older sister took the puppy to the vet and did it.

This girl is estranged from her mother, my employee and best friend, because her mother is in the process of trying to get custody of the baby. I am totally on the mother's side here, that baby needs to go to his grandparents, no doubt.

I have tried talking to her. She denies neglecting the dog, of course. She swears she paid for it (although I KNOW she didn't). She has had enough past dealings with Animal Control over other dogs that she knows exactly what they will and will not do. She is a piece of work. And I have known this girl for ten years, I know talking, begging, threatening is pointless. I have one option - buy the dog. That's why I only put the two options in the poll - with this girl, those are, sadly, the only two options that exist.

[Karen]

I am not normally a deceitful person, but what about giving her a check, taking the pup, and stopping at the bank on the way home and stopping payment on the check?

Or, I bet if you gave her a smaller amount - if you showed up with half her "asking" price in cash, she'd give you the dog.

[snowbelle15]

If you have the money, pay her and take the puppy. Do anything you can to get the pup outta there. The dog deserves so much better.

[finn's mom]

I agree with Karen. I hadn't thought of that, but once you have the dog in your possession, she'd be hard pressed to do anything about it. Of course, then you would have a really angry neighbor who would probably seek revenge.

[Twisterdog]

I already tried offering her half, then 3/4, of the asking price. No.

I couldn't do that - give her a check and stop payment. I just couldn't. Plus, I think she WOULD have recourse if I did that. Couldn't she just call the sheriff and say, "This lady bought a dog from me, and then stopped payment on the check. So I want to go get the dog back." I think she could. At any rate, that's not exactly legal, is it? Couldn't she take me to court, or turn me over to collections?

[pomtzu]

I too would buy the dog, and temp her with "cash in the face", but less than she wants. She would probably take what you offer, just so she could afford to do some bar-hopping!

Poor dog!!!

[Daisy and Delilah]

I don't think she should be rewarded either. However, if she is demanding money, I suppose I would have to give it to her to save the dog. It would give me peace of mind if I had the dog, knowing he/she was well taken care of after leaving her.

What Karen said will probably work. I would give it a shot. Good luck with it and bless you for helping this poor little doggie.