# Found an abandoned dog. I want to get her chipped and registered, but I'm afraid.



## EasyBreezy (Mar 19, 2011)

I'm afraid they'll take her away from me.

My friend is a house inspector and found a dog tied up in an empty house. He had her for a week but couldn't keep it longer because he has 2 cats, so I agreed to take her in. He said he asked the neighbors about her and the neighbors told him that nobody has lived in that house for 6 months, but that they see someone go to the house every week and give her food.

She's been living with me for about a month now and her and my other dog get along well. She had a bruise on her back from where the harness was digging into her skin or something, but its pretty much gone now.

The issue is I want to take her to the shelter and get her registered and have a chip put in her. But what if she already has a chip and they take her away to give her to her old owners? Or if they say that I can't just take in a dog off the streets and they need to keep her for a month or something in case the owners come back. I don't think they'll care or even believe me when I tell them the story.

So I don't know what to do.


----------



## Foxes&Hounds (Jun 7, 2014)

Have you attempted to contact any previous owners? Has she been chipped already? Tattooed? Have you notified the dog warden and/or the rescues in your area, posted on and searched through lost dog websites in case someone is looking for her?
Taking a dog from such a situation without notifying the proper authorities could be considered theft.

Edit - just read you haven't even had her scanned. That should have been the first port of call the moment she was found...


----------



## Kyllobernese (Feb 5, 2008)

Technically the dog is stolen. Without knowing the circumstances, whoever owns the dog may have had to just temporarily leave the dog in the home until they could make other arrangements. Not the best but they were looking after the dog and feeding it. You should take it in somewhere and have it checked for a chip and see if someone is looking for the dog.


----------



## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

I definitely agree you should try to find the dog's owner. You don't know the circumstances of why she was in the house. Maybe the owner became ill or was injured unexpectedly and had to be hospitalized for an extended period of time. Maybe the dog was stolen from its owner and stashed in the house temporarily. 

You just don't know until you know, and I know if I had to be away from my dog for reasons beyond my control, I would miss her terribly and be devastated if someone else just took her without trying to contact me.


----------



## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

There was a person a year or two ago who posted on this forum who found a dog and took it in, never had it scanned for a microchip or anything, never took it to the vet. After 8 months, the dog got sick and the vet scanned her for a chip as is standard practice for a new patient at a lot of vets. Turned out, the dog had owners frantically looking for her the entire time. You need to find out. There may be a heartbroken family somewhere looking for their missing pet.


----------



## pawsaddict (Apr 17, 2013)

Do what's right and find out whether or not this dog has a family.


----------



## dagwall (Mar 17, 2011)

Yep, you've quite possibly stolen someone's dog.


----------



## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

As a previous AC warden, I had taken dogs out of abandoned buildings that had been stashed there to hide them. Some of these dogs had chips in them. Some had been missing for 6 months. Stolen from their yards, the owners had given up hope of finding their dogs. Some dogs were not found in the best of condition. Used for breeding or fighting, these dogs were moved around the city and often kids would be the ones responsible for taking care of the dogs. I would at least have the dog scanned for a chip and contact your local AC to see if a dog was reported missing around that time.

If you get an all clear, then go ahead and make the dog yours and chip it.


----------



## EasyBreezy (Mar 19, 2011)

Just to update. I took the dog to the shelter and explained the situation. She has no chip and no missing dog fit her description but they'll let me know if anyone comes looking for her.


----------



## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

I'm glad you did the right thing. Now you don't have to worry, you can just enjoy your new friend!


----------



## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

I'm really glad you've done the right thing.  Congratulations on your new friend.


----------



## luv mi pets (Feb 5, 2012)

That is good news! You got to feel better knowing she does not have a 'hidden' owner out there. Now you can chip her, buy her a collar and tag and officially become her owner. Congratulations!


----------

