So, i found a yorkie on the street...

[FlDebra]

Wish anyone who says "there is a law" would cite the law they are talking about. I am not finding ANY CA law that applies to this situation. In fact, one site, Lost Dog Laws , says: "Unlike cruelty laws or impound laws, no state appears to directly address the issue of lost pets in its statutory code. Indeed, while many states define dogs and cats as the personal property of their owners by statute, these states exclude domestic animals from their lost property statutes. This is ironic considering the understood value we place upon companion animals in our society and the level of regulation states apply to animals." I read through pages and pages of CA dog law and nowhere was it addressed about what is required when you find a stray.

I did find an article about a poor woman who recently tried to claim her dog after a micro chip scanning revealed it was hers. The clinic, unfortunately had given it back to the finder who now refuses to give it to the original owner. This is sad as in this case, the dog was stolen from her and she had police reports, receipts, dog records etc....and she truly missed her baby! But the law was not specific. Although on one hand dogs might be considered personal property, in other places domesticated animals are not. Without them falling under the personal proerty laws, there is no law governing them. Mother defends son for not returning found dog to original owner | abc7news.com

Bottom line, if a finder keeps a dog, it is up to the owner to actually take them to court and the police say it is a civil matter. I also found a case where the courts found in favor of the finder as they had done a good job of posting fliers and notifying authorities, then kept the dog and provided care for over 30 days. Basically the court found that they needed to encourage people to provide care for stray animals in need and penalize owners who did not meet basic safety and monitoring of their pets.

Here is a site that lists dogs lost by state. You might make a check of those Yorkies reported to make sure this little one is not on there: Fido Finder® - Where Lost Dogs Are Found

Here is some excellent advice to follow when finding a stray dog: Rescuers.com - Adoption Options for Stray Dogs It does include filing a "found dog" report with local animal control but taking to the pound is definately not on the list.

Another reason not to take him to the pound is that in CA it is law that all dogs must be spayed or neutered before they can be adopted out, unless the person signs that they will do so within 30 days and put down a deposit. Since your vet has said his prostrate and age preclude neutering him, I think that might create a problem. But then it did not sound like you were going to take the poor old guy to a pound anyway! Good heart!

I find it comical that someone can follow around and post after me, use my name over and over and over again in their posts, and then cry "foul" when I question a couple of their posts over the past few days. Sorry -- I just don't agree with the advice you gave here either.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by FlDebra

Wish anyone who says "there is a law" would cite the law they are talking about. I am not finding ANY CA law that applies to this situation. In fact, one site, Lost Dog Laws , says: "Unlike cruelty laws or impound laws, no state appears to directly address the issue of lost pets in its statutory code. Indeed, while many states define dogs and cats as the personal property of their owners by statute, these states exclude domestic animals from their lost property statutes. This is ironic considering the understood value we place upon companion animals in our society and the level of regulation states apply to animals." I read through pages and pages of CA dog law and nowhere was it addressed about what is required when you find a stray.

I did find an article about a poor woman who recently tried to claim her dog after a micro chip scanning revealed it was hers. The clinic, unfortunately had given it back to the finder who now refuses to give it to the original owner. This is sad as in this case, the dog was stolen from her and she had police reports, receipts, dog records etc....and she truly missed her baby! But the law was not specific. Although on one hand dogs might be considered personal property, in other places domesticated animals are not. Without them falling under the personal proerty laws, there is no law governing them. Mother defends son for not returning found dog to original owner | abc7news.com

Bottom line, if a finder keeps a dog, it is up to the owner to actually take them to court and the police say it is a civil matter. I also found a case where the courts found in favor of the finder as they had done a good job of posting fliers and notifying authorities, then kept the dog and provided care for over 30 days. Basically the court found that they needed to encourage people to provide care for stray animals in need and penalize owners who did not meet basic safety and monitoring of their pets.

Here is a site that lists dogs lost by state. You might make a check of those Yorkies reported to make sure this little one is not on there: Fido Finder® - Where Lost Dogs Are Found

Here is some excellent advice to follow when finding a stray dog: Rescuers.com - Adoption Options for Stray Dogs It does include filing a "found dog" report with local animal control but taking to the pound is definately not on the list.

Another reason not to take him to the pound is that in CA it is law that all dogs must be spayed or neutered before they can be adopted out, unless the person signs that they will do so within 30 days and put down a deposit. Since your vet has said his prostrate and age preclude neutering him, I think that might create a problem. But then it did not sound like you were going to take the poor old guy to a pound anyway! Good heart!

I find it comical that someone can follow around and post after me, use my name over and over and over again in their posts, and then cry "foul" when I question a couple of their posts over the past few days. Sorry -- I just don't agree with the advice you gave here either.

Thanks for the information and the chuckle.

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by FlDebra

Wish anyone who says "there is a law" would cite the law they are talking about. I am not finding ANY CA law that applies to this situation. In fact, one site, Lost Dog Laws , says: "Unlike cruelty laws or impound laws, no state appears to directly address the issue of lost pets in its statutory code. Indeed, while many states define dogs and cats as the personal property of their owners by statute, these states exclude domestic animals from their lost property statutes. This is ironic considering the understood value we place upon companion animals in our society and the level of regulation states apply to animals." I read through pages and pages of CA dog law and nowhere was it addressed about what is required when you find a stray.

I did find an article about a poor woman who recently tried to claim her dog after a micro chip scanning revealed it was hers. The clinic, unfortunately had given it back to the finder who now refuses to give it to the original owner. This is sad as in this case, the dog was stolen from her and she had police reports, receipts, dog records etc....and she truly missed her baby! But the law was not specific. Although on one hand dogs might be considered personal property, in other places domesticated animals are not. Without them falling under the personal proerty laws, there is no law governing them. Mother defends son for not returning found dog to original owner | abc7news.com

Bottom line, if a finder keeps a dog, it is up to the owner to actually take them to court and the police say it is a civil matter. I also found a case where the courts found in favor of the finder as they had done a good job of posting fliers and notifying authorities, then kept the dog and provided care for over 30 days. Basically the court found that they needed to encourage people to provide care for stray animals in need and penalize owners who did not meet basic safety and monitoring of their pets.

Here is a site that lists dogs lost by state. You might make a check of those Yorkies reported to make sure this little one is not on there: Fido Finder® - Where Lost Dogs Are Found

Here is some excellent advice to follow when finding a stray dog: Rescuers.com - Adoption Options for Stray Dogs It does include filing a "found dog" report with local animal control but taking to the pound is definately not on the list.

Another reason not to take him to the pound is that in CA it is law that all dogs must be spayed or neutered before they can be adopted out, unless the person signs that they will do so within 30 days and put down a deposit. Since your vet has said his prostrate and age preclude neutering him, I think that might create a problem. But then it did not sound like you were going to take the poor old guy to a pound anyway! Good heart!

I find it comical that someone can follow around and post after me, use my name over and over and over again in their posts, and then cry "foul" when I question a couple of their posts over the past few days. Sorry -- I just don't agree with the advice you gave here either.

That's so sad! Makes a lot of people question why bother getting them chipped if that is the result. Is it a vet rule or law that all new dogs that come in to the any clinic to be scanned for the same reason? I think it should be just to be safe. Now if a chip is found, then the clinic should have held on to the dog. According to that report, it's a "rule of thumb" not a law that a dog should be given back. Just sad really.

If, Bentley has seen the vet, which I'm assuming he has by what the OP posted, shouldn't they have scanned him then?

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by DvlshAngel985

That's so sad! Makes a lot of people question why bother getting them chipped if that is the result. Is it a vet rule or law that all new dogs that come in to the any clinic to be scanned for the same reason? I think it should be just to be safe. Now if a chip is found, then the clinic should have held on to the dog. According to that report, it's a "rule of thumb" not a law that a dog should be given back. Just sad really.

If, Bentley has seen the vet, which I'm assuming he has by what the OP posted, shouldn't they have scanned him then?

Vets do not scan for microchips unless asked. The only way a chip is any good is if the person who finds the dog is honest and cares about returning the dog to the owner.

It is still better to chip. I cannot tell you how many dogs are found that are not chipped.

[DvlshAngel985]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Vets do not scan for microchips unless asked. The only way a chip is any good is if the person who finds the dog is honest and cares about returning the dog to the owner.

It is still better to chip. I cannot tell you how many dogs are found that are not chipped.

Mine is chipped, and wears ID tags. I want him home! It would be nice if they would just do a quick scan. Bella (my bf's sister's dog) would be home with her rightful owners, instead of having been bred twice.

[Lizzie07]

I'm a little confused with the time line regarding when you found the little guy. You mentioned a month or two ago, then said he wasn't so bad about urinating in the house in the spring and that you thought it was because of the snow.

Either way, I would get him back to the vet. There has obviously been a change in his habits and the first place to start is with a physical exam. He could have a urinary tract infection, renal problems, or even cushings. And yes, it could be the snow, but you need to make sure there is nothing wrong with him.

Please keep us updated. It is very sweet of you to want to help this little guy. I love seniors, have four of my own.

[cheryl19]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

You also could use belly bands with disposable pads! Just get the Poise pads at Target and cut them in thirds. They are urinary incontinence pads. That way you would not be smelling up the washer!

Bless you for saving this poor little guy. I love the seniors...makes me so sad to see them get away from their homes.

This is what I did till Reggie stooped marking. Belly bands with disposable pads. I got the Walmart brand cheaper then Poise and I cut them to the size I needed.

[Vinniedoggy]

Definitely try belly bands and diapers. You are so wonderful for wanting to keep this old guy. You are correct that if you turned him over to the pound and no one claimed him, he would be euthanized.

Please be sure to get your vet or local animal shelter to check and see if he's microchipped. It sounds highly unlikely that he belonged to someone, but you never know. If he wasn't neutered, he would have the urge to wander more than a neutered dog.

If accidents are still an issue, consider making him comfortable in a kitchen or someone else with tiled flooring (so that it's easier to clean up).

Assuming that there is no actual owner and this really is a stray, do what you can to convince your parents to keep him. I think it is so wonderful when people take in an older dog. You're doing such a wonderful thing :-)

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by Lizzie07

I'm a little confused with the time line regarding when you found the little guy. You mentioned a month or two ago, then said he wasn't so bad about urinating in the house in the spring and that you thought it was because of the snow.

Either way, I would get him back to the vet. There has obviously been a change in his habits and the first place to start is with a physical exam. He could have a urinary tract infection, renal problems, or even cushings. And yes, it could be the snow, but you need to make sure there is nothing wrong with him.

Please keep us updated. It is very sweet of you to want to help this little guy. I love seniors, have four of my own.

I wondered this too. Thought maybe someone had brought back an old thread but it wasn't.

[MaddiesMommie]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

Hello and welcome to YT~thank you for taking care of Bentley and giving him a safe home to live. Last year I had a little foster by the name of Truman. I am noticing quite a few similarities between Bentley and Truman. He too was very old, picked up by animal control, dirty, weak, blind and had occasional potty accidents in the house toward the end of his life. He also had an anal adenoma that caused problems because when he came to me he was also not fixed. So I would like to give you my interpretation of what might be happening with Bentley.

First, you should assume that he is lost and as stated previously try to find his owner. There is a real possibility that he wandered away from home. Unlike a younger dog Bentley is blind and would not have wandered far from home. The condition that you found him in does not mean neglect by his former owners so please do not assume this as a fact. My suggestion would be to take along a friend and go door to door in the area that he was found and you might be able to find where he lives. I don't think that he would have wandered miles from home.

Secondly, you need to consider his vet care which could become costly. Please discuss this with your parents if you would need help with costs if he were to need medical attention in the near future. I will speak from my experience with Truman since he seems to be similar to Bentley in these aspects. He was vaccinated, neutered, chipped and had 9 teeth removed once in my care. What did the vet do for him when you took him for a vet visit?

I'd like to address the issue for peeing inside the house. I'm wondering if he is suffering from dementia which happened with Truman toward the very end of his life. He too began to have accidents and there was nothing I could be to prevent them other than him wearing a belly band. The poor little man didn't realize that he was inside my house when he would squat and pee right in front of me. He would walk right through it afterward and not think anything of it at all. When he was in the yard he would walk through poop too. Crating Bentley or putting him in an Xpen will not solve this problem. He just is very old and senile. My suggestion would be to always keep him in a belly band while he is inside your home. You also mentioned that he is wandering your home. This is also a sign on dementia and what Truman did too. He would just wander from room to room and then find his bed and sleep all day. Please know that this behavior is not something that you can expect to change. It will most likely get worse with time. I commend you for wanting to help with little guy and hope that if you cannot find his owners that you will be able to take car of him for the rest of his life. My suggestion would be to sit down and have a long talk with your parents to explain why Bentley has been acting the way that he has. Sadly, I think his days with you are very small.

I'd also like to address the idea that he could be taken to your local shelter for vet care. From my experience and what I see all over this country every day a sick, old, blind dog would not have a chance if dropped at your shelter. It would be cruel to do this to him. He would be scared and alone. Even in NO KILL shelters dogs are still PTS because of medical issues and his cards are not stacked in his favor. IF you do decide that he needs to be placed elsewhere a rescue would be a better choice but even then I would think it would be difficult because of all that is going on with his health. This is a sad fact of reality~but is the truth.

I would also like to offer a few belly bands for Bentley if you thought that this would help you to be able to keep him with you. Please PM me and I will make get make arrangements for my offer. You seem to be a very sweet and caring girl

I agree with Jodi on both these points. I do think it is wonderful you want to help him and think you should keep him with you while you search for owners. There are also other things to consider as she mentioned.
You have to ask yourself what is best for him

[concretegurl]

Lady, did you bother to call and get the answer on dentals-it's not extreme care, consists of basics like teeth removal etc-did you want to post you were able to verify what I said? Ukiah Animal Wellness Center ask for Sage she's the head of adoptions and has been there years...707-467-6453...Humboldt County Animal Control (707) 840-9132 ask fo rB. You may be better off not wasting their time though and sending an email since everyone is very busy here's the sites to use the contact us since you aren't actually interested in adoption or donation, simply contacting them to prove,well prove what I already said...silly really, but you can also just look at the site under adoptions and see all an adopted dog will come with (microchip, spayed, shots etc.)
Humboldt County Sheriff's Office :
Mendocino County — Health & Human Services Agency — Animal Care Services

As far as laws, I've never seen the exact law but had animal control and the police department tell me about it...had to do with dogs being considered property, possession of stolen property for the one where the couple found the dog thought it was a stray and later someone registered it as the stole dogs-was in the newspaper, as I said I can't find and online article for it...I doubt they would have been in real trouble but apparently there was some kind of legal trouble they could have been in-not sure exactly what it was off hand

As far as the "law regarding found animals" I'd be repeating what I was told so...hmmmm I'm going to actually ask what the exact civil code
(etc.) is when I'm at animal control next week and I'll post about it then...then again it would be a CA code and as I said everyone should check their own areas and know their own laws,regulations...morality...

Sad all these people (not to denote the commendable job of the OP taking care of this dog) have no issue with a dog being found and little done to find and owner...hope none of you ever lose your baby and someone finds your dog...and then follows your advice...karma can be huh well karma...Taking inventory of how the dog appears to one person, as I said it could be a rescue, a foster, could have been stolen then dumped, you never know-you are just assuming...until you know.

As far as vets scanning dogs I don't think they do it unless asked during regular or establishing visits, I was just noting vets that off the service of implanting chips will scan for one when a dog is found...its part of the service anyone can call in and say "hey I found a dog can when can I bring it in to scan it" when I did that on a monday (animal control was closed) they scanned, gave me the allowed information for the owner, asked my name and phone number and said WOW one of our patients, have a good day...kinda scary they just sent the dog back with me...right out the door...(should I post a reference for that also so it can be verified-why not Sunny Brae Animal Clinic (707) 822-5124-dog was named Angel Rose I'm sure they'll remember).

[concretegurl]

Here's the emails for questions about adoptions...please don't waste precious time of employees on silliness and just send an email that can be responded to when it is convenient...here's both agencies emails bferguson@co.humboldt.ca.us mountais@co.mendocino.ca.us

[Teegy]

perhaps the owner let the dog go for a walk because it was old and had so many medical problems.
I am very surprised the vet didn't check for microchip or tattoos when you took the dog in.

There are a lot of wonderful people on YT who are involved in shelters and rescues the advice you will get will be sound and you should heed what they say.

All the best to you and I hope the owners did just lose him and he is lucky enough to be returned. It sounds like you are very worthy of keeping him though if you have no luck finding his family.

[ladyjane]

Gurl, are you here to help or be an adversary? I personally am quite finished with you and your nonsense.

[ladyjane]

Oh, and no, gurl, I did not call anyone as I happen to know how things work at pounds. You advised the OP to take that poor senior pup to a pound......and I think that was totally disgusting advice. He would not get a dental there...the only thing he would get is sick and possibly euthanized.
One thing to advise someone to look for the owner, but the pound???? Oh, please, as you say about peoples' dogs being lost, I hope if mine are ever lost someone like you does not find them.