Abused Yorkie Found! Need Help With Law!
 

I found a yorkie at my apartment coplex (where I work). He has been "picked up" several times. I know the owner and she has asked me in the past "where can I take my dog to be 'put down'?". I was in shock and told her that she cant do that. She said she can't afford her dog and just wants to put him down. Unreal and heartbreaking. Long story short, we found him again and I gave him to another yorkie lover like me. This pup (5yrs old) was flea infested, malnourished and has a broken knee cap (abused...I've witnessed her DRAGGING him with the leash). What are my rights to keep this dog?

You have no rights to the dog. Make a police report about what you witnessed.

You cannot "keep" someone's dog because you deem them to be abusive. You need to contact the police and then turn the dog over to animal control. If the owner does not claim the dog you might be able to adopt after the required amount of time which varies by city and state. I'm wondering why you say the dog has a broken kneecap? I've never heard of this before. Are you sure it's not luxating patella?

Can you talk to the woman and ask if you can have the dog or offer to make a small re-homing fee in order to take the dog off her hands. You said she wanted to be rid of the dog so if that is really true I would think it would be a simple matter to talk to her and get the matter settled.

Look, the way I see it. You found a stray dog... put an ad on craigslist saying you found him... if no one replies, I don't see why you can't take him in. If you want to do things on the straight and arrow. Take him to the local aspca and tell them who he belongs too and let them deal with her. There are finds for letting your dog wander... i'm assuming the dog doesn't have tags. Keep us posted. People blow my mind on a regular basis... Why even take on the responsibility, it's ridiculous.

If she said she can't afford the dog and wanted to put him down, then I would think she would be willing to give him up to you. I would ask directly. If she has talked with you about the dog before, you really cannot claim you don't know the owner and you do not want this good deed to back fire with you being arrested as the thief. Just go to her and ask if you can find a good home for the dog for her. Remember -- make it like you are doing this FOR HER otherwise she might get wise and start asking for money. Funny how these people who cannot take care of their pet will suddenly see dollar signs if someone else shows an interest. So be coy.

Cut your losses on this one. The dog is now safe. Pretend you know nothing if she is looking for the dog. Just tell her "maybe it is for the best especially since you have told me you can't afford the dog.". If she gets another one I would take pictures of observed abuse and document and then call the authorities with each incident.

Thank you for all the information. The president of the SPCA in Washington DC called me and told me all I need to do. I will have the police come out today. To answer one of the posts regarding a broken knee cap; when we found him, we took him to the vet and he told us he was 5, was flea infested, 7 teeth need to be extracted, he is malnourished and has a broken knee cap. We have his report to give to the police today as well as everything I witnessed. Again, thank you for all your comments and help :)

I'm even more confused. You say in your info that you are located in Orlando, FL yet you spoke to the Washington DC SPCA? :confused: Why would you be speaking to the SPCA in Washington DC for information. If you need information regarding the laws in your area you need to call the SPCA in your own state Florida. Additionally, the SPCA would not direct you to call the police to make a report of suspected abuse of an animal. Suspected abuse needs to be reported to Animal Control to start an investigation. In any case, as I stated previously the dog needs to be turned over and not just kept or given away. Your story is confusing to say the least. I hope that you decide to follow the laws regarding finding a lost dog and reporting suspected abuse of animals. If this woman is abusive as you say she needs to be help accountable for her abuse and that can only be accomplish when the proper authorities are involved.

to neeth22: If this is a real problem. Do the right thing. Call a no kill shelter in your county. Tell them the truth, that the dog was found wandering the Apt. complex. That it was taken to this Vet and what he/she said. You can do the right thing for this dog and for your conscious. We can not break the law, unless it is against God's law. We can work to change things. Merry Christmas.

definitely call your animal control officer and adv them of your findings

Neetah22 - I'm also confused why and how the SPCA head in DC is contacting you. Your local ASPCA should be contacted. They can help you get in touch w Animal Control in your area, if they are separate. A case needs to be brought against this owner for abuse.

I'm also confused what happened when you gave this yorkie to a friend of yours and then the yorkie turned up lost again??? :confused: How is this dog continuing to get loose? Doesn't the friend you gave this dog too miss him/her?

I think she gave the dog to her friend just recently when she found him....

Personally I say cut your loses and agree with MikahTallulah but the area my mom lives at made me that way. The police there are ridiculous and could careless if a dog was getting abused or not. My mom's neighbor keeps 3 big dogs in a basement for days on end and she's never home. My mom and my other neighbor have been contacting the police for months about it and they said they cannot do anything because they cannot go onto her property. They also called the humane society who came out but said they can't even look in the basment windows cause that would be going onto her property without permission. My mom and her neighbor have taken numerous pictures of the dogs being down there in a bare cold basement with pee and poop just everywhere. No water can be found either. So the one day when the dogs got lose, my mom had the cops called who picked them up. They held them and ended up giving them back to the owner...so now the dogs are back down in the basement, without fresh water, and probably freezing. Hate the cops in that area.

The police should have turned them over to the humane society. Then at least she would have had to pay a fine. Why do people want animals when they refuse to care for them?!

My opinion.....where she is abusing the dog and wants to put him down....why don't you just ask her if you can have him....I would think if a shelter takes him and you want him you are going to have to go through the whole adoption thing and pay for him....just tell her you will take him....If she says no then I would go to animal control about the abuse and neglect.

If the property is unsanitary, try contacting the health department.

OP- Ask the lady if you can have the dog or turn it in to the local shelter, just taking the dog is theft and it could get you in trouble.

The police were called, they showed up and spoke to the family (the police officer informed me that it is the OPD who does the investigations for abuse WITH animal control, but they are the first to be notified).
The family confessed to abuse - the yorkie was released on paper, signed and notarized to me. He is now with a beautiful loving family and on the road to recovery. Will need surgery. He had never had shots, his nails had never been clipped and the veins have now grown into the nails. His 7 teeth are hanging on with just tar and will have to be pulled. Just to bring "Lucky" current will cost $1600. The community will start a drive to raise money for him.

As for the family...well...lets just say they are in a heap of trouble.

As for the DC call I got - it was a friend of mine...I wasn't calling DC for advise but rather a friend of mine.

I "kept" the dog because in all fairness, he had no collar, no tag, no identification whatsoever. We took him to the vet, no chip.
He was in my possession for one day before the family came forward. I wouldn't steal someone's dog....I would, however, protect that animal legally..as I did.

Thank you all - and Merry Christmas :)

While I understand some people's concern about someone "stealing" the little dog I think equal concern should be for the dog. It was known to the OP that this "owner" did not want the dog. With shelters and police over burdened with unwanted and abused animals I would think that they would be very happy to have someone concerned for the welfare of an apparently abused and neglected little dog. I understand there are rescue groups who sometimes help these little dogs but I have seen cases where even they are over burdened and not able to help every little one that is in need of help. Many times calls to police and other agencies for help are left unanswered due to lack of resources. In an ideal world someone from a rescue agency would run to our front door when we call for help in a case of abuse or neglect but this is not an ideal world and the channels that are suppose to be set up to help in these situations many times do not work.
I understand that some of you have great concern because of the recent up swing of Yorkie thefts. I also would be a wreak if my little dog was missing but that is not the same issue as abandonment, abuse, and neglect. I can testify to the fact that police agencies in my area do not respond to calls for help to assist abused animals. The animal warden assigned to our area covers a district of over a 100 mile radius and is a part time employee. We have been left with a situation that is a choice between turn a blind eye to what is happening or do something yourself. It is heartbreaking to see the animals that suffer because more people choose to think it is not their responsibility to care about these animals than the ones who take it upon themselves to invest their own time and resources to help the ones that cannot help themselves.
I personally have been turned away from the local shelter with stay animals I am attempting to help because the shelter is full. It is wonderful that some of you live in areas that always have an open door but many places that have an open door are also high kill shelters.
I think this person did the right thing. Not many strangers would invest what this person's family has done for this dog. They are not a rescue group that depends on funds that are attained by donations but a family. I hope they can get others to donate to help them with this generous deed.
Congratulations, OP for caring and acting. Merry Christmas!

Exactly. Makes no sense to me. When she first moved in back around April 2010, she had one dog and was all obsessed with her and took the dog everywhere....literally everywhere...and it wasn't no small yorkie. It looked to be a mixed pitbull and something else. Then she started dating some guy less than a year later, and somehow took in his 2 dogs and just keeps all 3 locked in the basement. She is apparently pregnant now too....ugh not only poor dogs but now poor baby....makes me sick.

We've called about her yard and everything. Since she is renting, the city just calls the landlord and he has someone come and do her yard. As for the actual house, the landlord could careless. As long as he gets his rent money, he doesn't care what the place looks like. He's the city's biggest slump lord.

So happy to hear that this dog is in better hands!!! Great job!