Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

The latest incident on Candy (Mimi) http://www.petfinder.my/pets/2043/ prompted this thread.

So, how do you protect the rights of a Rescuer or Adopter? You find a lost, sick dog, nursed it back to health and then adopts it as your own fur kid. Then someone comes and claim the dog/cat is theirs and wants it back.{cry2}

What are our rights as adopters? Anyone knows?

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

Hi baca,

I doubt there is any laws that are there to protect any pet owners at the moment except for those that has a microchip. Maybe I just share my experience a bit here n there.

For example I find dog A on the street. I take it back and nurse it back to health waited for 2 months and nobody claimed it. So I rehome the dog. After 3 months ( total 5mths ) someone called to claim the dog and even showed pcitures to verify. It is their dog but the dog is not microchipped. Their excuse(reason) of taking such a long time to find the dog is because they don't know if the dog is stolen or escaped from the house, they also did not expect that the dog can cross 1 highway and roam a few tamans away. They told me the dog's name and I tried calling but to no response.
Solution:-

I told the person off. 5 months later to claim a dog is way too ridiculous. In SPCA or PAWS they would have rehomed it in 2 weeks time. And owner has no more rights over the dog unless they have and extremely good reason but for 5 months no reason is acceptable. I did not layan anymore phone calls from them and I told them to report a police if they want to. I have already done my part in posting up the dog and looking for the owner and even putting posters around. It seems I am more concerned than the owner so I don't feel that they deserve the dog back.

Another example is dog B, found running on a street. With microchip and is quite well kept. Called up MKA and got owner's details. Unfortunately number there is wrong. Waited for 5 days then my customer saw the poster. We called up and owner could not wait to verify microchip number and wanted to show pictures and all to me. He even waited 1 hour outside of my house as I was out for dinner. Dog was obviously happy to see him. He explained it took him 5 days to get the posters out as he is computer illiterate and had to wait for his neice to help him. Reason accepted and dog is reunited with owner.

Last example that I will give is dog C. Found in the jungle in extremely bad shape and weak. Dog even has low confidence issue and also can see that he has been beaten a lot as he will hide when we raise our voice. Dog C has microchip and I manage to call the owner. Owner was like 'how did you know it's my dog? ' and 'Ok la giv me your address I ask my driver to go pick him up'. I don't know how my dog escaped from my house and my driver has gone looking for it but cannot find.

Solution:-
I did not give the dog back and has rehomed the dog. Owner is totally not sincere and does not care for the dog's welfare at all. Dog is not in good shape and it's behavior tells that it is not treated right. Till today almost 6 months later the dog is still having low confidence and only has very slight changes. It must have been very badly abused as a pup.


In my opinion as a rescuer of these dogs, my job is to reunite them with their owner if they are good owners. If not I rather rehome it. I do not want to see the dog again on the streets or jungle 2 weeks after i give the dog back. We always have the rights to refuse them any contact details of ours as it's our private stuff. Microchip ah.. It's useful only if someone goes and scan for it and some vets will even help operate and take it out. Conclusion is don't lose your dog and it's by luck that you can get them back. For the rescuer, use your sense to judge..

Pls do give me comments on what I have posted. Thank you for your time to read this long post.

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

Thanks acsyen. Ya, I think it's clearer now. Do what's best for the dog.

You got guts, woman, standing up to those ppl.

Thanks

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

Siew Yen,
I sokong u. {good}. I really think what u did is rite.
If the owner really got problem, of cos nobody will want to let the poor doggy suffer again.
{good}{good}{good}
Kisses and licking from all the doggies and kitties u have saved.
{doghappy}{doglove}{doghappy}{doglove}{doghappy}
{catlaugh}{catwink}{catlaugh}{catwink}{catlaugh}

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

Yen,

I think you did the right thing in all 3 examples given. {good}{good}
And we can all learn from you here.

Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

Acsyen,I have to agree with you.I will do the same thing if I into that situation.why would I return the dog bacl to their bad owner???

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

Dear Yen
I dont know the above 3 example is your true experience or not. However, I fully agree with all your solutions. You're just great girl!{good}{victory}

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

I, too, was in this predicament before but I was luckier as the cat involved put her paw down and made the decision adamantly.

When discovered the cat was pregnant, she was ‘set free’. This cat was exceptionally intelligent. She approached me for help and asked for food. After she gave birth and when her kittens were weaned off, I had her spayed and all the other ‘works’ at the clinic. Mother cat then bloomed. She was beautiful. I quote her vet’s words, “She is a poster girl”.

Then the problems started. Her previous owner took her back, locking her in the master bedroom. My cats’ vet was annoyed by the outcome. I suffered in silence.

One morning I woke up and found her in my bedroom. My mother complained to me that she shoved the cat in my bedroom because of the continuous loud mews and ruckus made under her bedroom window. This happened almost every night. Later the cat ex-owner’s servant said that that cat did her business regularly on the master bed and meowed so loudly that no one in the house could sleep; and the cat was let out on the balcony which she then walked the roof and down to my mother’s balcony.

To cut the long, long story short, this cat became my roommate 24 hours a day when she met an accident and needed 3 surgeries (one of which was on her face). Her one leg is shorter than the rest and has a metal pin inside.

She has never left me since. She is beautiful.
Love her to bits.{muacks}

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

Yen, great write-up!
Sometimes, we need "logic" to decide.
I agree with you, it is not all about who "owns" them but more of who "loves" them.
Why send a dog back to his/her irresponsible owner only to have the poor doggy suffer again?

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

Animals can't really decide what is best for themselves especially dogs. They just know that they have to be loyal to their owners. So even if mistreated they will still be loyal to the owners. It is up to us the humans who have brains to think and decide what is best for them. And yes the examples above are of my real experience. It was a bit scary at that time and took me days and weeks to think of the best option for the dogs. One of the adopters of the dog above is also in this forum.. Thanks to her that my boy has got a great home now...

Re: Protecting Rights of Rescuers
 

i totally agree wif sillylupie