If you find a dog that doesnt look like it was well taken care of, would you return it?

Legally .... yes, you should return it if you know who owns it. The dog may be matted and full of fleas because she was missing for a long time and the owner may have been looking for her.

HOWEVER, in my heart , and if if it were me, I would keep her and make sure the rest of her life is as wonderful as possible.

My advice: Follow our heart Sweetie :-)

You have no idea how long this dog may have been lost or where its been. Dogs can look pretty tough after being lost. How would you feel if a dog you loved got lost for a week and the people just decided to keep it because it was thin and matted?

To keep her would be stealing! MOST people take care of their dogs and you are just assuming they are not. I am disgusted (although not surprised) that someone here from ASPCA would CONDONE stealing someones animal. I had thought they were not as bad as the AR groups, but maybe I was wrong. I hope they never decide to 'help' MY animals!

We personally found one who was absolutely starved ran an ad and found out she'd been missing over a month and a half. Her family thought she was dead and was thrilled to get her back. She was a German imported shepherd just disappeared on them a few hours drive from where she was found. Try to find out the owners circumstances if they're in your neighborhood or say she's only been missing a week then you know somethings up. If they say Oh my god we thought we'd never see her she's been gone forever be glad you saved her and send her home. If you're still unsure tell them you've really bonded with her and would love to come see her again. Most grateful owners would say yeah in an instant. In a couple weeks head by if she's not clean and getting healthy call and report your story. It's possible if she's uncared for and you tell them you've bonded with her they'll say keep her, I've seen it happen. Good luck

In most parts of the world a dog is "real property", and if a rightful owner wanted to get real nasty, they could have you charged with possession of stolen property of a value making it a felony.

Now, bear in mind that I am not suggesting what you should do,,,,,,, but ;(

I once had a dog show up at my door, looked all skinny and haggard. Figured it was just another stray that some clown had brought out to the country to get rid of, so I called animal control. Like normal the first thing they did was get out their scanner, and guess what,,, the dog had been stolen from a professional field trial handlers truck, and was worth thousands of dollars. You never know,, and it is animal controls job to sort it out.

I found a sweet dog about a year ago, same thing, matted and ungroomed hair, filthy. I took her home and cut off all of her hair- you should have seen her melt when I cut the hair off from between her ears and scratched her head. Her mats were so tight on her she had welts. I took her to the shelter and brought the bag of fur I had cut off. They assured me they would counsel the family before they returned her to them. (I told them I would slip off her collar and pretend she had no owner) @ weeks later I saw her hit in the street near our house. Broke my heart and I hate that I gave her back. If you can keep it, or find it a new home, do it. If they loved the dog you'd be able to tell. Thanks for being compassionate.

1. Do you have absolute proof the dog is theirs? Like, did you check to see if it was micro chipped? A vet or shelter can scan and tell you.

2. Does the "owner" have recent pictures of the dog? How about vet paperwork that shows the color and breed of the dog?

If the person can not come up with definitive proof of ownership, then I would NOT return the dog.

email me at libertydogtraining@yahoo.com and we can discuss your options to make sure this dog is taken care of and safe.

Yes, you should return it! What if it was your dog?

You could try to get some info in a round-about way...

Ask how it got away? Does it get loose a lot? How long was it gone? I wonder how he got his fur all matted up?

Also, (although I'd decline it) see if they offer you a reward.

A reward would be a good indication that they care about it.

If you suspect abuse, call the Humane Society or the ASPCA to follow-up. That's their job. You've done yours.

You should call the spca and give them the name of the person whom you think owns the dog and let them take care of it. Neglect of an animal is a crime punishable by a fine or even jail time or both. But if I were you I would not give the dog back to the person but give it to the spca

I would tell them that i had there dog and it looks mistreated by them so instead of you getting it back i'll just call the law and report you, and i think i'll just give the dog a good home. you would be the better person this little dog only has you to help it.

No I wouldn't to be honest I would find it a loving home on my own before I returned it or took it to a shelter. She laso may look that way because she has been gone for so long. It doesnt take long for a dog to look like that. Does she look well fed? can you see her ribs?