If you let someone dogsit your family pet, you should expect to get it back, right? Unfortunately, a pet owner in Arizona found out the hard way that seemingly nice people can turn out to be scumbags. The owner was having a family friend watch her dog for several weeks, after which she visited to pick up her pet. The friend begged, “please leave him for longer,” which the owner allowed out of sympathy. However, this so-called friend secretly bred the dog without permission and then refused to give it back, saying, “No, you’re not taking him.”
The Arizona woman did her best to leave the friend’s home with her dog, but the sitter “grabbed his collar and said ‘I was told you’re not allowed to take him’ and yanked him inside.’” She then pointed out how it’s likely that her poor pet had been abused as well: “It made me absolutely sick because I noticed my dog had started flinching at movements they did earlier when I had shown up and my dog has NEVER had that kind of behavior until now.”
Allegedly, the dog sitter even had her pet microchipped, even though the owner had her dog for five years and even re-vaccinated him despite having already been vaccinated. This whole situation is just a complete mess. Now, whenever the owner tries to speak with this friend about getting her pet back, she’s met with harsh intimidation. “They’re trying to intimidate me since they were good family friend and now feel upset that I want my dog back.” she says in a complaint post on r/legaladvice.
“Call the cops with proof of ownership and then get your damn dog sterilized,” a top commenter remarked. She did clarify that she called the police, but all they told her was to “file a civil complaint,” which isn’t much help. “Simply walk out with YOUR dog. I guess I’m not understanding the issue with getting your dog back, f*** their feelings,” another person adds. A third tells the owner to grow a spine and stand up for herself: “If you love that dog like a family member, you DONT leave without it. Go get your dog, take friends with you if needed to ensure you leave without conflict.”
Unfortunately, it does seem like this Arizona woman is used to getting pushed around, as she is unable to claim back her own beloved pet. Hopefully, she’ll take the advice from Reddit and enlist the help of other friends who are willing to assist her, as she’s not strong enough to do it on her own.
