Friday, October 17, 2008

There's the door

Staff: Hello, is this Mr. S?

Mr. S: Yup.

Staff: Hi. This is Toronto Animal Services. I'm calling to let you know that we found your ...

Mr. S: No, thanks. I'm not interested.

Staff: No, I'm not trying to sell you anything. I'm calling because we found your dog this morning. It was wandering along the roadside and one of our officers picked it up.

Mr. S: Not my dog. I don't have a dog.

Staff: Are you Mr. S at 35 ---- Ave?

Mr. S: Uh, yeah.

Staff: Well, we read the chip in the dog's neck and it registers you as the owner.

Mr. S: Oh.

Staff: Yeah, it's a Shetland Sheepdog about 6 years old.

Mr. S: Oh yeah, now I remember ... that dog.

Staff: Yes, that dog.

Mr. S: Well, uh, it's not my dog. I gave it away.

Staff: You gave it away?

Mr. S: Yeah, some guy took it.

Staff: When did you give it away?

Mr. S: Oh, a few months ago.

Staff: And who did you give it to?

Mr. S: I don't know. Can't remember the guy's name.

Staff: Do you have his contact info?

Mr. S: No.

Staff: Do you have any idea where he lives?

Mr. S: No.

Staff: So you gave away your dog to a complete stranger without getting any contact info?

Mr. S: Yeah, so? What's the problem? I didn't want it anymore.

Staff: (pause)

Mr. S: Hello? Is there a problem here?

Staff: When exactly did you give the dog away?

Mr. S: I don't know. It was a few weeks ago.

Staff: I thought you said it was a few months ago.

Mr. S: Uh yeah, I guess it's months ago now.

Staff: Alright, if you happen to remember who you gave the dog to, can you call us back please?

Mr. S: Sure.

Shetland Sheepdog. 6 years old. Gentle, polite. Great on a leash. Sits well. Likes other dogs and people. Quiet at first but is very affectionate once he gets to know you. Abandoned by owner and up for adoption.

Update: Adopted on October 17.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

You've got to be joking! But wait, no you're not, because the same thing happened to my old Dolly, whom I adopted at fourteen years old after her piece-of-shit owner denied that he knew her (despite i.d. on her collar). He betrayed her the moment he learned that it cost a few bucks to reclaim her at Animal Control. He had gone there to pick her up but instead left her there, shaking and whimpering in grief, on Christmas Eve. I took her in and she gave me three wonderful years; she was a smart and beautiful old girl. But when she first arrived, the report from the shelter's vet noted that they could not examine her lungs or heart because "she was shaking too much."

Anonymous said...

In a case like this I support mandatory spay/neuter....of the Owner(s).
At least she was picked up alive.

Fred said...

Yeah, it's quite amazing how many people complain about the retrieval fee instead of just being grateful that their dog didn't get stolen or run over by a car and that someone picked it up and kept it safe and sound.

Lynda said...

Hopefully this little beauty will end up in a forever, loving home. How sad.

Anonymous said...

Just when you think you've heard it all . . . So sad when people view their pets as disposable. I can't believe the nonchalant attidude - no accountability or concern for the dog whatsoever.

Nicole Sheltie said...

That’s one stupid owner! He should have not gotten the dog in the first place. Mr. S should be ashamed! I wish he gets what he deserves. He really pissed me off.