When Rescue Goes Wrong

I know that I am being "Mr. Obvious" when I say this, but horror stories like this prove why I have such negative reactions when posters offer up "absolutes". By "absolutes" I mean, "no good breeder does...", "only use breed specific rescues for...", etc., etc., etc.,. If our conversations of the last few days at SN have taught us ANYTHING, it's that breeders, shelters/rescues and owners are just like the rest of the world. They are as mixed bag of fruits and nuts as the rest of us. Not all good - not all bad.
 
Question...

I have hundreds of pictures of my dogs in my home that prove they are mine. Why could that not be used as evidence to prove Piper was theirs???

This whole story makes me sick! I hate microchips as their is no standard... Different manufactures chips and scanners are not compatible with one another... That has to change!

I know that rescue website has an extensive legal letter posted to their site:
http://www.centralohiosheltierescue.org/1.html

Piper should have been returned IMMEDIATELY! Do not have done so is cruel to the dog and her rightful original owner! Anyone who would not do so is a criminal in my book!
 
I am a dog rescuer & shelties are my favorite. I have 4 shelties right now that are mine. All of my animals are microchipped, even my cats. That being said, I have seen firsthand a rescue group rechip a dog with an existing chip. Now the chip info was outdated & no one ever claimed the dog after much publicity trying to find the owner but it shows that rechipping for any reason can be done. Especially when you can buy microchips & do it yourself. Here's a link that shows you can get it for cheap- http://www.k9microchips.com/

Piper should be returned to her owner or at least placed in a neutral foster home until things are sorted out. The problem is that most states view pets as property. It would probably be easier to get your tv back than your pet.

Here in Louisiana you can get ticketed if you have an unsecured load of stuff in your pickup truck (ladder, & other junk) but having your dog ride loose is ok. We have tried to get a bill signed to make it illegal & our governor (who plans to run for president) won't sign it because he doesn't think he should tell people what to do with their animals.

Maybe if enough publicity is given something will change for Piper. Wonder if the AKC or other groups have made inquiries. Maybe contacting a pet loving national reporter with CNN or the big network news stations might help. Even Ellen Degeneres is a big pet lover.

This should be scary to everyone with pets.
 
Ms. Sanderbeck sounds like she is unhinged to me. I tend to be with the midnight raiders, but what if the dog is not at her home? Can't go around raiding random houses. :(

And the legal letter posted on their website is alarming to me, these people have no intention of getting the dog returned. 'Rescue' indeed. Makes me thankful for the awesome rescue group I've adopted from, I think they would ensure the dog was returned to it's family in this case (okay, I really really hope anyway).
 
Maybe if enough publicity is given something will change for Piper. Wonder if the AKC or other groups have made inquiries. Maybe contacting a pet loving national reporter with CNN or the big network news stations might help. Even Ellen Degeneres is a big pet lover.

I think I read that ASSA has disassociated themselves with the rescue. I'm not sure how involved they actually are, but they are aware of the situation.
 
This should be scary to everyone with pets.[/QUOTE]

You bet I am scared! I have my pets chipped as well...

However, it is a problem that all chips and readers are NOT standardized!
Even if you have one and it can not be read its not doing the job!

I just wish Piper would be returned! So very sad...
 
I think I read that ASSA has disassociated themselves with the rescue. I'm not sure how involved they actually are, but they are aware of the situation.

That would not surprise me. Dorothy and them are quite level headed with these sorts of things.
 
I have hundreds of pictures of my dogs in my home that prove they are mine. Why could that not be used as evidence to prove Piper was theirs???...

I think the point that some are missing is that the problem of i.d.ing Piper is a ruse. The lady KNOWS who Piper belongs to - it's designed to confuse the issue to buy time and KEEP THE DOG!

True - midnight raids will only work if you KNOW where the dog is hidden. I really wouldn't do a night raid, but I really WOULD have someone tailing the woman who snatched my pet.
 
Lets not talk about raids of any sort. This lady has already had her house burglarized and is probably already paranoid. I don't think it would be wise to post anything like that on a public forum. Just a request.
 
In carefully reading the legal documents a few things come to light and assuming they are factual they do present another side to this situation:

1. although Piper was chipped, the chip had not been registered prior to her getting lost...which renders it legally useless.
2. the shelter held Piper for the mandated (by Ohio state law) amount of time for an owner to step forward and claim her...when that time had passed and no one had come forward she was turned over to COSR and legally became their "property"...again as per Ohio state law.
3. there have been 6 people who have stepped forward to claim either ownership or co-ownership of Piper...confusing the issue as to who among these people is the rightful owner.
4. and, sadly, since it only makes it far less likely that Piper will be released, people have broken the law by raiding the home of one of the rescue workers.

If Piper were my dog I would be beyond devastated and do everything within the law to get her back. However, I would also have to accept that by not registering her microchip, I had put her in danger if/when she did get lost. And by not contacting animal control and all local shelters immediately to see if she had come to them, I again risked her safe return to me.

This is a heartbreaking situation...but one we can all learn some bitter lessons from. Register a microchip the same day it is put in your dog...and contact animal control and all local shelters and vet's offices immediately if your dog gets lost...don't wait in hopes your dog returns home or you can find her on your own.

By law, neither the shelter nor the rescue have done anything wrong. I am not saying that I think they shouldn't try to ascertain the rightful owner and return Piper to that person/s...that would be the kind thing to do both for the little dog and for the owner. However, the people who broke the law by raiding a private home and sending/posting threats unfortunately may have guaranteed that this won't happen.

Trini
 
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