Molly is gone for good - thanks for your help all:)
By Gemmygirl1
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
Australia
April 23, 2007 8:47pm CST
Ok, after my last posts - i made some enquiries & it seems the Australian laws on pet ownership SUCK.
Apparently, when they are reported as found, the council advertise the dogs as being found (on the council chambers notice board) for 72 hours, if the dogs are not claimed within those 72 hours they become council property & then can be re-homed leaving the original owners with NO legal leg to stand on.
Since everything to do with Molly was done by the council laws, Molly officially has a new owner (who has since re-named her Missy) & she does NOT have to return her as Molly is now her property & not ours.
The only way we can have Molly here with us again is if the new owner voluntarily returns her to us - which i know is not going to happen because she has already taken steps to avoid contact.
I am just so darn mad & upset with this situation, i cant help that i didn't check the council board every day they were missing so i missed the time they were actually advertised as found.
It's devastating to know we wont ever see her again & i know her best mate, Boo (who is still here with us) is pining for her but i cant help her, there's nothing i can do & it tears me up.
Thank you to everyone who offered their help, advise & support, i appreciate it heaps. I'm just sorry there's no happy ending to report.
I have enclosed a photo for you to see - it's not very good, there's plant in the way & is quite dark, thanks to my partner - but you get a general idea.
2 people like this
3 responses
@breepeace (3014)
• Canada
24 Apr 07
Oh. :( That's so sad and unfair. 72 hours doesn't seem like much and it seems very calloused of the woman who adopted her not to give her back to her rightful owners.
I worry about this every day as a pet owner. Thankfully both my pets are tattoed, so I can identify them as mine, but I've still heard horror stories about beloved dogs being taken in or re-adopted and then the new owners move house or change their number to avoid contact from the original owners.
I could never do that to someone.
2 people like this
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
24 Apr 07
No, i didn't think 3 days was long enough either so it's kind of hard but all i know is that she isn't likely to return Molly coz she has gone & spent a lot of money - groomers, worming, vaccinations, desexing & also registrations so she's not gonna want to give up a dog she's just spent hundreds of dollars on.
The lady who is going to try & talk her in to giving Molly back knows her as a friend - kind of - but doesn't know where she's staying so that kind of makes it harder.
I could never keep someone elses dog either if i found out they'd had it for as long as we had Molly - i'd feel guilty.
Thank you :)
1 person likes this
@Calais (10893)
• Australia
24 Apr 07
Im so sorry that this has happened, and that I missed your last posts. Was she microchipped ?? If not (not being nasty to you) but this is a classic example of why people should get it done. Do you know where she is ??? (Ooops maybe she got out of the fence). If not, at least you know that she has gone to someone that will love her (hopefully), if this lady has gone to the trouble of avoiding contact with you.
2 people like this
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
24 Apr 07
Hi there,
I appreciate your concern about microchipping & no she wasnt but it wouldn't have made a difference i'm afraid - the current owner found her, reported her but was never in a place where a scanner would have been kept - so even if Molly had been microchipped, there is no way they would have been able to check for that! It's the joys of living where i do, they don't have them out here so it's kinda of a waste of money, unless you're in the city where they have the scanner things available to check.
She has gone to a loving home, i'm not worried about that part - it's just hard to have to give up on a pet you've had for 6 or 7 years. I know where abouts she is but even the other lady doesn't know where she's staying & she's never around much so that makes it kind of hard.
Thank you :)
1 person likes this
@Woodpigeon (3710)
• Ireland
24 Apr 07
I would raise such an unholy stink over that that even if I didn't get my dog back that woman would not be able to enjoy stealing me pet of 8 years.
I would be curious to know exactly when she was found, came into the lady's posession, and how long it was before she had her spayed. It sounds like the second she got ahold of her she decided to keep her. Gosh, 72 hours isn't long at all. Especially since the dog was found so far away from where you live.
1 person likes this
@Gemmygirl1 (2867)
• Australia
2 May 07
She didn't end up finding her very far from here at all - just down the road in face.
I am unsure how soon she had Molly desexed but she could technically do what she wanted after those 72 hours - being we have stupid laws.
