It’s been two weeks since my step-daughter gave her dog—a 7-month-old Malinois—to a friend from her class. She gave him away on impulse after a row with her dad.
She wanted him back the very next day, but he’s refusing to return him. She’s been on the phone and messaging him all week with no luck. Last Saturday, she went to his house to talk to him, but he didn't want to know. She had to report it to the police last week for breach of trust, but the prosecutor didn't take any action and wouldn't give the go-ahead for her to take him back. The dog is still in her name on the microchip database because no transfer of ownership papers were ever signed. This week, after several chats with the registry, she found out that a transfer request had been sent; once she received the document, she saw that it was her friend’s mum who had signed the transfer form.
It clearly states that the registered keeper must sign, not a third party—thankfully!
So, she’s gone back to the police to report them for forgery.
What will happen now? Is she in the right? I reckon she is, as she’s the legal owner of the dog. We’re still waiting for a legal decision.
All she wants is to get her dog back. He’s currently living in an outdoor run with three other big dogs, whereas at home he was safe and sound and totally pampered.
We’re all heartbroken by this separation. She knows she’s made a massive mistake, so there’s no need to give her a hard time about it. But the person who took him is being dishonest and is currently getting away with breaking the law.
Do you have any advice or ideas on how to get justice so the dog can be returned to her?
Thanks everyone.
Translated from French
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Since this thread is four months old, the issue has likely been sorted by now (personally, I hope the girl managed to get her dog back—anyone can make a mistake!). As the original poster isn’t around anymore, I don't think there’s much point in starting the debate up again.
And you're right, forum etiquette usually means we keep things informal, even if we don't know each other in real life 😁
"If I've got this right, to hurt her dad, this girl gave away the one thing that brought him joy—she just handed the family dog over to the first person she came across. She might as well have keyed his car; it’s the same mentality. She wanted revenge for something, and the dog was the one who suffered. It's a bizarre story and completely unforgivable. It’s up to her to make amends, and at the end of the day, she should even buy the family a new dog to replace the one she gave away..."
But who told you she did it to hurt him? How do you know they didn't have a massive row about the dog? Since the dog is in the girl's name, it obviously means it was a gift to her. Maybe she just wasn't looking after it properly and the puppy was getting into all sorts of mischief, which caused arguments, and this one clearly just went too far. It was a desperate act, that's all, because she was getting an absolute earful. How many "kids" don't take the responsibility of adopting a dog seriously enough? Yes, it was wrong, but she regretted it afterwards. Everyone makes mistakes, especially with pets—there are plenty of cases like this. You need to stop jumping to conclusions and try to put yourself in someone else's shoes for a second. She might be 18, but she’s still just a child. Everyone’s saying the dog will probably be better off with the other family, but look, he matters to the other members of the household who lived with him, hence all this fuss to get him back.
And who gave you permission to be so familiar with me, anyway?
If I’ve got this right, to hurt her dad, this girl gave away the thing that brought him the most joy—the family dog—to the first person who came along. She might as well have trashed his car, it’s the same mindset. She wanted revenge for something and the dog was the target. What a bizarre story; it's unforgivable. It's up to her to make amends, and at the end of the day, she should even buy the family another dog to replace the one given away by his... .
But who told you she did it just to hurt him? Who’s to say they hadn't been rowing about the dog? Since the dog was in the girl's name, it obviously means it was a gift to her. Maybe she just wasn't looking after it enough, so the puppy was getting into all sorts of mischief, which led to rows like this one and it probably just went too far. It was a desperate move, pure and simple, because she was getting a right earful. How many kids don’t take the responsibility of getting a dog seriously enough? Yes, it’s wrong, but she regretted it later. Everyone can make mistakes, especially with animals—there are plenty of cases like this. We need to stop jumping to conclusions and try to put ourselves in someone else's shoes for a second. She might be 18, but she’s still just a child. Everyone says this dog will probably be better off with the other family, but hey, he matters to the other family members who lived with him, hence all the fuss to get him back.
Actually, it’s a good thing the boy's mum sorted out the paperwork. At the end of the day, she's the one who'll be paying for the food, the vet, and everything else a pet needs.
That’s something the girl didn’t take into account either.
If I've got this right, just to spite her dad, this girl gave away the very thing that brought him joy; she just handed the family dog over to some random stranger.
She could just as easily have trashed her dad's car, in that same vein. She was out for revenge for something, and the dog ended up being the one to suffer for it.
What a messed up situation, it’s unforgivable. It's up to her to make amends, and at the end of the day, she should even be buying the family another dog to replace the one given away by her...
It’s honestly shocking how spiteful people can be. Always looking for a way to tear others down. This woman was perfectly aware of the situation; she didn’t need you lot to remind her just how "wrong" what that young girl did was. If you can't help without being judgemental, then simply don't comment. It's pathetic.
The quintessential 'disposable' pet, the kind we see every day unfortunately. What a lovely attitude!
But make no mistake, the 'villains' here are the lady, her son, and of course all of us who won’t side with an 18-year-old girl for dumping her 7-month-old puppy knowingly and without a shred of guilt. I’d even go as far as to say that the OP is probably none other than the so-called 'daughter-in-law' herself, since she says she wants to get 'her' dog back. Watch out, there's a tantrum on the way – she’ll be rolling around on the floor and throwing her toys out of the pram next!
On that note, I wish this dog the best of luck with his new family.
I mostly agree with you, but not on the last bit. She gave her dog away; it would be far too easy for her dad to step in, take him back, and look after him. In my view, it’ll just be another whim sorted out by her dad.
So no, she messed up, and let that be a lesson to her. Maybe next time she gets a pet, she’ll think twice before dumping it again.
This post is absolutely mental!
You have to dig and dig just to get a few crucial bits of info, and when you finally get some of it, you’re called "mean" because you’re saying things people don't want to hear.
But when someone isn’t being completely honest from the start, it obviously raises questions. Talking about a "kid" and a "schoolmate"... it’s clearly meant to mislead and downplay the whole thing.
And it turns out the "kid" isn’t one anymore—she’s 18—and the "schoolmate" is the same. Plus, the "spur of the moment" thing isn’t really that at all since she took the transfer of ownership papers... Anyway, I highly doubt the "schoolmate" would have just taken the dog like that without talking to their parents first. I mean, if I’d turned up at home with a dog after school, I’d have been kicked out! 😅
The fact is, we’re only getting half the story here. Despite what the OP wants us to believe, a massive chunk of the story is missing. I’d love to hear the other party’s version; it would probably be very eye-opening!
At the end of the day, as someone’s already said, the real massive blunder was buying a puppy for an 18-year-old. We always tell teens who want dogs: at that age, it’s really the parents’ dog. That said, age isn't an excuse for everything. We need to stop treating 18-year-olds like they're clueless children. At 18, you’re mature and sensible enough to understand how things work; she’s not a 12-year-old!
I mean, when I was 18, I had pets I loved more than anything, and I’d never have given them away on a whim. At 18, I already well understood that once you give something away, that’s it... it’s gone.
Evening. To be honest, what shocks me about this whole thing is the phrase "on a whim". I’m not sure if you’d really think to grab all the dog's paperwork just to get rid of him if it was truly on a whim; I reckon the act was thought through at the time, even if it was regretted afterwards. As is often the case when you’re 18, you aren’t sure of anything—where you’re going or where you’ll be tomorrow. In my opinion, what was irresponsible was registering a dog in the name of an 18-year-old, forgetting that at 18, life is still quite unstable. You do a lot of stupid things at 18 (though this one is pretty massive). The best thing you can do for her? Don’t take the dog back. She needs to understand that actions always have consequences and that, unfortunately, Mum and Dad (and step-mum) won’t always be there to bail her out. It’ll be a hard life lesson for her, but a useful one, and that’s important right now. It’s a fact that you miss the dog—no one’s denying that—but it is what it is. It’s a lesson for the whole family.
I’m 100% on the same page... I just hope the dog is happy in his new home now. 🤞
