my sister found a puppy shall i take it in

almond

hi
I have a staffie cross lucy she is 6year and last weekend my niece found a staffie (not cross) puppy about 8 weeks old, been living on the streets for a few days, we have contacted police etc and nobody has come forward (WELL WOULD YOU ?) can't believe somebody could do that.
sister is not wanting to keep him but wants me to take him in when he's had jabs.
I have never had two dogs and want some advise whats it like and will lucy feel pushed out because he is a male
sorry can't work out how to resize

Amara

Do you want to have two dogs? If you don't feel comfortable with it , you don't have to do it. Puppy looks sweet ,though

Nick_Knock

Growing up we always had two dogs and it is said that they are no harder work then having one.

If you know you can afford food and vet bills etc I would go for it.

Your existing dog may feel alittle pushed out to start with but will soon adjust and will greatly benefit from having a playmate.

We have just the one dog, not my doing, the OH's - he is adament that one is enough! but what does he know! lol

almond

not bothered about bills etc lol but we have talked about getting another dog for a few years
but just unsure. never had two dogs or a male apart from when i was a child
staffies do get on with other dogs and surely he will learn by lucy

dalsicle

Legally you can't just take the dog in, you can either hand it in to the dog warden or vets and the owners get seven days to come forward and claim him.

You can keep him in your care but you have to put effort into locating the owner i.e. letting all vets/groomers etc in the area know you've found him. Keeping the dog warden informed and postering the area. As long as you have gone to reasonable effort to get him back to his owners and publicly advertised that you have him if he hasn't been claimed within 28 days he is yours to keep/rehome as you see fit.

Just think somebody could have stolen him and there may be a family out there looking for him, would you like it if someone found your dog on the street and just kept it without even trying to find you?

It may be worth ringing all your local vets, they may have been involved in the care of the mother and may know who he belongs to.

Solar1

Please listen to dalsicle. You must contact the dog warden for the local area where you found the dog, not necessarily where you live, as this dog may be microchipped and may be someones pet. We are going through hell at the moment as my elderly fathers dog went missing last week. Although he is microchipped, as no one has so far handed him in we can only assume that someone has decided to take him in, without being aware of the legal requirements to notify the dog warden. In which case we would get him back.

It is admirable that you want to care for this dog but please contact the dog warden. If you do not do this then not only will the dog not legally be yours but you may face a fine if the original owner comes forward.

liz545

If you do decide to take him in (and please do contact the dog warden as his owner might be looking for him) please make sure that you get him neutered, and maybe Lucy as well if you haven't already. After all, you wouldn't want taking in one dog to lead to a litter!

gettingready

Did you take the pup to a vet to check for a microchip?

As above, this may be a pup that was stolen ...

Also you say "staffie (not cross)" - did he have his pedigree attached to him when found for you to claim that?

Sigh.....

EmptyPockets

I agree with everything that's already been said, really. Whoever has the puppy now - you or your sister? - must do everything possible to trace his owner. Once that is done, you need to sit down and work out all the yearly costs involved with TWO dogs:

Regular veterinary checks
Unexpected veterinary visits
Insurance
Food
Treats and training aids
Bedding and crates
Possible boarding or travel costs
Regular flea and worm treatments
The extra time needed to train and bond with a new dog
Neutering and castrating

I have a male and a female, and they are the best of friends, BUT, it took a lot of work to get them this far. Don't underestimate how much work it will be with two dogs, one of which is a pup. Ours are both rescue pups, and let me tell you, there have been tears, tantrums, hair-pulling and frustrations along the way! It's a commitment for life you'll be making, through thick or thin, and you need to be sure you'll have the patience to stick with both dogs when times are difficult.

almond

hi
the dog was found a week gone saturday, we have rang the police and the told us to contact dog warden, my sister has given her phone number to the shop we it had been hanging about and the local pet shop.
I have checked the internet regarding what has to be done and contacted a friend that works for dogs trust. we have taken it to the vets and its not been chipped.
I know by law even after 28 days if the owner came forward they could claim it at anytime.
forgot to say dog warden took details and were suppose to come and check him, still waiting

almond

gettingready wrote: »

Did you take the pup to a vet to check for a microchip?

As above, this may be a pup that was stolen ...

Also you say "staffie (not cross)" - did he have his pedigree attached to him when found for you to claim that?

Sigh.....

he was hanging around a local shop for two days on a very busy main road, i am shocked the workers never reported him to the police, i understand they were letting him in the back of the shop but told to stop it, regarding papers all i know is lucy my staffie cross was a lot bigger than him and the vet thought he was a pedigree