The original owner of the pup even got in touch to tell the user that she became lost after escaping from a house fire
If you’re a dog lover you’ve probably seen a pup at some point and thought ‘oh I wish I could take that good boy home’.
It’s usually a passing thought but one Reddit user acting upon it and is now at the centre of debate on whether they were in the right or wrong.
The user, only known as whosedogisitanyway, believed that they had rescued a dog only for the original owner to come forward – and the fallout has raised many questions.
They took to Reddit, posing the question on the popular thread called ‘AITA’, standing for ‘Am I the a**hole?’, asking for opinions on whether they are ‘morally wrong’ to want to keep the dog and block the original owner.
They set the scene posting: “About seven months ago a friend found a dog near her house. I took her in and called animal control. They said to bring her in to look for a microchip. She was underweight with dirty fur.
“AC couldn’t find a microchip so they said I could hold onto her for a week and they would list her on their website and if nobody claimed her I could adopt her. So that’s exactly what happened.
“I have depression and anxiety and she’s my support animal. She’s honestly the light of my life.”
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After becoming the best of friends, the Reddit user joined a Facebook group dedicated to the unusual pure breed that the dog is, posting a pic of the hound to the group.
It wasn’t long before a lady messaged them saying that the dog belonged to her, thanking them for finding and arranging to get the dog, even offering to pay for the care that they gave the animal.
The dog in question has unique markings so it’s identity was unmistakable and it soon appeared that the dog was previously a show champion, with a rich background in obedience and agility.
The user continued on the thread by saying: “She said her house caught fire last year and she lost everything, including my dog who ran away. Nobody knows how she travelled so far or what happened between when she got lost and when my friend found her.
“She never stopped looking for my dog. She even had a video of my dog as a super cute puppy getting a microchip. No idea why the shelter and my vet couldn’t find it but my dog had one at some point.
“I told the woman I appreciated the great job she did with my dog for the first few years of her life (she’s five) and I was sorry to hear about her circumstances but I couldn’t give up my beloved girl. She’s my support animal so I’m not even sure I could live without her. I offered to send her pictures regularly but she turned really nasty.
“I didn’t choose for this special dog to change my life so much anymore than she chose for my dog to get lost. I ultimately blocked her because she wouldn’t leave me alone.
“Since she was listed with the shelter for the hold period and no microchip was found, I’ve adopted her and she’s mine. I am legally in the right but am I morally wrong?”
The nature of the AITA thread is to determine whether the user is in fact ‘the a**hole’ or not. The verdict you ask? ‘A**hole’ stamped in red at the top of the now closed thread.
Reddit users seemed to sway strongly in the way of this verdict. In total, 2.5 thousand comments were left below the thread before it was locked by the moderator.
One comment read: “Though it’s incredibly difficult… YTA (standing for ‘You’re the a**hole’). It’s not ‘your dog’ you just thought it was. Put yourself in her shoes. Give the dog back.”
Another also urged them to put themselves in the original owner’s shoes, adding: “The original owner had the dog five YEARS and she’s had it nine months and is complaining about losing their beloved pet? Imagine how that woman feels losing her pet and house. Not your dog, give it back.”
A third commented referring to the original poster as OP, saying: “OP, this woman lost E V E R Y T H I N G she has in a house fire, including her five-year best friend. Go back to that shelter, adopt another wonderful pupper who is in there by themselves right now, and give this woman her dog back.”
Someone even flipped the scenario on its head questioning how the user would feel if they were the original owner and the dog was used as their support dog, commenting: “I wonder if OP’s reaction would’ve been different if the dog had been the original woman’s support dog, or if she would’ve just decided that “I need a support dog more than she does.”
Reddit deemed the person as the official ‘a**hole’, but what do you think? Can you see the argument from both sides?