AITA for keeping a dog I rescued from a trashed car?
I F24 was walking to the store about a week ago and took a shortcut that led near a wooded area. I stumbled upon a car that looked abandoned and smelled absolutely horrific. It genuinely like something had died. I was so concerned so I called the police.
While I was waiting, a man ran up looking furious. He started screaming at me to get off “his property” (it definitely wasn’t). I apologized, explained I was worried about the smell, and moved to the end of the road to wait. He asked why i was still waiting and when I told him the cops were on their way, he bolted. (I had his picture so I wasn’t worried about him getting away from the police)
When the police arrived and i explained, They said they knew of the man and one officer sent the other to try find him. And then the nightmare began, The other officer checked the car. Three dogs had already passed away. One female dog was barely hanging on. She started seizing as I picked her up and I begged the officer to let me take her to the vet immediately. He was incredibly kind and actually drove us there himself.
The poor thing had mange, worms, ticks, and was severely malnourished and dehydrated. She wasn’t microchipped, thankfully. The vet and the police told me that if no owner claimed her within seven days, she would legally be mine. I went every single day and would nap and take her treats as often as I was allowed. I even took my clippers in and gave her a bath and fixed her fur for her. She’s looking much better.
Yesterday was day seven. She is now home with me, and she’s already starting to look like a different dog and is currently all cosy in my lap. The problem? My next-door neighbor is friends with the daughter of the man who owned the car. Apparently, the daughter now wants the dog back. Here’s why I’m frustrated though.
The daughter admitted she knew her father was living in the woods with four dogs.
She refused to take the dogs in when he asked for help as it got colder.
She only became interested after I started a GoFundMe for the dog’s vet bills, which has raised a significant amount of money.
My neighbor and his daughter is calling me a “thief” and says I’m “tearing a family apart” during a hard time. I told her there is no way in hell that dog is going back to a family that let three others rot in a car.
AITA for refusing to give her back?
