sighhhhhh
Some yrs back, my (then)6yo daughter took in a lovely stray, a young female that looked remarkably like a Briard!!!! And what a sweetie, BUT we had to try to find the owner before I'd agree to let her keep it.
A woman claimed the dog explaining they'd adopted her from the shelter for her 5yo son. That naughty boy wouldn't spend enough time in the kennel with Angel so the bad-bad puppy dog would get bored & continually escape out that hole in her kennel!!!!!
I suggested they bring Angel inside & he'd spend more time with her. I also suggested they take care of the dog together, given her son's very young age. OhNooooo. He agreed to take care of the dog if they let him get one & they didn't want to teach him to duck responsibility. Angel (that naughty puppy!) couldn't come inside b/c she shed looong hairs all over the place. ICK!
This woman, who honestly did not appear brain dead, actually blamed a 5yo child & a puppy for the situation (which included escaping out of an unrepaired hole & SHEDDING!). Naturally, she didn't want to part with Angel b/c her son loved her so & he really should live up to his responsibilities...
I checked back with her a few months later & Angel had disappeared for good though she was certain such a sweet loveable girl found a nice home. There wasn't any point to losing my temper, so I held onto it(with GREAT difficulty), but this fool had no idea whether that poor dog found a nice home or was sold to a research lab, grabbed up to bait fighting dogs, caught in a trap or run over.
Yeah...Irresponsible owners lie. Sometimes to place an otherwise impossible animal...Other times to give themselves credible(to them) excuses for dumping their 'beloved' pets.
My heart goes out to those very rare owners that truly had no choice but to give up their animals. My Spanky is one such. Her owner very suddenly & unexpectedly died.