"It seems a little sketchy to me... I don’t feel comfortable just handing over a dog to someone who can’t provide their chip number": Pug found in poor condition becomes the subject of a social media ownership claim, sparking a canine custody battle

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Aug 13, 2025 2:00 PM EDT

Now, we won't lie, cat rescues are usually for more dramatic and entertaining than dog rescues. But this one sure does have a double dose of drama implanted into it which makes for quite the muy caliente story. It begins with an abandoned pug, but not only abandoned, it somehow found its way to someone else's house, where it had been given food for a couple of days. Now this is weird, right? Why would someone see a dog in distress who obviously does not live in their home, and just offer it food without finding out what is going on with the doggos pawrents?

Surely you would rather this darling doggo gets found and taken home than spend another night on the street? And while the owners of the house did not see things that way, our heroic rescuer most certainly did as she scooped up the pup and took him away to safety. From there things get interesting, and we will not spill the tea right here, mainly because we have no paper towels, but we can tell you it is some good tea.
 

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  • 01
    I found a dog about three weeks ago. He was laying in the middle on the sidewalk in the hot sun in front of a house. I asked the people who were outside and lived there if it was their dog. They said
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 02
    no, but that he had been there a couple of days and they had been feeding him. I took him in and tried taking him to the shelter, but they were all closed (it was July 4 weekend). I took him to a
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 03
    Cheezburger Image 10541398016
    via Chalabala via Adobe Stock

    Disclaimer: This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 04
    vet and found he was micro chipped. The vet called the chip company and got any info she could, and because the shelters were closed, she gave me the info so that I could try contacting the owner myself. I also
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 05
    posted on social media, next door, and pawboost, on top of calling the chip company for multiple days after I found him, for which I was told they called and emailed every time I called. I even gave
    via DownWithDaThicckness

  • Well, this story is sure getting off to a suspicious start. To begin with there are no lost dog signs in the area which is odd considering it has been a few days, and it is all the more suspicious that the people whose house this doggo dragged itself to did nothing to help it find its home…

  • 06
    them my information so that the owner could contact me. I tried calling the phone number registered to the chip for a few days and even texted and got a
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 07
    wrong number response (but only after calling, leaving voicemails, and multiple texts). It seemed odd to me especially since he wasn't registered in the same area that I found him in, not even close, had an old and
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 08
    gross harness on with an ESA tag, leading me to believe he was abandoned. Since the shelters were going to be closed for a couple of days, I asked family if they could take him in for me because I
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 09
    have my own dog and wanted to keep them separate for their own health and safety. The dog was found in bad condition, he's a pug, and his eyes were swollen and the folds on his face
    via DownWithDaThicckness

  • Oh man that must have hurt like the dickens! Friction rash is bad enough when you have to get some light exercise done. But to have it on you and consistently getting worse with every step you take is pure agony. Poor thing, he really deserves to be taken care off.

  • 10
    have my own dog and wanted to keep them separate for their own health and safety. The dog was found in bad condition, he's a pug, and his eyes were s "n and the folds on his face
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 11
    Cheezburger Image 10541397760
    via Quality Stock Arts via Adobe Stock

    Disclaimer: This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 12
    looked c y, and he had some skin issues which were due to his harness and having 1s (it seemed it was never taken off of him, he had a rh on his like armpits and still has indents in his fur from the edges of the harness, it was a bit tight on him).
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 13
    week, my family and I grew fond of him, and decided to keep him after all this time of trying to find their owner. We took him to the vet and got him supplies, he's already looking way better than when we found him and doesn't leave my mom's side.
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 14
    it's been three weeks now, and someone on next door is claiming to know the owner and speaking on their behalf. I asked them to provide the chip number and they haven't. They say the
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 15
    owner's phone has been disconnected. They shared a picture of the ESA ID card but I can't verify the registration number and the name of the dog is similar but not the same. Also the name
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 16
    of the registered owner on the chip is different from who he's registered to on the ESA ID card. It seems a little sketchy to me (the owner sounds like he may be homeless) and I don't feel comfortable with just
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 17
    handing over a dog to someone who can't at least provide their chip info/number or even a photo, especially since I found him in bad condition.
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 18
    I know that shelters can only hold dogs for maybe a week, probably even less and then they can get adopted. Since it's been weeks, is this dog now mine? After calling the
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 19
    chip company multiple times, they told me that I could transfer my info onto the chip after 3 to 4 weeks of no answer from the owner. I don't know how else to verify that this dog belongs to this guy who claims to be the owner when he has no
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 20
    phone and the person speaking for him can't provide the chip info. What do I do?
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 21
    EDIT: I am happily keeping this dog and won't be entertaining this person or the person who claimed to be the owner anymore. My fam and I
    via DownWithDaThicckness
  • 22
    knew we'd keep him after 2-3 days of housing him, if no one would claim him. He almost looks like a different dog from when I found him, he's so much healthier! Thank you all for your advice, I feel better in my decision
    via DownWithDaThicckness

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sketchy pet ownership Battle dogs pug number poor microchip feel reddit story canine social media someone dont dog story condition cant comfortable custody
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