'I'm seriously considering just taking the dog': Canine-lover concocts the pawfect plan to steal his neighbor's dog and adopt him for himself

Author image for Blake Seidel
Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager
Nov 22, 2025 9:00 AM EST

The people of the internet never fail to surprise us. Interviewing strangers, covering themselves in crazy makeup, and for today, we have a story about a canine-lover concocting a plan to steal his neighbor's dog and adopt him for himself. Now, to be fair, the doggo appawrently does not live a very good life with said neighbor. They are never seen taking walks, and the neighbor sounds a little coo-coo for Cocoa Puffs, if you catch our drift. So, what other logical solution is there if not to steal the dog, keep the dog in your apartment, and hope that the neighbor never notices you walking their dog? Brilliant plan.

We're all for saving animals from bad situations, but the better way to handle this situation would be to alert animal control and have them check on the welfare of said pupper. We know that what they want to do comes from a good place, but this plan is a little half-baked, or rather, it seems like they didn't even turn on the oven. 

There are plenty of other solutions, like offering to walk the dog, or offering to adopt it from them, but for some reason, people always jump straight to stealing. Why? Well, that's something only you can answer in the comments below.

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  • 01

    Would you steal your neighbor’s dog?

    Sad dog including 'Stealing a dog from someone you believe to be "unhinged." What could possibly go wrong?'
    via TrueCreatives

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    I don't want to make this a long post but I have a neighbor who lives in the apartment behind mine so I can hear basically everything that happens on her apartment.
    via GigiPatoni
  • 03
    She has a teenager and a beautiful dog but she is kind of "sick" in a way that she can get really "angry" with both the teenager and the dog.
    via GigiPatoni
  • 04
    Some neighbors have already reported her to cps. but that's a different story, the thing is I don't think she is giving her dog a good life, they never walk him, I've seen her take the dog for a walk like 2 times. in 3 years, the dog is constantly crying and I've overheard her him.
    via GigiPatoni
  • 05
    So I'm seriously considering just taking the dog and adopt him and give him a happy life Would you do it or would you rather avoid having a confrontation with your neighbor?
    via GigiPatoni
  • 06
    Golden retriever dog
    via fury123

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 07
    newAccount2022_2014 • 14h ago You better have a good plan. She's going to notice of you start walking the dog she used to have around the neighborhood
    via newAccount2022_2014
  • 08
    Fancy-Implement-9087 14h ago You could try to ask if she will give you the dog, but really that's about it. You can't steal your neighbors dog without them noticing ignoring the ethical question entirely. If that doesn't work then the best you can do it keep reporting her to the police
    via Fancy-Implement-9087
  • 09
    DaughterofKingsize 14h ago . Where I live, pets are considered property, and this would be theft, facing a potential prison sentence, even if it was a case of ase. se. Best you can do is report her to the relevant local authority that oversees animal welfare
    via DaughterofKingsize
  • 10
    Feral-Reindeer-696 • 14h ago If you can hear your neighbour, then they can hear you. They'll hear the dog if you have it in your home. Do you have a home to take it to right away? If you do this, she might get another so then what? You need to think this through and consider the consequences. What is the punishment you can face legally? If you do the crime, can you do the time?
    via Feral-Reindeer-696
  • 11
    I knew of someone who stole their neighbours dog. It was a large dog being kept in a small crate in the backyard and rarely taken out of the crate. They stole it when they were moving. The dog had a malformed spine because of the confinement so it needed some medical attention but the people who stole her had zero regrets. No animal should have to live like that
    via Feral-Reindeer-696
  • 12
    Person petting dog
    via urtimud.89 from Pexels

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 13
    Karinka_LI 13h ago I am not sure rehoming an a sed dog in the same apartment complex is ideal if they will see smell hear the a sed all of the time. Report the owner and get your own dog.
    via Karinka_LI
  • 14
    . Crooked LittleDogs 14h ago Yes. And I have. They kept him in a tiny pen in the yard with no shade 24 seven and he just walked back back-and-forth and back back-and-forth and back- and-forth. After we got him out of town to a foster home, he just walked back-and-forth in a small space in a big yard, he couldn't break out of that pattern for a long time. But ultimately, he lived happily ever after.
    via CrookedLittleDogs
  • 15
    stilldeb 13h ago • Did it. One of my neighbors came to my house to get his dog and took out a shovel handle and beat the dog with it to chase him back home while i was begging him not to hit the dog. My other neighbor and I "stole", as in didn't take it back home, the dog and it lived out its best life sleeping at the end of a kid's bed.
    via stilldeb
  • 16
    ImAlsoNotOlivia • 13h ago . In my state, theft of a pet would be a felony, regardless of intentions. Have you called animal control for a welfare check on the dog? You could probably do so anonymously.
    via ImAlsoNotOlivia
  • 17
    The_Rowan · 8h ago Offer to buy the dog for $100
    via The_Rowan
  • 18
    Chaz-Miller • 13h ago Take the dog. On a hiking adventure one day, I ran into a 'weekend' shack with 3 dogs on way to short leashes with burn marks on their bodies and no food or water. I stole all 3, nursed them back to health and rehomed them.
    via Chaz-Miller
  • 19
    Impossible_Past5358 . 13h ago Stealing a dog from someone you believe to be "unhinged." What could possibly go wrong?
    via Impossible_Past5358
  • 20
    EasyonthePepsi Fuller 13h ago I have (allegedly) stolen a pet. They had a little cat in a dog crate outside and I couldn't help it. But, I did not live next door to those folks. Taking the dog opens the door to that woman's crazy being directed at you. Like, she won't let that go--- ever. It would be a mess op, a mess you don't want at all.
    via EasyonthePepsiFuller
  • 21
    RedBarchetta1 . 13h ago Probably unpopular opinion that will be downvoted immediately, but yes I would. Good trumps Lawful in my own personal moral code, and I wouldn't let an animal suffer just to follow a law. But you should probably have a plan to 1) not get caught, and 2) manage the dog once you have it - how will you keep bad dog owner neighbor from noticing that you are now walking her dog (for example)?
    via RedBarchetta1
  • 22
    NoDanaOnlyZuul • 13h ago Offer to walk the dog or ask her if she's willing to let you adopt it.
    via NoDanaOnlyZuul

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adopt dogs neighbors stealing canine neighbor drama doggo animals
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