It’s really not easy. I am not sure if I can take her in. My one dog really does not like other dogs at all. He does ignore her outside and he didn’t do anything when she ran up to us and he was on a leash. He has never bitten another dog, but he never got the chance to do so. He is never without the leash outside the fence. Edited real quick to say that he is not any kind of “Cesar Milan” case anymore. He walks by other dogs fine by now. He was an owner surrender when we got him. No idea why. Our other dog is barking her head of if she sees Daisy, but she really likes her when they are up close. I think maybe Zoey has some sort of beagle in her. She does have the weird bark if she sees a squirrel. Of course I have no idea if they owners would ok this in the first place. I haven’t seen their retriever in a while. This dog was running around to a lesser extend. Maybe they lost her and now Daisy is bored? If she is here again tomorrow, I will call. Not that messages have been answered often in previous years. Can always call the 24 hour 800 number from the commercial I suppose. Just kidding about that.

Oh, those eyes and that face! I once had a Beagle - found her as a "lost dog" on a camping trip. We called all the vets in the area and no one was looking for her. In fact, we think she was a puppy-mill mother who had just been turned loose in the woods.

Beagles are notoriously difficult to keep confined. It was a constant problem to "beagle-proof" our yard, but we thought we had succeeded, until I was out of town, DH let the dogs out for a last potty, she did not come in. He looked in the dark with a flashlight for an hour. She was old, blind and deaf - how far could she have gone? He found her two days later at the very end our our street (about 3 blocks from home) in the woods, dead. I think she went to the woods to die. She had nudged the pickets in our picket fence until she found a loose one and had escaped.

I would be very tempted to just keep her. She seems awfully sweet and clearly prefers your home to her own.

I would go pick out the prettiest collar and matching leash for her, and then a nice tag that suits her sweet personality (a pink heart?) with her name on it. And I would put my name on the back with my phone number. The existing collar looks a little frayed, so maybe it just falls off somewhere.

And then, I would start buying a little bit more dog food, since you have another mouth to feed.

Anglophilia, your post did kind of make me teary eyed. I really do like this dog a lot, but she is not my dog. I don’t have a problem clapping my hands and shooing the neighbor’s cats home if they are getting too close to my bird feeders. Or other occasional loose dogs (not often. And in case of a puppy I didn’t know I held on to it until I knew where it belonged) No hard feelings on my part or theirs. Doesn’t work with Daisy.

Iris, your heart is HUGE, that's why you don't know what you should do. I trust you will figure it out.

Mamapinky, if she shows up tomorrow again, I will try calling. If they don’t answer and at least one of the three cars is out, I will walk over there. After that I will figure out where to sleep. My husband left for a trip again last night. The pack order here is really interesting. If he is home, at least one of the dogs will be on the 3 dog beds available in the bedroom. If not, this is what it looks like coming out of the bathroom after brushing my teeth. Not sure if there is room for another.

Why not call the 800 number? At least it might get back to him plus the phone people might get a laugh, and the owner might get the word.

Reading through, it's clear to me you truly like this dog. The "owner" obviously does not. I do not think anything you say or do will change his behavior. The dog would be better off with you, which I suspect you already know. Are you trying to convince yourself, you can't take on another dog?

If it were me, I know what I would do, but this is a decision you have to make.

Oh my gosh, a good photo subject is an understatement. She sure deserves better than what she’s got, what a cutie. It’s too bad that some one wanting a dog can’t just scoop her up and take her home. Mr. Lawyer obviously doesn’t care and would probably just assume she ran off.

Ali also has a very good point. They say our pets pick us, we don’t pick them and that look on her face pretty much says it all. I suspect her bad habits could be easily fixed with a little love and attention.

"Any number of things could have changed within the household for the dog to be showing up more at your house .......illness, death, left town without notice, etc. If you don't get a response within a few days, I'd call any of the Beagle Rescue groups in your state and see if they can help. "

this is what I thought of. even if you saw him driving home, they could have split or she might be in the hospital and he is overwhelmed with that and work.

I'd check on it and do my best to care for her. I wish I could take that sweet face! I'd love to have a 2nd one but my girl can be terribly rowdy by herself and I'm not getting around like I used to be able to do. I've had 2 at a time for many, many decades but when the last 2 got their wings (I already had this one when the last one passed), I knew I couldn't do it anymore physically or financially. if anything happened to my now furgirl, I'd need to get one that won't get very big. This one is much stronger than I am and could easily pull me over. She was a lot smaller when I got her as a puppy!

Leash laws/HMOs are only as good as their enforcement. Why bring the up when you clearly have no intention if having them enforced. I would be highly suspicious, call the cops have them do a wellness check on your neighbor. We live where the lots are all 2-3 acres. We have a neighbor who heads to Jamaica for vacation and leaves their animals to fend for them selves. The dog was finally hit by a car one too many times and is no longer with us. The limping about did not seem to motivate the owner.

Seems to me even your present pack is accepting of her. Sometimes things happen for a reason. Looks to me like you have been adopted. Her bad habits come from neglect. A little attention, kindness and training can go a long way.

I agree. She needs you. Your pack has accepted her. I would LOVE to take her off your hands. She's a beauty.

Even if I wanted to keep her, I can not just steal a dog. It’s obvious she has an owner since she has tags, so it’s not I could pretend that I took in a stray.

No one who cares about their dogs lets them constantly roam unsupervised. And being busy or going out of town is no reason to neglect pets. There are pet sitters, kennels, etc. It sounds like they are just not interested in properly caring for their dogs, and I don't understand why they have pets in the first place.

I would also be hesitant to put too much pressure on people like this, they might decide to chain the dogs so they can't roam anymore. Which would solve the roaming problem, but it would also mean the dogs can't go elsewhere to find food and water and would be completely dependent on these awful irresponsible people.

We have neighbors that share custody of a dog.

I understand Iris point. It's not a stray, it has an owner, and without the owners ok Iris can't just keep the dog. Yes the owner is negligent but that doesn't ok stealing. Plus as cute as this pup is maybe Iris has a full plate and can't take on the responsibility of another family member right now. I'm just thinking out loud here.

Iris your fur kids are soooo cute. Yep they know daddy's gone and mommy needs their protection and company. They sure are precious Iris....and to think I didn't used to like dogs...LOL.

No one is suggesting you steal the dog. What is right is right and that neighbor is not doing right for that pup entrusted to his care.. He obviously doesn't care or have an attachment. Dog ownership is a privilege and a commitment not to be taken lightly.

Just another thought...perhaps you could make an arrangement with him. She is frustating you and getting into trouble because she isn't getting attention she deserves. Such a shame, that anyone can get a dog really.

The dogs are on the bed because the person they see as the pack leader is away. They see Iris as an equal and are trying to co-sleep as a pack. Pack mentality is sexist. Even if a woman does everything for the dog...he will probably be seen as pack leader ( top dog). Sleeping on the floor is bottom dog.

It seems to me she is at your house because you are home. She could be looking for a friend. We ended up with the best dog because of this. When her 'owners' were gone she came to our house. When they were in the house and left her in the yard she came to our house. They would actually go on vacation and leave food in a shed for her. She came to our house. I finally called them up and said leave the food with us since she lives here anyway and wont eat cat food. When they moved she just moved to our house. They came by a year later and wanted to borrow her for a couple of days. No. She followed me around obsessively as she was always afraid of being left. This dog has the same look.

This sweet dog has adopted you. She ran away from home.

She does look well fed. She actually just left, because she saw “her” gardeners arrive. So I guess she has to supervise them. I never see her after dark, so she knows where she gets dinner. No Idea where she is at night (Inside the house/ garage/ pool fence or whatever they have), but I have never seen her wandering around then.

I'd keep a list, date and time, of every time I called them about their dog. When you walk the dog back do you just put it in the yard or ring the doorbell and talk to someone ?

If you really want to make a point , send photos and list to your HOA, Call animal control or police. As a lawyer, he'll understand building evidence. Someone may not want to head your HOA but they should enforce the rules. (Only question to ask at next year's meeting is who will enforce the rules) I like the call the 800 # idea after some unreturned phone calls . I understand the home hierarchy too ..my daughter moved back with a cat , longhaired ..mine were picked with short hair being a big factor and they don't get along.

Please let us know what you decide

I would have a very stern talk with the dog's current owners. If I wanted her I'd tell them that they are not proper owners and she is better of with me. If I didn't feel I could keep her I'd let them know that I would find a caring home for her. They do not appear to be trying to keep her safe.

I just saw their other dog, so she is still around and it’s not the reason Daisy is staying here for so long at a time. I did leave a voice mail earlier. By day after tomorrow I am going to forward my email to the owners to our HOA president if nothing happens. They hardly ever open the door. Idk if they don’t want to deal with me anymore. Could also be that they are in their guest house. I think he has his home office there. She is great a supervising if I pull out the right stuff. On the downside she really likes to roll around in the freshly cleaned areas.

Awww, she is so cute! We had our Beagle for almost 17 years, he was my shadow. Very stubborn and ruled by his nose, but oh so lovable. He was a world traveler, from the US to Europe and back. He's been gone for years and I still miss him.

Beagles are smart, social and don't like to be left alone. She may just be looking for daytime company if her owners are working and too busy for her during the day.

She is such a sweet looking dog.

Our first cat adopted us. He lived two doors away from us but they had a new baby, a dog and another cat. This was just too much for the cat that came over one day and just stayed. The owners knew where he was and one day came over and said that the cat was really unhappy living with them and if we could keep him they would be thrilled. We had tha cat for 19 years when he died at the age of 20. Best cat ever.

Ha! I looove those ears!

Yes, on a serious note, no one is saying you should steal the dog, but it couldn’t hurt to go and have a chat with the neighbor. Maybe rehoming the dog is on his radar but for whatever the reason, he just hasn’t gotten around to it

If it were me, I’d go over and feel the waters to see if it’s even a realistic idea. Having it rehomed to a neighbor is something most people dream of, and realistically it does seem to be in the dogs best interest.

I would talk to them if I could ever get a hold of them. I am not sure they would give her up. They had her for a long time, Holly (the other dog) almost as long. I don’t know if Holly is roaming as much. I am not seeing her that often (was shocked to see her running around with a cone unsupervised in Fall though), but that doesn’t mean she is not just going the other way. I don’t think of the 50 houses here there is one person not knowing Daisy. Couple of days ago when I went to the mailbox a guy jogging by waived at me and said “Hi, Daisy” to her. It might just be that the weather is too miserable for a sane person to be outside for her to visit. So she is stuck with crazy me.

This dog is going to be hit by a car or something equally tragic if allowed to continue wandering. I promise you, it’s only a matter of time.

I had two beagles.

Sadly you may be right. I am not sure if the HOA president is going to be able to do something. Up until 3 years ago we had this Yahoo group for the neighborhood. And there were plenty of complaints. Obviously nothing changed much.

This kind of irresponsibility really irks me because if anything goes wrong it’s the dog that suffers, not the owner. I’d still try to reach out, but if talking to him isn’t possible, just bring her in, love her up and let her stay until such time that he comes looking for her. (After all, it’s really not your responsbility to keep bringing her home) And once he does, let him know your concerns; they’re certainly both real and reasonable. She’s such a cutie, sure would hate for something to happen to her.

So would I. This must be how the vacuum salespeople feel standing at people’s doors. I swear there were times they have seen me coming. Or they have a camera. I saw the woman going from her car into the house, but she sure didn’t open the door two minutes later. And no, I am not spying on their comings and goings. If I am working on this side of the yard, it is completely open. Their house is far back from the road. The neighbor in between has hardly any trees and mine for the most part are still small in the very back yard. I am hoping our president will at least get them to answer the phone.

What can they do? Do they have fencing? I'd be afraid they would just put him on a long rope. Maybe that electronic fencing. If you adopted the dog, maybe then the roaming would be your problem.

The only fencing they have (far as I know) is around the pool area. I have not wandered around their house to see. When we adopted Zoey (that’s the brown one) she was a stray and a runner. First warning should have been that she took off as soon as they opened her cage at the shelter. For the first 8 weeks, I walked her around our property line several times a day. She still slipped the collar 3 times going backwards with me in hot pursuit. After that I got the martingale one. It didn’t help, no way she could be trusted to go potty without the leash. Our previous dogs never ran off. So I got a trainer. She came to the house twice a week for 10 weeks. Zoey aced the test at the end, but the off leash part was with a 100 foot clothes line. And she definetly knew when this was not attached. Next step was to get her a fence. It’s not the whole property, but big enough to run and play and do her business without me having to go out with her. Best money spent. They do have plenty of space to get a fenced area.

Iris, you are a responsible pet owner. Your pups are fortunate to have you.

Ava, this is common sense. And at least half the homes here have at least 1 dog. It is very seldom that one is running around loose. There are a few cats from time to time, but other than my neighbor’s cats I hardly see any. I did have a donkey and cows in my yard before, too. They have the room and they certainly seem to have the money to put a fence up. Or get somebody to play with the dogs to keep them entertained. There is a teenage girl in this neighborhood offering dog walking and pet sitting.

What can they do??? IMO, a fence isn’t the answer.

This dog’s behavior screams that she is probably for the most part ignored. She’s wandering to find attention. Once she finds it, she doesn’t want to leave so a fence is not the answer. If the owners would provide her with the attention that she is craving, she would probably stop wandering as often and maybe even entirely. Look how she is once she finds a little companionship.

They can also spend some of their time training and running her. A big reason dogs will run or be distructive is because they are bored. Give them a way to burn off their excess energy and they won’t go looking for ways on their own.

ETA: Much of this advise was given to me during the first Vet visit we had with our Lab puppy. I took the advise to heart and ran with it. Our dog is 8 now. We have a larger sized lot with no fences and other dogs all around. She hasn’t worn a collar at home in years and never runs off. She also has never been destructive or ruined anything, so I’m a believer. I realize that breed plays a roll as well, but I can’t help but think that if a dog has what it needs from a physical perspective and the owner devotes the time required to train it, (I do some kind of training with her every day) there is a good chance, the dog won’t run or be distructive. Why would it if it’s needs are being met?

My question is, why even have a dog if you’re not going to be engaged with it or care for it properly?

I googled his office to write down the phone number in case I need it. I still didn’t get any sort of response to the email or voice message. He has fantastic reviews. Compassionate, takes the time to listen and such. Would be great if he would apply some of this to his pets.

I'm surprised the dog has been allowed to roam free as long as it has. Where I live, one call to animal services and the dog gets picked up right away and brought to a shelter. It's given shots and the owner has to pay to get their pet back plus for the shots. They do the shots because not all dog owners get their dogs their shots. It's rare, REALLY rare to see a dog lose here. Did you call animal services there? Maybe having to pay to get his dog back a few times will give him a hint.

Two thoughts.

I've lived in a 5+ acre subdivision and there were people who moved in, thought "oh country life I can let my dog loose" ... which worked okay for some dogs, not so good for several other dogs (sadly they ended up run over on the nearby main road). Now I live in town and with these small lots, there is more peer pressure to fence in your dog. The only loose dogs I've seen since moving here are escapees.

Second -- yes, nails can poke a hole in a rubber pond liner! It's worth while to make sure there is a protected (rock lined?) easy escape, so dogs (or other animals) don't have to clamber and use their hind legs to dig into the sides of the pond to get out.

Oh one more thought -- I see nothing wrong with calling the man's office and leaving a brief message -- "Hi I'm your neighbor, could you call me?" ... nothing that would embarrass him with his staff.

I just know of the one time she has been picked up by Animal Control. Doesn’t mean it didn’t happen another time. There have been times I didn’t see her for 2 weeks at a time. My next door neighbor (the one 3 houses from Daisy) is the only neighbor I talk to regularly, and she is just always worried Daisy might have died when this happens.

Leave a short, factual review about how unresponsive he has been about calls, emails and visits concerning his problem dog. That should get his attention.

Iris,

Unless or until the situation is resolved, I think posting here every one of Daisy’s “visits” is as good a way as any to document the situation. You could take a photo of her holding a copy of that day’s newspaper to prove the date — you know, like a kidnapper!

In all seriousness, though, you gotta do something — and quickly. In fact, I think a call to the local police or sheriff would be my next move. As for the comments by some that Daisy must be roaming out of a need for attention, I (quite respectfully, of course) disagree. While that very well may be the case with other pets who continually show up at a neighbor’s door, Beagles are scent hounds and will follow their noses despite any obstacle (much like their cousin the foxhound does when tracking a fox during a hunt) — and often times with devastating consequences as mentioned previously. Of course it’s possible/probable that she’s starved for affection/attention, too, given the frequency with which she’s been found wandering.

In any event, I hope for the best possible outcome for her. :)

The weather was nice yesterday, so she was just here 4 different times for about two hours total. She was at my neighbor’s to watch her trim some shrubs. Last I saw her, she was following a family walking by. I haven’t seen her yet today. Usually she is here by 10. This might help with my problem, but not with her being unsafe. Our neighborhood just has 2 roads, both dead ends. So there isn’t that much traffic, but I still see the occasional run over squirrel. And yes, Daisy does often do the beagle thing. Walking zigzag with the nose on the ground, tail up and barking.

Since I still didn’t get any response or results from the owners, I did email our HOA president a few days ago. Here is the response. Looks like I am on my own.

She probably figured you for the home she wants. Poor Daisy.

Well. It really does suck. Nigel (the one not liking other dogs) is doing well, but I still check before taking them out for a walk. Daisy has started to get into his face (as in running at him and jumping at him from the front). He is just backing off, but I am not comfortable with it. So I check if she is sitting on the walkway. Zoey is still barking her head of if she sees her outside the fence. The “think Mall walker, not weekend warrior” from our vet for her isnt really working in that case. She has bad arthritis in her hips, doing well if she is not overdoing it. So honestly I am stuck. I don’t think it would be the best for us to just kidnap her and.see if the owners would show up to complain. I don’t want her to be picked up by Animal control and be in a cage either though.

Aww, Iris. Actually that letter irritated me. They are passing it all off onto you. Doesn't sound like Daisy moving in with you is a good idea considering Nigel. You really are stuck between a rock and a hard place. My best to you Iris.