Posted on 09/24/2005 11:02:05 PM PDT by Former Military Chick
A chance meeting at an Independence animal shelter has left a relocated Hurricane Katrina victim without his longtime pet.
John Wyrick, who moved to the area from Mississippi following the hurricane, had taken his German Shepherd to the shelter approximately two weeks ago after learning he would not be able to keep it at a temporary residence.
He released his pet of 14 years to a stranger while searching for a place to live. After finding a home, he has learned he can't have his dog back.
Wyrick met with an unidentified woman visiting the shelter, said Amy Wells, shelter manager.
"He wanted the animal shelter to take the dog. They started talking," Wells said. "He decided he wanted to give the dog to her. I told them you cannot do the transfer on our property."
After that point the story becomes unclear. What is known is Independence resident Lynn Nevills eventually ended up with the dog. Wyrick could not be reached Friday.
City of Independence spokesperson Irene Baltrusaitis said the shelter believes Nevills is not the woman who spoke with Wyrick because she differs in body type and description. Nevertheless, at some point Nevills took possession of the dog. After Wyrick found a permanent residence, he approached Nevills about recovering his pet of 14 years.
Nevills reportedly has refused to return the dog. Nevills was at her home Friday afternoon but would not respond to requests for comment. The sound of a dog could be heard outside of her north Independence home.
Residents throughout the area have offered Nevills money or puppies as an incentive to return the dog to Wyrick after seeing the story on television.
Nevills is not a shelter volunteer. She has volunteered with the Independence Police Department's K-9 unit, according to Baltrusaitis.
Nevills and her husband have done grass and landscape work, as well as raised money for the department's K-9 program.
"We don't have volunteers who take care of dogs," Baltrusaitis said." The volunteers take care of other things."
To reach Andre Riley, e-mail andre.riley@examiner.net or call (816) 350-6362.
Hope it turns out happy.
I've had enough sad in the last month to last me a good, long time.
Sorry to hear that, so here's to wishing things turn out happy for you as well.
It's not in my life, per se.
It's been all the sadness about the animals affected by Katrina.
This stuff hits me where it hurts most.
Thanks for your kindness, though...:)
To be bailment consideration has to be given. That would be if the original owner paid the other party to take care of the dog for a while. This situation is a volunatry give up, no bailment exists.
Still this is a case of property being withheld without permission, The original owner had the other party take care of the dog and did not relinquish property rights. Title to the property, the dog, still resides with original owner.
What the owner needs is an writ of replevin.
I am also using some of the information from last nights news cast here in the greater KC area. I add the link in the original comments of this thread.
Yes, it is disturbing that Nevill went on the local radio show voicing that the owner of Shuma was not really a victim of a hurricane. Thankfully the news channel debunked that but still she got her say and folks heard. What type of evil goes around speaking untruth's ...
Well, I have been quite open on my thoughts of this woman so perhaps some might call me evil as well as it deals with my opinion of her.
Please if you have other links to this issue send them along. I have only been able to find the coverage of our local news channel and this one all of which convey the same thing, that he had to give him up because he could not take him to temp digs. He found a home, went back to retrieve Shuma only to be turned away.
Her response, that her kids bonded with the dog and she would not give him up. Further, she said HE could go and find another dog to take Shuma's place.
However, the definition of a bailment does not require that any consideration be given.
PING
I really don't. After reading your post yesterday, I googled for a bit, looking for some response from the woman, but none of the articles gave any more information than you've already posted.
Should I stumble onto something, I'll certainly pass the link along. I suppose the bonding excuse pretty much goes to what Salamander describes as pure spite.
I personally can't think of anything that would give me more pleasure than returning a pet to a long time owner.
My mother once adopted a stray cat. A year and a half later the original owner spotted it in my mother's yard. They had pictures of the cat as a kitten, complete with its unique markings. They were so happy to have it back.
I have no doubt a person can find themselves enjoying the company of a new pet. I mean how can one not, pet's bring such joy to our lives. But, for her to say that her children outweigh on the bonding verses 14 years as the faithful friend of a family just hits me to the core. What nerve.
Reading the comments of both rawhide and Salamander it gives one pause on doing the right thing and how difficult it is but the joy of doing the right thing always trumps the sorrow. I cannot imagine a child having to lose a pet, but, I do think an adult can hurt just as bad when beloved friend is no longer with us.
Rawhide's and Salamander's comment's should be the norm of human spirit. Well, I can hope!
I can't even get the blasted video links to play...:-\
!
That's *got* to be the first time anyone *ever* referred to me as "norm[al]"....;D
I have a crazy suggestion on how to solve this whole thing simply.
Place her and her family in a room with him and his family and then bring in the dog.
Whomever the dogs goes to, gets him.
[just call me Solomon Mander]...;-D
A kid without a dog is a crime against humanity....:)
---
What if they don't want one? I never did.
This poor German Shepard is probably heartsick over the loss of his owner. Dogs don't completely recover from incidents like this.
I was the third owner (that I know of) for my last dog. She never "fit in" with her last owners. My daughter and I went to their home, met the dog, petted her and talked to her. She climbed right into our car and never looked back. But she was always distressed about being left alone.
I'm the third owner of the dog I have now. Her original owner was a young woman in the Navy, but couldn't keep the dog when she was shipped overseas. The dog was shipped several states away to her parents, but they travelled a lot and the poor animal lived in a kennel more than a home. By the time I got her, she was a nervous wreck.
For the first year I had her she still had to "nose-up" to every 5'5" woman with long dark hair to check if that was her original "Mommy". After being parted from her owner for two and a half years, the little dog was still looking.
It took a little over a year for my little dog to become really comfortable and confident in her new home. For the first six months, she was so wild, I wasn't sure I could keep her. Although she likes riding in the car, she still whimpers with anxiety when the ride lasts more than a few minutes. She's now a very happy and fun little dog and a great family pet. But it took a lot of patience and love for her to become secure.
I truly hope that old shepard will find his lifelong friend.
I might disagree with this. Most canine cops are VERY attached to their dogs. They are not just dogs, but partners, and part of their families. They will relate to John.
I remember years ago before I was married how I found a little baby kitten abandoned on the side of the road while working. It was snow white all over, cute as can be. I took it home and took care of it. One day, a few short weeks later, I noticed it was missing from my fenced in yard. I looked and looked for it, but never found it.
A couple or so months later, the following summer, I was mowing my grass, and I stopped to talk by the fence with the homeowner that lived behind me. While I was talking with her, her little daughter, maybe 3 years old, came running up behind her and guessed who followed her, the little kitten I had 'lost'. It was definitely 'my' kitten. It just showed up one day in their yard. Apparently it had wandered over to their house from my yard a few months previous, and the family adopted it, not knowing from where it came from.
Well, I kept my mouth shut, because as I stood there looking at the little girl playing with the kitten, I knew that this little girl and her family could give that kitten a lot more love and attention than I could, and that made me happy.
Methinks she had better watch out. Angry dog lovers are everywhere.
I hope that it's just your sadness at the situation that's making you say that, and that you really don't mean it...
The police enforce the law. It appears that this evil, vile creature who's keeping the dog has done nothing that violates the law.
Do you really want to police to sieze the property of one person and give it to another, when the law has not been broken?
Mark
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