It certainly sounds like, if they can prove they owned the dog, they should get the dog back. How can someone, no matter who, have the right to decide your property, when lost, can be given away to someone else?
I wonder if the dog had ID implant, if so vets can be on the look out!
Weimeraners are beautiful dogs.
This whole thing would have been a lot simpler if the owners had insured the safety of their dog.
Stray dogs (and presumably somebody’s prior property) are given up for adoption all the time. Better than killing them.