Dog walk dilemma. What would you do?

Walking yesterday I encountered a dog walk dilemma and as it has been bothering me all night, I thought I'd share... Long story, bear with me...

A young Jack Russell came running over the field to join with our pack and have a good romp and play. It was lovely really even Selkie seemed to get on with this feisty little boy. All my dogs are friendly and it's usually nice when Kismet gets to play with a dog closer to her own age. I kept looking up the path, but there was no sign of his owner. We were at the end of our walk and I began to head back to the car park, the little dog followed us. He was clearly in very good health and the tag on his sparkly red collar told me his name but nothing more. I hesitated and stayed on the field for a while longer but still no owner. I asked the other dog walkers on the field and they said he belonged to a man they had seen before, but none of us could see him.

We began to head back to the car, but still the dog stayed with us. The closer we got to the car park and the main road the more nervous I felt. All of mine were on leads by this point. The little dog was still bouncing around us. On to the field then came a woman with a couple of Lahsas the little dog ran over and began to play, but this time one of the Lhasas took offence and a dog fight ensued. The woman screamed at me to get my dog away and I tried to explain he was not mine. She was too scared to get into the fight, so in the end I did wade in and managed to break up the fight and this time when I let him go the little dog looked more warily at me and ran off up the field. Heading for his owner I assumed who by this time I could just about see at the top of the path, not looking worried, just wandering our way.

I got to the car and put the dogs in when suddenly I saw the little dog run straight across the carpark and out into the main road! A car had to screech to a halt. I screamed and had my heart in my mouth, the little dog just carried on running about in the road. I called his name, but he wouldn't listen. I grabbed Kismet out of the car and Pharaoh's lead and brought her to the edge of the road then ran away into the carpark with her. As I predicted he saw his erstwhile play mate and ran over. I grabbed him and put Pharaoh's lead on him. I waited in the car park for his owner who sauntered over as happy as you like and clearly thought the whole thing was a funny joke!

"Has he been naughty?" He asked? I explained the dog fight, the road, his almost accident, the man just laughed. "He never listens to me" He said cheerily. "I park my van over the road and he always just meets me there. He'll get himself killed one of these days!" It was clear he didn't care at all, that it was all a joke to him and that this was a regular thing for this little dog.

I saw him again today. There was almost a repeat, but this time I could see the owner and walked back to him and asked him to put him on his lead while I took mine back to the car. He didn't have a lead with im, but picked him up until I was about halfway down the path, then put him down again.

I can't think what to do. The dog is in good health and fit and the owner clearly loves him, just doesn't care about him. I keep thinking that next time I see him, if I can't see the owner. I'm not going to look for him. I'm going to take that little dog and put him in my car. Take him home, take his collar off and call the dog warden. Say I found him wandering in the road around the field. Maybe if he had to pay to pick him up from the pound he'll think twice and if he doesn't, well i know just the home for him. my aunt is looking for a little dog at the moment...

Too extreme?

What would you do?

Such a difficult situation I can say with almost 100% certainty that the little dog is going to end up killed on the road if this kind of behaviour is allowed to continue.

I am not sure what you should do to be honest. I personally wouldn't take the course of action you are suggesting, ie taking him to the dog warden. I think that is rather unfair on the owner or the dog. If it were me, I think I would be tempted to try and talk some sense into the owner - explain his dog is likely to be killed on the road, or end up causing an accident in which someone else could be killed.

You could also take the dog home with you, inform the police and the dog warden and say the dog has a collar but no contact details and that you will hold on to the dog until an owner shows up. If the owner really doesn't care about his dog, and doesn't turn up, then your auntie could adopt him?

Blimey that is a dilemma, I don't know what I would do but like you I would be tempted to contact the dog warden with him.
Poor little chap

Really horrible that poor little dog. You could talk to this man and discuss his options for leads or even walking in a safer area, maybe go for coffee to make the discussion more friendly?
Nim

I`d take the little dog to the dog warden but explain what had happened. The owner can be fined for this, which might stop him being so stupid.

Not the dog's fault, but the owner has a dog that is dangerously out of control in a public area (dangerous to other dogs, itself and the people driving past).

If it was me and I saw it without the owner again I would take it home and ring the dog warden.

I have done the same thing with a greyhound before - took it to the police station and it was rehomed.

I did try to chat to him when we saw him today, when I asked him to put his little dog on a lead, he said he didn't have one I said "Oh? Well you make sure none of the park wardens or the dog warden see you, they're often up here and not having a leash is an offence. You could be fined. You know what they're like up here!" He said he'd see about bringing a bit of sting or something next time, so maybe that's progress?

From what I can gather he's just that sort of old fashioned type of dog owner. He has a little dog and takes him to work with him, he's a sort of handyman/builder. He says he's had dogs before and never used a lead with any of them. I assume he's used to village life.

I'll keep chatting to him as friendly as I can every time I see him, but I think he's just set in his ways and it's going to take a proper scare to shake him up. If not a fine then it may be that poor little dog either picking a fight with the wrong sort of dog, the Jack Russell has little man syndrome. He was fine with my big dogs but the lhasas seemed to be fair game and he launched in. If he tries that with something a bit stronger, a staffie or another Jack Russell for that matter he may not fare as well. Or more likely it will be the road that finally gets him.

I wish there was something I could do.

If the dog is there at regular times perhaps you could report it to the wardens & ask them to do something? might be worth a try?

Strange kind of love - if the dog was run over he wouldn't exactly shed a tear, would he?

That is exactly what I would do. This man does not deserve, and is not fit, to own a dog.

I would do as you planned. If the dog is running at large, taking him to the dog warden is a perfectly innocent action on your behalf. What the owner is doing is illegal and VERY dangerous. It sounds to me like an accident occuring is also certain. I would hate to think that innocent people driving and the dog could potentially get hurt or killed as the result of this irresponsible persons attitude.