Guilty plea in months-long custody battle over Ore. dog
CORVALLIS, Ore. (AP) - The saga of a husky-shepherd dog so nice that two people contended over him for months appears to have ended in a Corvallis, Ore., courtroom.
College student Jordan Biggs pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor second-degree theft.
The Oregonian reports that if she completes the terms of her plea agreement - including admitting in writing that Sam Hanson-Fleming of Portland is the owner - a judge will dismiss her case.
Biggs found the dog in Portland in March 2011 on the day he jumped his backyard fence and ran off. She took him home to Corvallis that same day and kept him for about 13 months until Hanson-Fleming happened across her and the dog in Portland last May.
Biggs refused to part with the dog despite rulings from Animal Services and later a hearings officer. She filed a civil suit, seeking ownership.
Last July, the Multnomah County Animal Services director ruled the dog belonged to the Portland man. Biggs was arrested, briefly booked into jail and the dog was taken from her. Hanson-Fleming got him back in October.
College student Jordan Biggs pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor second-degree theft.
The Oregonian reports that if she completes the terms of her plea agreement - including admitting in writing that Sam Hanson-Fleming of Portland is the owner - a judge will dismiss her case.
Biggs found the dog in Portland in March 2011 on the day he jumped his backyard fence and ran off. She took him home to Corvallis that same day and kept him for about 13 months until Hanson-Fleming happened across her and the dog in Portland last May.
Biggs refused to part with the dog despite rulings from Animal Services and later a hearings officer. She filed a civil suit, seeking ownership.
Last July, the Multnomah County Animal Services director ruled the dog belonged to the Portland man. Biggs was arrested, briefly booked into jail and the dog was taken from her. Hanson-Fleming got him back in October.
"Finders - keepers" makes a clever ditty for young school kids - but it is NOT THE LAW and it gets many of those kids into serious trouble later!
I find it hard to believe that two people can get so stupid over a dog and then have to waste the courts time to adjudicate it. If someone leaves their car door open does that mean if you get in it it is yours????? Get a life people.
Looks like someone needs to get their dog spayed.
All pets should have a microchip. I'm glad this guy got his dog back and that's the way it should be. This is one very selfish woman.
Too bad ALL dogs (and cats) aren't in such demand. So many needy animals that would make wonderful pets, available now at the local shelters.
I've picked up many a dog on the lam. You need to attempt to find their owners. And you would hope they would do the same for you. Despite most people's best efforts some dogs do escape. Keeping a dog you knew someone was obviously missing is selfish, period.
Um can you say crazy lady? She knew it wasn't her dog in the first place. How can you keep a dog you know isn't yours in the first place? Wouldn't you feel bad thinking someone was missing it???
I feel good about the outcome. I hope that Ms. Biggs can overcome her mistake and continue on with her life, maybe even adopting another dog.......someday.
This shouldn't have taken so long, but this is now as it should be. Â Yes, I am sure the owner wished he could've built a better fence in hindsight, but no matter - the girl did not try hard enough to find the owner. Â (Yes, I have followed this story for a while and had read everything.)
@DMT I agree with you, except for the comment on hindsight. It's HINDSIGHT to say this wouldn't have happened if he had built a bigger fence. But it's certainly understandable - he didn't realize the dog could jump the fence he had. However, what I was saying is that, now that he had the dog back, and now that he knows the dog can jump the current fence, he should have a little FORESIGHT and build that bigger fence. Because if it happens again, it will NOT be understandable.
It's sad that there was so much heartache for both parties. I hope the owner will learn from this and build a bigger/better fence so it doesn't happen again.
 @Central Some dogs are just escape artists no matter what you try to do. I was watching a show on Animal Planet that showed one dog getting out after his people spent over 6K building a 10 foot high fence. It only takes one tiny flaw for a determined dog to find a way out. That being said, I do hope he has his dog microchipped.
 @doxiemom2008  @Central We had a wonderful dog, who was an escape artist. When she was a puppy, we put up an electric wire all along the bottom of the chain link fence (about 1/2 acre mind you). She would dig the hole, and power through anyhow! We'd come home to find her sitting, waiting in the driveway. It was so nice when she got old enough to leave inside!
@Thunder Thanks for sharing that. I'm glad to see that you're a responsible pet owner. Sorry to get so preachy, but it breaks my heart to see SO MANY animals whose owners just don't care.
 @Central You bet and I agree. This only went on for about a week until we were able to find a kennel in the Little Nickel (remember those days? :)). Then we poured a slab of concrete and we were good to go until she got old enough to stay inside. She lived to be 15 1/2 years old. Best dog we EVER had.
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That too, is why I stop to pick up strays. I have found owners for all of them. One took us a week and a half (owners on vacation). But it's not the dog's fault. And yes, the odds of them getting hit are VERY high.
@Thunder @doxiemom2008
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Iâm glad that your dog always managed to find its way back onto your driveway without being hit by a car first, but thatâs not the case for many dogs. Stories like this hit home for me because for years my neighborsâ five small dogs escaped from their yard about once every 2-3 weeks. I would see them wandering in the street with cars weaving to avoid them, and I (along with other neighbors) would help gather them back up and get them into their yard, often being rewarded with a few bites here and there in the process. When I explained to my neighbors that their dogs were out on the street AGAIN, they would take an attitude of âOh well, dogs will be dogs!â and just patch up the new hole under the fence. Nothing would change.
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Iâm sorry, but thatâs a total cop-out. When you adopt a pet, you take on a RESPONSIBILITY to keep that pet safe. I understand that some dogs are great escape artists.  That does not absolve the owner of responsibility. It just means they may need to try other methods before finding one that works for that particular dog. A bigger fence. A concrete barrier around the base of the fence (preventing digging through). The invisible fence. Obedience training. Having somebody WATCH the dog when theyâre in the yard. Keeping the dog indoors when nobodyâs around to watch it. Putting the dog on a long leash in the yard (which can be problematic, but perhaps necessary if all else fails).  Taking the dog for more walks so heâs not so inclined to explore. WHATEVER IT TAKES. But simply throwing up your hands up and saying itâs going to happen no matter what you do and hoping the dog doesnât get killed in the process â thatâs not an acceptable answer.
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As for my neighbors, I sometimes thought that maybe I should just let the dogs run loose in the street and let fate have its way, but I care too much about the dogs to do that. In any case, last year the dogs ran away for the last time. My neighbors put up signs, begging for somebody to return their precious pets. All I could think was that they werenât quite precious enough for these people to properly care for them, and I seriously hope they have found a new home with people who will take care of them.
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And at least these neighbors can hope that maybe their dogs somehow found a new home. Another neighbor was not so lucky. Their response was to use outdoor house paint to paint a big message on the street: âSLOW DOWN! YOU KILLED MY DOG.â I wanted to paint my own message below theirs: âDONâT LET YOUR DOG RUN LOOSE IN THE STREET. YOU KILLED YOUR OWN DAMNED DOG.â
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