A heart wrenching story came to light last week and it has divided pet lovers across the country. Washington firefighter, William Jones returned from battling wildfires in the Eastern part of the state to learn that his beloved dog, Hunter had been adopted by a new family.
Jones told KATU News that he was unable to get a cell phone signal while working in the Washington wilderness. He had no idea that Hunter had escaped from the home of his friend by scaling a 6-foot fence – presumably to go in search of Jones. By the time he learned that Hunter had turned up at the Southwest Washington Humane Society, the dog had been adopted by another family. Jones sent the following plea to the SWHS via Facebook.
The shelter contacted the new owners with the incredible story, but reported on Facebook that the family declined to return Hunter because they had already bonded with him. In an interview with KATU, Jones shared his heartbreak over the situation:
“It really hurts, because Hunter is literally my best friend. We do everything together. We hunt together. I bring him to the fire station with me. Before I worked at the fire station I brought him with me to frame houses every day. He literally was with me every day all the time, and he became my best friend.”
Terry Fletcher operator of the Facebook page, Justice for Kona, created a change.org petition calling for the return of Hunter to his firefighting dad. With Jones’ consent, a new Facebook page entitled, Return Hunter Petition. Increase Stray Animal Hold In Washington was also set up.
Jones’ supporters hope to do more than just bring Hunter home through the petition, they also hope to increase the length of time that “stray” animals are held at shelters in Clark County, Washington before being placed for adoption. The current code states that pets are to be held for 72 hours in order to give owners a chance to claim them. In Jones’ case, that period was too short.
As of the time of this post, the petition had received 2,572 signatures.
What do you think about this complex case? Should Hunter return home to Mr. Jones or should the adoptive family be allowed to keep the dog they adopted and bonded with?
H/T and Featured Image via KATU News
