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PEOPLE AND PETS Dog's adoption leaves owner at a loss 'Terrible timing' results in dog being separated from its first adopter Comment By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 10, 2016 at 4:36 PM Updated Sep 12, 2016 at 11:25 AM By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 10, 2016 at 4:36 PM Updated Sep 12, 2016 at 11:25 AM » Social News CENTRAL POINT — Not even two months after getting settled in with a pair of chihuahua-mix dogs named Bob and Bird, Central Point resident Terry Sharpe is facing the loss of one of the dogs over what he feels was a lack of communication with the Jackson County Animal Shelter. The dog, which wandered off during a couch delivery in recent weeks, was adopted out just minutes before the same rescuers who placed the dogs with Sharpe to begin with found him on the shelter's list of "found" dogs. Shelter officials say that procedures were followed and that Sharpe, a retired veteran with minimal phone skills and no ability to use a computer or social media, did not actively try to find his dog for a week after he went missing. Local dog transporter and rescuer Chris Alter, who initially brought Bob and Bird to Sharpe, said she helped a very distraught Sharpe post fliers, check the local shelter and, on her own, took to social media to try and find out what happened to Bob. The 2-year-old dog came from a "kill shelter" in the Bay area and was pulled by rescuers there and immediately bonded with 5-year-old Bird. The two were available for adoption separately but were so closely bonded that Alter approached Sharpe about taking both dogs. The more introverted of the two, Bird has had difficulty adjusting to life without his companion, Bob. "He's just very upset and wasn't eating well," Alter said. "Our hope was to get Bob back and, if we couldn't do that, to try and get the two reunited even if it meant relinquishing Bird to the adopter of Bob." Alter said local rescuers who were trying to find Bob first saw his picture show up on the shelter's online list of "found" dogs on the same day he was adopted by another family, even though, Alter said, she had been searching all week for Bob. Once Bob's picture appeared online, Alter said she immediately contacted animal control officer Mike Slusarczyk to place a hold on the dog. Sharpe said he felt a sense of relief that Bob and Bird would soon be back together. "We knew they had him and that he was OK." Almost as quickly as she breathed a sigh of relief, Alter was told by Slusarczyk that the dog had been adopted just minutes before her phone call. "I went in there twice that week and never saw that dog even though they said they had him all this time," said a frustrated Alter. "I feel so bad for Terry because his generation doesn't use the computer like most of us do but it feels very unfair that using a computer would be required to prove that he was trying to find his dog." Rebecca Long, shelter supervisor, confirmed Bob was picked up on Aug. 11, along Highway 99, and not placed as "available for adoption" until Aug. 16. She noted the shelter is required to hold an animal for 72 hours before allowing it to be adopted. "But because we like to be sure," she said, "we always wait a little bit longer." Slusarczyk said Alter's call about Bob, and holding him for pickup, initially seemed to be about a dog she was trying to adopt. As soon as he found out Bob had been adopted, and he understood the full story, he asked his supervisors at animal control to contact Bob's new family. Slusarczyk said there were some discrepancies between Bob's story and some of what's been posted on social media, which he said had painted his agency, unfairly, in a negative light. "Literally at the same time she was texting me, the dog was in the process of being adopted by an individual at the shelter. I mean, talk about a case of terrible timing," he said. "Had that adoption not taken place we could have reunited the dogs." Sharpe took issue with the dog being adopted after he said he reported Bob missing. While he misses Bob, he said he was willing to send Bird to live with his friend, if the new family would allow. "I don't want to give them both up but I know they want to be together," Sharpe said. Slusarczyk said shelter officials offered Bird to the new family, to no avail. "The guy that adopted Bob fell in love with him immediately and didn't want to return him. My boss even explained that people were offering money to get Bob back," he said. "From their perspective, if you bring home a new dog to your family and 24 hours later somebody calls and wants to have you bring the dog back, that's going to be upsetting. We also called and asked if they would be willing to take Bird, too, but that wasn't something they wanted to do either." Shelter officials said they couldn't release the name of the new adopters. "It's just a tough, tough situation," Slusarczyk said, "and sometimes, no matter how hard you try, it's not a situation where you can make everyone happy with the outcome." Sharpe still said he hoped Bob's new family would consider giving him back or taking on his friend, Bird. "The whole point was for them to be together. That was why I took both of them. They were just real good friends." Buffy Pollock is a freelance writer living in Medford. Email her at [email protected]. By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Buffy Pollock for the Mail Tribune Posted Sep. 10, 2016 at 4:36 PM Updated Sep 12, 2016 at 11:25 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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