In 2013, my girlfriend and I rescued the two most amazing dogs in the world. We were only meant to have them while we found them new homes, but from the moment I met them, they were family. Snickers was so big he could barely lift his legs high enough to climb a couple of steps. He was super shy, and it took days before he felt comfortable enough to come and get a pat. Cali was severely underweigh
t but she was instantly the most loving and happy dog I’d ever met. If it hadn’t been for a wonderful vet who called a Husky Rescue group in a last ditch effort to find her a home, she’d have been put down. They were best friends from day one, and together they formed the ultimate team! They became a bonded pair in just a few weeks, and after that there was no way I could separate them. I registered them and paid the adoption fees, and they came to live with me for good. Soon, Cali was eating well, and Snickers had lost 15kg just from trying to keep up with her as she ran like the wind! They were the best things in my life. I took them everywhere. They came camping, hiking, had daily runs and swims, and lots of cuddles, and I had 2 of the most loyal friends a guy could ask for. But in February last year, my ex and I split up. Nothing happened… it was just time to move on, and for the good of the dogs, we had a working relationship. Eventually I found a great big share house, with room for the pups to go crazy. From that moment on, things were looking up. I had my dogs back half of the time, and the sharing arrangement we’d made was working well. But then, my ex changed her mind about sharing them and I haven’t seen them in almost 11 months and counting. She’s hiding them behind closed doors, and will not speak to me about them. I don’t even know if they’re ok. So after trying everything to get them back, I had no choice but to hire a lawyer. And now, because she knows she’s wrong and could lose them both, she wants to split them up. One each. “Drawn Out Of A Hat”. The fact that she even suggested settling things this way blows my mind. Even now – even after having them hidden away from me for 11 months, and all the heartache and money that has cost me - my preferred solution is to be kind, and share them. That’s what we promised each other we’d do. We said we’d never use the dogs as weapons. It might sound “fair” to take one each, but these are living creatures, not 2 family cars. They’re a bonded pair, and they’ve been best friends for 4 years now. Splitting them is cruel and would lead to anxiety and depression in them. Any time they’ve been separated in the past, they’ve acted out, or gone back into their shells. But she has no concern for their wellbeing if they are split. She said she’d just get another dog to help “her” dog cope. I refuse to hurt them like that. And I refuse to be hurt like that. I’ve tried to compromise every step of the way. I even offered her Five Grand to buy my own dogs back, and she could still stay in their lives (mostly for their sake), but I’m officially out of options. I have to fight. You might be wondering why I can’t just take them back, since I paid for them and they’re registered to me...
Well, just a few days after we split up, my ex kicked me out of our home and went down to the local council and RE-REGISTERED THE DOGS IN HER NAME. They had microchips with my information, but in 2015 we moved to Sydney from Melbourne, and the NSW registry doesn’t link to any other database in Australia. It’s the only one that doesn’t. So she simply pretended they had never been registered before, and that I didn’t exist, even though both dogs had been officially mine throughout the rest of Australia since 2013. She didn’t even have a change of ownership form, and the council either didn’t care, or didn’t bother to check, because their microchip numbers didn’t appear on their system. I had no idea it was even possible to do this until it cost me my dogs. But once she figured it out, she used it to take them and wipe my name from their records. So far I’ve spent $10K, just getting to the point where I’m ready to move forward. The next stage is an interim order to get the dogs back while the full case is being decided, and I’m planning to go ahead with that over the next few weeks. That will cost up to $15K more. I’m hoping that’s the end of it. But if it’s not, my total bill could be $40,000…. That’s more money than I’ve ever made in a year before. Not to mention, it will take a year or two of my life feeling like this. No matter what, I’ll find a way, but if you have any money to spare, feel free to send some my way. And if there is anything left over at the end of all this, I’ll be donating it to various rescue groups, to help dogs find loving homes, the way my dogs found a loving home with me. If you can’t donate, Share. Let people know about this GoFundMe. Also, I’ve created a petition at change.org, asking for dog registries to be linked Australia wide. Sign, and share. Lets stop this from happening to anyone else. And finally, . If you’re looking for a dog, of any breed, consider adopting. You’ll be saving a life, and trust me, your pup will know and they’ll repay you a thousand times over. I know it’s crazy to spend so much money, and energy, and time on this. But to me, they’re my kids. I can’t think about anything but getting them back, and how much I miss them. I can’t concentrate on work, or relationships. I’m depressed and anxious over this all day long. I can’t move on with this hanging over my head. I need this to be over, but I can’t give up on them. I have to get them back, or at least try. Please help me. Help spread the word!
