INGHAM COUNTY, Mich. — Imagine having your dog for over a year, then one day told your dog doesn't really belong to you and you may have to return it to its original owner.
A local man reached out to FOX 47 News to see what his rights are, before losing his furry friend forever.
During the summer of 2017 Austin Hayne found his dog on the side of the highway near Cooperville. And at the time Hayne tried his best to find the owners by informing the Humane Society and the sheriff's office in Cooperville, but never heard back from the agencies.
"After 30 days of two weeks the time frame I had to wait, I decided to keep him and he was the best time I ever had," said Austin Hayne, current dog owner.
Hayne said when he found the dog on the road he couldn't help but stop and pick him up. And that's where the dog got his name, Highway.
At the time Hayne took him to the vet in his hometown of Hillsdale. Although the dog did have a chip he was told it was unregistered. This meant someone would have to claim him.
When no one came looking, Hayne gave highway a permanent home.
"It's been great! I've pretty much taken him everywhere," said Hayne.
Monday night, Highway found a weak spot in the fence at Hayne's current home in East Lansing. He escaped and was picked up by Ingham County Animal Control. The shelter found the microchip and Highway was registered but not to Hayne.
That's when the registered owners were contacted and Hayne was at risk of losing him.
"Either way I'm happy that he didn't get hit by a car and that he's safe and off the streets, and now I'm struggling to get him back," said Hayne
To him, Highway is more than just a furry friend. Hayne was attacked years ago during a night out in San Diego during his time in the Marines.
"During the assault, I suffered two skull fractures one on each side of my skull from front to back, and a TBI and it severed my hearing nerve," said Hayne.
He lost 60 percent of his hearing and has a brain injury.
"He has woken me up when I haven't' heard my alarm for work, and he has woken me up when they were testing the fire alarms and I don't hear the fire alarms because I don't pick up that high of a frequency. He's done a lot for me, he's a great dog," said Hayne.
The shelter tells me even though it's been more than a year, the original owner does still have the legal right to the highway.
Fortunately for Hayne, when the original came to the shelter Tuesday afternoon, they agreed to allow Hayne to keep Highway.
It's good to make sure your pet has a microchip and that the information on that chip is up-to-date and the easiest way to contact you.
