A Baldivis family have been left devastated, claiming their dog Oakley was taken off them from the rescue shelter they adopted him from because he was sleeping outside.
Tania Wilson adopted the boxer-mix last month from Swan Animal Haven in Wattle Grove.
But when she returned to the shelter on Sunday with Oakley and her daughter to donate some toys and thank them, things turned sour.
"We told them he’s been sleeping outside at the moment and that we are getting a doggy door installed so he can come and go as he pleases," Tania's daughter Katelyn said.
"They took our dog off us, threw the cash refund and yelled at us for “breaching contract” no where in the contract we signed does it stipulate dogs have to sleep inside at night.
"Our family is truely gutted that we never even got the opportunity to say goodbye and that the poor puppy thinks we took him back just to abandon him."
Tania's son James Wilson said they had provided Oakley with a loving, caring and comfortable home.
“No amount of pleading or tears was enough for them to use common sense or to have a heart and return him to us," he said.
"(They) abruptly took Oakley away and told my mum that they would be removing him from our care as we were neglecting him by having him sleep outside.
"At no point during the adoption were we informed that it was a requirement to have him inside otherwise that’s where he would have been sleeping.
“The owner arrived with an attitude and treated my Mum like she was a horrible person; she told her that we were not good dog owners and kicked her out.”
The family claim Oakley was sleeping in a large patio area with cafe blinds that provided him with ample shelter from the weather.
Swan Animal Haven was contacted by West Coast Radio but have declined to comment.
On Tuesday, the shelter posted to their Facebook page that they will be closed until further notice due to volunteer shortages.
Katelyn has since created an online petition to help "return Oakley to his rightful home".
It has gathered over 2000 signatures.
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