I'm not sure how to think about this. Reading people's posts both has it's pros and cons, great topic tho. Think we'd have to start looking at pros and cons and see what side has more moral value.
Pro, the dog had fleas and wouldn't live it's life at full potential.
Pro, dogs deserve the best of care because of their history with us and that bring me to
Con, dogs are meant to stick with humans thru thick and thin, even if we both are suffering, they will suffer with us.
Con, may not been the best care but he does look like he was getting fed enough, just not any medical care.
Pro, the guy can easily keep it someone clean if he really did care enough about his best friend.
Con, the bum is prolly even more miserable and even more depressed. He now thinks the world is even worse and says fuck it, that dog could have been the only thing keeping him positive and sane.
Pro, dogs soon forget about their last owners, maybe not completely but will stay with the one that gives then the best care so the dog will be much happier.
Con, we're in a bad economy so you can't really blame bums since he has no money to help him find a job. Look at people with actual homes and interview cloths to dress nice in, he prolly can barley afford a razor if at all so imagine how hard it is for them to get a job.
Pro, he'll save some money now lol.
It also depends on the kind of bum, if it was from a junkie or drunk (which I doubt, most will buy drugs before they feed themselves, especially another mouth)
So in the end, the pros do have it if you look at it one way for the dogs way of life but really, the way the economy is and how hard jobs are to find and stealing what has been labeled man's best friend, it's like 50/50...very tough decision IMO.