Lost Dog Poster Reward Dilemma

Explanation:

Carol's dog Buffy runs away and she immediately makes "Lost Dog" posters to post around her neighborhood. The poster promises a $100 reward for the return of Buffy. Carol does not see him when she is leaving, but as she leaves her house to put up the posters, Sam is coming down her street with Buffy in the back seat. Sam never saw a poster. Sam leaves Buffy on Carol's front porch, humanely tied to door knob. If Sam returns to get a reward after he sees one of the posters Carol has posted, Carol would have to pay him because she made the reward offer in the poster.

Because she did put up the reward offer in the poster and Sam did help by returning Buffy, Carol would be obligated to pay him the $100 reward. The fact that Sam did not see the poster initially does not negate the offer, and Carol's intention to reward anyone who found Buffy was clearly communicated through the poster. In this situation, ethical expectations also come into play, as it would be considered fair and just for Carol to fulfill her promise of the reward to Sam.

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