How can we legally acquire this dog we found?

Question

We found this dog and he was in horrible condition. Fleas were covering his legs, anal area, and face. After giving the dog a thorough bath, the whole tub was covered in blood from how bad the infestation was. We fell in love with him. A week later, the owner finally contacted us and told us, "Well we live next to woods so there are fleas." We had to give him back because legally that's how it works. The dog apparently gets loose all the time. The owner refuses to re-register his chip, and on top of that, refuses to have any contact info on the dog. He's constantly being posted on lost and found page in my area. If we found the dog again one day, and took him to the shelter, could we legally adopt him after some time?

Answer

Shelters are required by law to hold dogs for a specified number of days. The number of days varies throughout the country. Georgia law requires shelters to check for a microchip. If a shelter (or anyone else) believes an animal was or is being mistreated, they should contact the police, animal control, and other officers authorized to enforce animal cruelty laws. Not all people who surrender animals to shelters, either as stray, lost, or owner surrendered are approved for adoption. Shelters have discretion on the placement of animals. I hope this all works out for the dog.