Question
A friend of mine gave me a dog 3 days ago after he was asked several times if he was sure on rehoming him. Two days later he texted saying he would be back in a week to get the dog. His reason was his partner missed the dog after telling him to rehome the dog because she couldn’t handle a puppy and a new born baby. But still pregnant, decided she can all of the sudden handle an 8 month old puppy whom was underweight and had bald patches when we received him. What can I do?
Answer
People who give away or sell their animal generally have no further legal rights to that animal. The person who adopted the animal or purchased the animal does not typically have to return the animal unless there was an agreement that stated otherwise. People who believe their animal is being wrongfully withheld can sue to try to get the animal returned. The court will consider the evidence and make a determination. For example, one person may allege the animal was gifted/rehomed while the other may say that the arrangement was only for temporary boarding/fostering. The person not in possession typically has the burden of suing to try to get an animal returned and many more people threaten to sue than actually sue. I hope that you and your friend can resolve this dispute more amicably and that this all works out well for this dog. Good luck!
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