Legal question: Dog ownership

I need some legal assistance from all the armchair lawyers on the beeb. About 5 months ago the girl I was seeing adopted a dog with the intention of giving the dog to her father as a gift. Her father kept the dog for about a month before deciding that he could no longer care for her and was planning on giving her up to another family when I stepped in and said that I would take her. So, she's been living with me for the last 3 months and is even registered to me through the city.

This girl and I broke up last weekend and today I get a call from her saying that she wants the dog. Says she called the adoption center and they think it's hers.

Full disclosure, I work nights and this girl was coming over after work to walk the dog, but other than that I was the sole care taker of the dog. This past week I got a dog walker to take over the role of of my ex.

My ex says that she doesn't want things to get ugly, but I'm not sure what legal recourse she has if she did decide to go this route. Where do I stand?

LuLu is the dog in question and is unquestionably the sweetest, most charming dog I've ever met.

 

Tell her, politely at this point, to pound sand.

 

Yep...tell her to fuck off.

 

Sounds like she's just being a bitch (the ex, not the dog). Do you have evidence that the dog's been residing with you? Even better, is there correspondence between you and the ex (like text messages) that discuss where the dog would reside after the dad said he didn't want it. That evidence, coupled with the registration with the city says "YOUR DOG". Tell her to pound sand.

 

Give her the dog. Pretend it's no big deal, maybe even a good thing as it reminds you of the relationship. It'll suck all the pleasure out of it for her. She might offer it back in a couple of weeks.

 

Don't know the details, but when has that stopped anyone, lol... sounds like she wants something other than the (very cute!) dog...

 

all 3 of them

 

Keep the dog!!! Tell the ex to get lost. I can send you a bill of sale for the dog.

Here use this one:


Sold to OGs750 for $1, one dollar, a really cute dog named Lulu.


This plus the registration with the city makes her yours.

 

Has anyone bothered to ask the dog what it wants? Seriously though, seeing how it was a gift to him and then he gave it to you, I don't see where she has much to go on. Tell her to, as stated above, pound sand. Once she gave it to him it's no longer hers in any way. Judge Judy would laugh at her and then sneer at her as she tells her good-bye.

 

Take out a hit on her.
Nobody takes a man's dog.

 

:up:

 

Or get a different dog, or even better a skunk or possum. Paint it to match this dog. Then give the replacement "dog" to the ex.

 

I like that, what is she gonna do, DNA test it? What records do they keep on dogs? Give her any stray dog you can easily come up with. She'll be responsible for it, and you keep your dog. Win/ Win. Just make sure to drop it off when she's not home.

 

13 post and no one has asked for pix of the ex-girl friend?

If she's hot, that could possibly weigh in on the decision.

 

I just saw the same type thing on Judge Judy last week.

The dog walker took over the dog when they left the dog there for a month.

They abandoned the dog to her care. JJ told the original owner to pound sand.

The only catch in this situation is her doing the night walking, but if you compensated her in any way, it was a business transaction to take care of your dog.

The city registration and posession alone make the dog yours. she is likely just trying to spite you in the break up.

 

Ex can FTFO. The dog stays.

 

Tell the Ex you'll gladly give her the dog because Lulu has developed, severe, chronic, explosive diarrhea and gas, and she's been shitting all over the furniture, the walls, your laundry, the bed. Let her know some poo actually got on the ceiling fan and that your living room walls look like a Jackson Pollock painting.

Before handing Lulu over, feed her 5 pounds of Uncle Mongo's 5 Alarm chili laced with a small amount of Ex-Lax. You'll have her back within 24 hours. :up:

 

1) Change locks.
2) Enjoy your dog.

That is all.

 

Hand deliver her a box of angry live bees as a replacement. Make sure to shake them up really well.

 

When she adopted the dog she most likely signed a contract saying that she would not give the dog away. I know our contracts say that, as well as every other rescue group around here. Was it like a county animal shelter type thing, or a 501c3 rescue group type thing?

Either way, the contract was with your ex & the adoption entity, and she broke it.

You are in no way obligated to return the dog to your ex. She's doing this out of spite and that's no reason to take a dog.

If I were in your shoes, I'd tell the ex to pound sand. Then I'd contact the adoption entity myself. I'd tell them what happened, and that you've been the acting owner of this dog since whenever. They'll ...

1. Change their records to show you as the owner of the dog. You might need to fill out some paperwork. Maybe even pay them an adoption fee. Hell, volunteer with them. You're single again, apparently, and there's some damn hot chicks in animal rescue groups around here!!

2. Demand you return the dog at which time you tell them (verbally )to reimburse you for any & all expenses related to the past three months of you feeding, registering, boarding, veterinarian costs, grooming costs, dogwalker costs, etc, etc, etc, plus a $50 per night boarding fee & you'll gladly return the dog. Else they can pound sand with your ex.