![]() Ultimately, if someone else has your pet and you want it back you should either try to come to an agreement with the person who has your pet or consult with an attorney. Perhaps the shelter did not make reasonable efforts to locate the owner, did not hold the pet for the proper period of time, or did not have the power to pick up the pet in the first place. The only way to get the animal back from someone who adopted the pet from a shelter is to prove that the shelter did not comply with the law. If the owner does not come forward during that time to reclaim the pet, the shelter can either place it for adoption, sell it to a research facility, or put it to sleep. Animal control laws allow stray pets to be impounded for a holding period that only lasts a few days. If the pet was adopted from an animal shelter, you will probably be unable to get the pet back. It is possible that these laws will apply to pets in some states although it is unclear because most courts have not decided the issue. ![]() If the owner does not reclaim the property within a few months, it may go to the finder, go to the local government, or be sold at auction with the income shared between the finder and government. Lost property statutes require people who find a wallet of money on the ground, for example, to put up fliers and newspapers ads as well as report it to the police. In a few states, your right to get the pet back may be governed by a lost property statute. However, this "right to reclaim" may be lost if you did not make a reasonable effort to find the pet, meant to abandon the pet, or waited a long time to bring the issue to court. If the adopter took your dog right off the street your rights will probably be governed by the traditional legal rule allowing the "true owner" of property to reclaim it. ![]() Your legal right to get the pet back will depend on a few things. If they do not turn it over you can always exercise your rights in court. If it is your pet, hopefully the people will be kind enough to turn it over. You can ask to look at the animal up close to see whether it is really yours. If you lost your pet and think it is living in another home, there are a few things to keep in mind.įirst of all, you may want to visit the home and tell them what is going on. Sometimes when pets wander away from home they will be adopted off the street by well-meaning citizens. I lost my pet several months ago and I think I saw it at a house on the other side of town. If someone decides to keep the pet, your effort to find the pet may give you a greater legal edge in court. This way, if someone finds your pet they can reach you. In addition to contacting local animal agencies and veterinarians, you should post notice of your lost pet in your neighborhood and community. Continue to check up over the next several days as your ownership rights over the animal may be extinguished in as little as two days if you do not find and reclaim it. Do a thorough job locating and contacting all possible places. There may be more than one animal shelter in your city and oftentimes there are shelters for the city and shelters for the county. First of all you should contact local veterinarians, animal shelters, and animal control agency. If your pet ran away from home, there are several things you should do. My pet just ran away from home, what should I do?Ī. Since stray pets may ultimately die while stray or get put to sleep if unclaimed at an animal shelter, death is more likely to result by an owner's failure to microchip their pet. While stories of microchips causing cancer have emerged, the American Veterinary Medical Association strongly encourages microchipping anyway because the risk of cancer is so small compared to the risk of losing your pet. Microchipped cats are reunited with their owners 38.5% of the time but only 1.8% of the time if they are not microchipped. Microchipped dogs find their way back to their owner about 52.2% of the time as compared to 21.9% for ones without microchips. Most shelters and veterinarians scan for microchips and many are actually required by law to do so. Perhaps the best measure you can take is to microchip your animal. This is especially important for outdoor cats because many people do not put tags or collars on their cats. It is also wise to put a collar or tags on your pet with your contact information so if it gets lost it can be easily reunited with you. Taking this step is important because it may give you extra legal rights and improve your chances of being reunited with the dog if it is taken by animal control. Most cities require dog owners to register their dog with the local government. It is very wise to take certain measures to protect yourself and your pet in case it gets lost. What steps can I take before my pet gets lost to maximize my chance of getting it back?Ī. My neighbor always lets his pet roam outside without supervision.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |