How long can someone care for your dog before they can claim it as their own?

Question

How long can someone care for your dog before they can claim it as their own?

Answer 1

It really depends on the situation. If you own the dog and are paying for the animals care, such as food, vet visits, and any other needs they have then I would say there isn't a time limit.  But if you're not paying to take care of your pet, then I don't know about the law but I would say about six months and then it's their dog (unless you had asked them to watch your dog and had agreed on a time limit before hand). What's really important though is that the dog is being well taken care of.  

Answer 2

It would depend on the circumstances - it is impossible to answer this without more information

Answer 3

Well, this is a tricky situation that will require a bit more explanation on your part before ANYONE can really begin to answer this.

Here are my questions about your situation:

1. Did you allow this person to care for your dog, or was it taken from you?

2. What sort of agreement, if any, did you make with this person?

3. Is the person caring for the dog refusing to give it back to you?

Regardless of what your responses are, you should consult an attorney, because this is a civil situation. Obviously you have entered into a civil agreement for someone to take care of your dog, and it does not constitute criminal action. If you made an agreement that this person would care for your dog while you were on vacation or the like, and the person is refusing to give the dog because you have not paid them for their services, they cannot hold the pet hostage. You could try to file a police report, but most law enforcement officers will indicate that this is a civil matter and advise you to obtain a Writ of Possession or Writ of Assistance from your county court before they can help you in "repossessing" your dog. These are documents issued from the Clerk of the Court that provide your local Sheriff with the authority to obtain your property back. Be advised that you will have to pay court filing fees, and likely a large sum to the Sheriff's civil department for their fee.

If you have not gotten your dog back because you have been unreasonable with making arrangements to pick up your pet, then you need to work this out.