I left my dog with someone who has since rehomed him. Where do i stand legally?

[Wu Banger]

I recently moved to Florida and had to rehome my dog with a family. I explained that if they had any problems, to contact me and my sister would have him until either i returned or he was found another home. Since then they have taken it upon themselves to rehome him with no notification to myself. They did not get anything from me to say i was signing him over but then i didn't get anything to say that they did not have the right to rehome him.

I am not happy where he is and want him back. but i don't think they are prepared to give him back without a fight!

Where do i stand legally on this?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks, Wu

[bednobs]

how long was your dog with the first family?
TBH i would imagine that if you gave him to someone else, it's up to them what they do with him - they didn't stael him from you
If your sister could have had him, why didn't she?

[Eve]

What was their reason for rehoming him?

[Andyvon]

I think you are right Bednobs.

You effectively gave the dog away Wu Banger without any formal agreement. Those you left the dog with would be considered the new owners so they could do as they wished. Just suppose you didn't attempt to recover the dog for five years. Surely the custodians would consider themselves the owners and the dog had been a member of their family for that time. You couldn't then just turn up and expect them to hand the dog over after that time.

Sorry, but I think you should have completed a written agreement or left the dog with your sister.

[AlBags]

You have also not stated what time passed before you contacted them after your move to Florida. How did you find out about he rehoming?

If you did not make any formal agreement written or otherwise, you're screwed .. sorry.

[Eve]

From previous questions, looks like he only moved to Florida in December and was potentially only going short term. Hence why I was wondering if there was a particular reason for them rehoming the dog so quickly.

Did they give the dog away or sell it? Are there any e.mails backing things up in the absence of any formal written agreement or was it all done verbally?

[pastafreak]

In your other thread,you stated that the dog had not settled with the people you had rehomed it with. That certainly implies that you'd handed responsibility for it's care over to them.

[Andyvon]

If it was that short term Jenna then why didn't he put the dog in the kennels for 2 or 3 weeks like everyone else? No arguments then.

[boxtops]

I can't imagine leaving an animal with anyone else without a full written agreement about whose beast it was. I took on next door's cat and she formally signed it over to me, so I was then responsible entirely for it. If you just left your dog, who was paying bills etc and paying for his food? It sounds very vague, not at all businesslike.
When some other neighbours moved and left their kitten behind, I contacted the RSPCA to find out if I could legally take it in. They said that if I was feeding it and taking it to the vet, and the neighbours didn't come back, I could consider it mine after a couple of weeks, I had given it a home.

[pastafreak]

I believe it was initially for 3 months,andy. In which case you'd assume he's leave it with friends he trusted,with the understanding that he was returning.

[boxtops]

The dog was lodging then, rather than changing owners, if I understand as others describe it.

[Wu Banger]

I rehomed him as i was moving abroad - possibly permanantly. They only had him 1 week and rehomed him as i didn't work out but for whatever reason did not contact me. They rehomed him without my consent when i did say to contact my sister who would look after him until i came back or sorted something else out, just incase it didn't work out. The person who has him now has had him 10 days and i only found out after doing some detective work on facebook. I will contact the police on my return if needed but want to put forward my case in the best light possible. Thanks for your answers so far everyone

[hc4361]

Was you paying these people to look after your dog? Was there a proper arrangement?
Was there a specific time you would be back to reclaim the dog?

[Wu Banger]

I wasn't paying the people who took him. It was agreed that they would have him but that if any problems occurred, they would contact me. It was a verbal agreement so have no proof as such but they can't prove that they owned the dog either

[Andyvon]

I think the police have to have something very concrete to work with before they can do anything Wu. After all, they will know as much as we do here and people are finding it a little confusing. I don't wish to be pessimistic but I don't think there's too much you can do other than treat the whole thing as a valuable lesson learned.

[boxtops]

Why would the police be interested? - is he a valuable pedigree dog?

[craft1948]

Do you still have his microchip certificate?

[Wu Banger]

Yes he is a pedigree boxer. We didn't get him microchipped so don't have a certificate but our details are logged with the vets and we have tons of photos of him. Also i have just found out that when he got rehomed for the second time, the person who took him said the dog was for her and to go to a family. In reality she took him to give to her friend - a single woman with no family. I have a message from her saying "i thought you would not give him to me if you knew he wasn't for me"

[smurfchops]

Maybe you should have kept the dog in the first place, it seems you want him back now.

[Jemisa]

The police would think you're wasting their time, you have no legal rights at all here.
Evidently he's gone to a good home now, why unsettle him? You were going to re-home him anyway someone has done it for you be grateful.

jem

[bednobs]

i think the fact you called it "rehomed" means that it wasn't temporary, and you handed over ownership