Jacksonville, FL asked in Animal / Dog Law for Florida

Q: my ex is trying to get the dog he gave to me, back after ive taken care of the dog for over 4 months.

my ex and i bought this dog together i put cash down and he set up financing for the rest. i have paid for vet visits, medicine, food, toys, bones, treats, shampoos, vitamins, supplements, etc. basically i have been treating the dog like my son for over 4 months now without the help of my ex. my ex stalked me and harrassed me. he was also abusive to the animal and i have witnesses. my ex had an anger problem and i was scared so i broke up with him and now hes taking my to small claims court to get the dog back what do i do?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Alex McClure
Alex McClure
Answered
  • Lake Mary, FL
  • Licensed in Florida

A: Pets are personal property in FL. You would want to show the court what you can about your care and support of the animal (financially) and then its up to the judge to decide who the owner is. Obviously, there can be only one prevailing party in the claim because there is only 1 animal.

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