Q: Estranged family member abandoned dog and left him in my care. How can I claim legal ownership/rights to him?
I've been taking care of my sister's dog for over a year since she passed away. Her husband moved out and took everything he owns except the dog. He never said anything to me,(as we are not on speaking terms) but he expressed to another family member that he was leaving the dog with me when he moved. However, he never did anything to legally relinquish his ownership. At what point in time does it count as abandonment/How can I make sure that I gain full legal ownership? I love this dog and I want to make sure nothing can happen where he can have him taken away from me.
A:
I'm not quite sure there's a good answer to your question but here's what I think. Unless the dog is a pedigree with papers, whoever adopted/bought the dog originally would be considered the original owner. In my experience, when people then give the dog away, unless it's to a rescue group, they just hand over the leash and that's it, no paperwork involved. I assume you've been paying for the dog's immunizations and whatever else may have required the vet. I would say that, after a year, he's given up the dog and, if he wanted to try to reclaim it, you could tell him he owes
you boarding costs and vets bills. While I can't tell you such claims, especially for boarding, would hold up in court, it may be more than enough for him to tell you to keep the pup and walk away. He clearly doesn't have that much interest in the dog.
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