Q: Who has ownership over the dog in this situation?
A friend and I share a dog. She originally got the dog and it started out as me going to her house to let the dog out.
Than I started keeping the dog. Days turned into weeks and week turned into months. She can go weeks even months without seeing the dog (she admitted this over text). I trained the dog, feed it, get him groomed, take it to the vet, getting flea drops, buy him toys, walk him, play with him and etc. The dog is even registered in my name. But both of owner name is on the vet contact. She has paid maybe one or two of his vet bills.
She only will usually take him for a day or two (rarely) before I pick him back up. She only find it convenient to be a dog owner when she wants to. She has the means and a place to care and keep the dog but she decided not too. She wanted to get a dog that she didn't have time for.
Now has come to a put to get the dog more regular and I'm not up for that. My family and I are attached to the dog as well as the dog is to us.
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A: Each state has different laws and court decisions to guide judges in making ownership determinations. Since you live in Massachusetts, you would need the advice of an attorney there.
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