Denver, CO asked in Animal / Dog Law for Colorado

Q: While my ex and I were together I bought him a ferret to go with the two he and I had already. Things happened, and we

Broke up. I took my ferret, he kept his 2. Well the one I bought him as a gift ended up sick a month ago and he enlisted me to help him. I forced my ex to take the ferret to the vet and paid 80 of the vet bill and his aunt paid the remaining balance of 250. The ferret had swallowed some thing due to my ex's filthy apartment and lack of care (he has 5 ferrets now).

I took care of the ferret that was sick by watching him and helping him get through the week. He passed what was blocking his intestinal tract or he would have died. My ex did not have money for the surgery. My ex therefore had no intention of taking the ferret back had he died and left me with him after the vet visit to nurse him or comfort him. Well he pulled through and my ex is demanding him back. If I give him back, the ferret will eat something bad again, my ex has too many ferrets. Can he legally fight this considering everything?

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1 Lawyer Answer
Kristina M. Bergsten
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Kristina M. Bergsten
Answered
  • Animal & Dog Law Lawyer
  • Denver, CO
  • Licensed in Colorado

A: If you gave him the ferret as a gift, then the ferret belongs to your ex and you can’t take him back - unless your ex gives you the ferret. Depending on where your ex lives he might be violating a city code for number of animals, so you could offer to take the ferret so the animal doesn’t get confiscated. But you would have to check city codes where he lives to see if that is true. Otherwise, you could offer him money to buy the ferret from your ex. You might have an argument of abandonment if you ex made comments or especially texts that he wasn’t going to take he ferret back because it was dying. There are a lot of questions, here, though, that need to be answered to really give proper advice specific to your situation.

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