Q: Animal clinic takes a dog from people they are aware aren’t the legal owners and re-homed dog without owner consent.
An animal clinic recently took our dog from a family member to be euthanized. This family member was only watching him until we moved. This was done without our knowledge or consent. Our dog is microchipped and the clinic did not check for this or try to contact us for our consent before euthanasia. Thankfully our dog was not euthanized, but instead he was adopted by another family. Again, adoption took place with our consent or knowledge. The clinic denies they were aware that the dog was not being surrendered by the legal owners or their approval. However, an individual that wanted to adopt our dog has come forward with documentation from the clinic in which they state they knew the dog was being watched by them and not the legal owners. We have been in contact with the clinic and they refuse to work with us to get our dog back home. We have proof of ownership and the clinic did not try to contact us before this decision was made. Do we have any legal grounds to pursue this?
A: Yes, you have legal grounds to pursue this, especially with the statement from the individual that wanted to adopt your dog. I would recommend contacting an animal attorney to go over the details of your case and give you advice specific to your situation.
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