Q: Is it illegal to take a mistreated dog from the road?
I pass by this dog everyday and it’s constantly about to be hit on the highway. The people who used to live there (they no longer do as far as I know) always had new dogs that repeatedly got hit. 2/3 dogs were hit and the 3rd is an older dog. She knows to stay out of the road and is always wandering the block. When I saw another puppy almost get hit multiple times, I finally just grabbed it and took it home. It’s wormy, has fleas, missing hair, etc. Is it illegal for me to keep this dog?? I’m not sure since it was being neglected and almost killed more than once.
A: If the dog doesn't have a tag or other indicator that it belongs to someone, you are safe in assuming it is a stray and keep it. Similarly, if someone observes an animal being abused, neglected or being subjected to circumstances that cause you to fear for its safety, Louisiana has a law in place that allows you to rescue it and get it help. An example is someone who sees an animal locked in a car, exhibiting symptoms of heat stroke, has the right to break a window to save it.
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