I was given a dog to watch for a couple of weeks,that was in Jan.Now they want to pick up the dog late august?

I don't know about rights under the law, but will do a bit of research and see if I can edit my reply if I find anything. Also, assuming you are in the US, laws can vary from state to state. Here is a site that might be worth looking at. It's for New York, but there are links to other states too:

http://ny.urbanhound.com/houndLaw/theLawyerIsIn.as...

It's worth considering having a conversation with the original dog owner. The fact that they dumped this dog on you and never came to pick it up sounds as though they are irresponsible. Maybe they had good reasons, you don't give their side fo the story.

At the very least, if you do end up having to give this dog back to its original owner, you should absolutely be reimbursed for everything that you have spent on it. Do you have receipts? Add up your costs, and I'm sure they'll run into the thousands. Maybe this irresponsible dog owner won't want the dog back if they have to give you thousands back first!!!

Wow. NOW I remember why I have contracts! I had a similar situation recently. When the person asked for help (foster care), I asked her to sign a contract stating that I was to foster the dog for 2 months, I had a stipulation that at the end of the two months, if I hadn't heard from the owner, I was legally free to keep or place the dog as I saw fit, or negotiate another contract. The owner swore she'd be able to take the dog in three weeks, blah, blah, blah. Two months later, the day before the contract was up, the owner called and said she signed a lease on a place but wasn't allowed to keep the dog. Could I keep her for a year, and see what happened then? <shake head> Talked her out of the idea and placed the dog in a great new home.

I don't know about the law where you live, but in PA, if you've had a dog two weeks, without any type of contract indicating otherwise, the dog is yours. Certainly sounds as if the dog is better off with you anyway. I can't imagine any judge awarding the dog to them without giving you compensation for expenses. If push comes to shove, you can probably get a lawyer to fight it for you, but I don't know what the costs would be. I'll be praying you get the dog.

@ byb- The origin of the Labrador retriever isn't clear, however they are considered British in origin. The original dogs in the breed were thought to be brought over from Labrador to England, however, they were mixed with other sporting breeds there to create the actual breed. I disagree with Canada (not being confrontational, just voicing another view) The law regarding purebreds does not only apply to dogs but all animals. It is rarely enforced and cares only a fine as a penalty. I am willing to bet that a few states have a similar law since livestock has always been a vital part of the economy. Dogs, not so much. Not to mention that Canada has zero laws to protect service animals such as Police dogs and horses. Not all US states do either but at least some do. I agree with dog on a rope. Germany all the way. They produced some great working breeds and we proceeded to ruin them by breeding working dogs with pet attitudes.

She abandoned the dog. Add up all the bills you have for the dog-grooming, food, vet bills etc. Then call a local boarding facility and find out what they charge per day for taking care of a dog. Multiply this by how many days you had the dog. If she comes back or calls tell her that she will have to pay for all the expenses and your time taking care of the dog to get the dog back. You can also call your local court house and see what laws there are on abandoning animals-or the SPCA may have that info since they deal with this all the time.

I'm sorry I have no advice but it sounds like you already have some good advice. I just wanted to offer an opinion. Do Not give up the dog. Do whatever you have to from offering to buy it for a small amount (like $20) all the way to contacting a lawyer. This is your dog now. If they were SO concerned about it before, they should have picked it up before when they said they would. I'm also guessing that they never contacted you as to why they didn't pick up the dog or to reschedule. By not doing so, they have abandoned the dog and should have no legal rights to the dog. Good luck to you and YOUR dog!

Depending on what state you are living in, the laws may vary, however, most animal ownership questions can be answered by asking who is "in control" and "in care" of the animal. If you have receipts showing that you have taken care of the animal over the past 6 months, have purchased food and paid vet bills, then by most standards you will be considered the owner.

For more info see the website below. Though it relates to determining ownership for the legal reason of dog bites, the information it contains may help you in determining correct ownership of the dog.

Best of luck.

Linda

Depending on the judge in your area. A similar thing happened to me, and I kept the dog (still have him 6 yrs later). I recorded everything, and when the guy finally wanted Gary back, I said no way...I did say he could have him if he paid me back for all the bills (which I knew he could not afford). Well the dude took me to court, I was honest and had all the paper work...the judge granted me custody. The guy had to pay all of the court fees by the way. That was in Derry, Pa., a small town. Good luck.

mastiffs360.com

Offer to pay the person for the dog. Not much just a little something. If they say no then call there bluff. Tell them to pick the dog up from you straight away. I'm guessing they will take money from you as oppossed to the dog. Make sure you give a receipt and keep a copy with there signature on it for your own protection.

Otherwise speak to the police/animal shelter and see what advice they can offer you.

all the best

Its not very nice to do but if you have pictures of the dog in its state when you first got it and you still have the bills and recipts you can go to animal control and make it so that someone that irresposible can't own a dog. you can save your dog as well as the next dog she decides to "care" for. She obviously is not a good owner and if it happens again it may end up worse or animal control themselves may be the ones to find out first hand. no one wants to see animals suffer act pre-emptively. since she is so young i believe she will have time to grow and learn but she can't learn with a living creature. Try the bill first then AC for sure...dont make the dog suffer again

If the dog has been in your care since January, they are not going to pick it up. It sounds like they have told you numerous times that they were going to come get her and never did so I wouldn't worry about it. If you have been taking care of the dog and paying for all of its things than you have nothing to worry about. Make sure to get her a license with the city you live in under your name and address.