Question
A coworker gave me a dog 2 months ago and asked if they could see him every now and then to which I verbally agreed to. Now they are asking to take him for an entire day, I replied that I do not feel comfortable with them taking him but they are more than welcome to come by or we can meet up at a park. They said this is not okay and that it was a one condition that they could take him home a whole day for me to get him. Can they take him back since I don’t have any papers other than vet visits?
Answer
People who give their animal away generally have no further rights to that animal. A verbal agreement to see an animal “now and then” is not an agreement to take an animal for a full day. Ideally when ownership of an animal is changed, the parties would enter into a written agreement which clearly states rights and responsibilities. Verbal agreements can be difficult to enforce without corroborating evidence since disputing parties often recount different versions of their agreement. People who believe that their animal is being wrongfully withheld may sue, although just because a person sues does not mean the person will win the case. Also, many more people threaten to sue than sue. In the meantime, it may be helpful to gather evidence that the dog was given away, even texts and emails. A dog license, microchip registration, and veterinary records are also good indicia of ownership.
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