Question

My teacher has a cat that she loves dearly, the cat is microchipped. However, her neighbor stole her cat and surrendered it to a shelter and they didn't even bother checking the microchip and making sure it was her who was surrendering the cat. Now the shelter wants to charge her $100 and sent the cat to a pet store to be adopted.
Is that legal? For both the shelter to do that, and her neighbor to have stolen the cat like that?

Answer

It is illegal to steal another person’s animal. It is not illegal to take a wandering cat to a shelter, although if the animal’s “parent” is known to the person finding the animal the animal should be returned to his/her “parent” in most situations. Florida law requires shelters that take in lost or stray dogs or cats to adopt policies so that reasonable efforts are made to return the animals to their “parents.” Such policies and procedures must include “Upon intake, screening of lost or stray dogs and cats for identification, including tags, licenses, implanted microchips, and tattoos.” The law further requires shelters to adopt policies to match lost and stray dogs and cats with lost reports and to make reasonable efforts to notify the animals’ “parents” within 48 hours of identification. Impound fees are commonly charged for people who want to retrieve their pets. One way people can help to prevent their cats from being taken would be to keep the cats indoors where the cats will be safer. I hope this all works out well for your teacher's cat.

PLEASE NOTE: Responses to legal inquiries are not meant to replace seeking legal advice from an attorney in your state. The materials in this website and any responses to questions are for informational purposes only and are not intended, nor should they be construed, as legal advice. This website, the information contained herein, and any responses to questions directed to this column are not intended to create and do not establish an attorney-client relationship. You should not rely or act upon any information provided on this website or in any response to your inquiry without seeking the advice of an attorney in your state regarding the facts of your specific situation.

Send Your Pet Legal Question Now!

Elinor will field as many questions as she can and they will be posted here on this site. Due to the volume of questions received, not all questions are answered. However, many individuals have similar questions. You may find helpful information in the categories listed below.

Ask a Legal Question