Question
A woman I used to call my friend left her dog at my house three years ago. She asked me to take her dog I said I would, now three years have passed and she wants the dog back. But, I want to keep the dog that I’ve been taking care of, training and loving for so long now. What are my rights if she tries to take me to court?
Answer
Typically when a person gives away his/her animal, such person has no further rights to the animal. These situations get murky when one person alleges that the animal was boarded and not given away. However, three years is a very long time to board an animal and courts would likely be reluctant to order the return of an animal allegedly boarded for this length of time unless there is evidence that there was an ongoing agreed upon boarding arrangement, such as a written boarding agreement, payments made to board the dog, etc. If sued, I suggest that you have an attorney represent you.
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