Question
My friend literally gave me her dog I have her old texts which have shown that she did give me the dog and I have witnesses of her saying that he is my dog now she wants him back saying her panic attacks got worse since he's been gone and keeps threatening to call the cops if I don't give him back to her and harassing to come to my property to take the dog I don't know what to do.
Answer
People who give away their animal generally have no further rights to that animal and the person to whom the animal was gifted generally has no legal obligation to return the animal. People who believe that their animal is being wrongfully withheld can sue to try to get the animal returned and can contact the police (although the police do not usually get involved in pet custody disputes). It can be helpful to have on hand evidence of ownership, such as proof that an animal was gifted (even texts and emails), veterinary records, microchip registration, dog license, etc. People who are being harassed may contact the police. People who believe that their animal may be wrongfully taken should take extra precautions to safeguard the animal. I hope this all works out well for the dog.
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