Question
My old housemate told me, six years ago, I could have his dog. This year I was moving and lost the dog. He had a dog tag of our information yet they gave him back to the old housemate because it never occurred to me to change the chip, and he claimed the dog was stolen. How can I get him back? I didn’t steal him and if I did why wasn’t I arrested? I tried to explain the situation to an animal police officer and asked if I'm able to report the dog stolen, but the officer said "no because it was considered abandonment."
Answer
People who believe that their animal is being wrongfully withheld can sue (replevin action) for the return of the animal. While microchip registration can help to prove "ownership," it does not definitively prove “ownership.” Courts consider the totality of the evidence, including, for example, evidence demonstrating that the animal had been given away, sold, or abandoned by either of the parties.
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