Pet Legal Q&A

Elinor D. Molbegott, is an attorney who maintains a law practice devoted to animal law. Elinor donates her time to answer questions from North Shore Animal League America supporters who would like to learn more about animal law.

Is it a crime to leave my dog outside the door of a store?

My dog goes with me everywhere I go. Most people know her and love to pet her, she's very good black lab. A month ago I was in the store for 5 minutes, when I went outside my dog was gone. I was frantic asking all over about the dog and called the police. They met me a couple hours later, I gave them the information. It was late the next day somebody told me she was on Facebook. I contacted the people, met him at the police station and got my dog back. Now I'm being charged with dog stray by the people who took her. I guess I left on good terms with the police. What should I do? Can they do that?

By |2021-03-25T14:14:10-04:00December 30th, 2020|

Shelter adopted out my service animal.

I'm a musician (touring artist) and had my service animal staying with my mother for a bit as I was traveling. She lost the dog, when the shelter received the dog, they adopted it in three days. My every attempt to locate my dog has been thwarted and denied by the shelter even though they didn't go through proper protocol. The dog is microchipped and registered as a service animal in my name. Is there anything I can do?

By |2020-12-01T17:13:30-04:00December 1st, 2020|

They lost my pet’s ashes.

My dog died on 11/13/2020 we waited for a week and a few days the vet just told us that the crematorium has lost my pet, what should I do ?

By |2020-12-01T17:40:48-04:00November 25th, 2020|

Neighbor keeps trapping my cats.

My neighbor across the street keeps having my cats trapped and taken away for coming in her yard. She had my dog taken away last year because he got out of house for a minute and she got smart with me, so I told her off and than she called police on dog. She is using the police and animal control to punish me. How can I stop her? My cats are outside animals but well fed. Dry food with a can of mackerel on top daily. Help. I have to stop her. Can I file charges on her for wasting city money by using them to get at me?

By |2020-12-01T17:27:47-04:00November 24th, 2020|

How do we change the laws so animals aren’t allowed to be kept in terrible conditions?

I have a neighbor who leaves her young dog outside in her small cement yard all the time. It’s starting to get cold here in Las Vegas and I don’t even want to think about how he/she will survive the summer. I had animal control come out but they said if he/she has food and water and some sort of overhang, then it’s not breaking any laws. I have seen other dogs here in Vegas being kept on porches and similar conditions and it breaks my heart. I have called for a welfare check on these animals as well, to not see any change. My question is how do we change the laws so that animals aren’t allowed to be kept in these terrible conditions. What can I do to help? Thank you!

By |2020-12-09T17:23:36-04:00November 20th, 2020|

Can dog shelter force me to neuter my dog?

I adopted my dog in August 2019. I tried to get him fixed but because of Covid, the appointment was canceled. I since then decided to mate him with a friend's dog. Can they take the dog away if I signed a document that I had to neuter him?

By |2020-12-01T17:04:41-04:00November 13th, 2020|
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