Adoption Issues

Can I Get My Dog Back After a Verbal Agreement Went Wrong?

I am involved in a dispute over a verbal agreement concerning a dog that I gave to someone and now want back. He is now saying that he would rather surrender her to a shelter than return her to me. Can I file a police report to request a welfare check on the dog, or can I legally show up at his residence to try to get her back?

By |2026-05-14T12:16:51-04:00April 26th, 2026|

Can the Owner Take Back the Dog We Planned to Adopt After We Temporarily Took in Both Dogs?

We applied to adopt a dog through Adopt a Pet and met the owner. We learned that he was living in his car with two pit bull-type dogs and was unable to find housing after being evicted. We offered to keep both dogs for a couple of weeks so he could find a place to live. He has now found housing and is claiming that he is going to take both dogs back because he does not want to separate them.

By |2026-05-12T11:16:17-04:00April 5th, 2026|

Can a Rescue Force Me to Adopt or Charge Me Fees if I Return a Foster Dog?

I am fostering a dog and applied to adopt her. The rescue told me I am a great home but is refusing to let me adopt because I questioned some of her ethics, and she is angry with me. I then wanted to return the dog. Under my foster agreement, I am held non-liable for returning her, but she is holding me to my adoption paperwork and saying that if I return the dog, I have to pay for boarding and expenses. She has also threatened me with legal action. I have asked many times for copies of my foster and adoption contracts that I signed, but she ignores me. Additionally, she has an EIN from New Jersey, and I do not believe she is registered in New York to do business. She has been operating in New York since 2021. I love the dog, but I cannot deal with the harassment.

By |2026-01-27T11:56:08-04:00December 6th, 2025|

Foster Fail

I never signed a foster agreement, but I was fostering 4 cats that we got when they were 3 weeks old. They are now 14 weeks old. We fell in love and decided we would adopt 3 of them. The last kitten never got adopted and we adjusted our lives to accommodate the last cat. The organization went radio silent. And now they are threatening me because we decided to keep the last cat. I have two questions. Do I legally have to pay the adoption fees? What is my legal right to ignore this organization?

By |2026-01-07T17:10:34-04:00November 3rd, 2025|

Legal obscurity surrounding primary contact for microchip on adopted kitten.

I adopted a kitten from a rescue a few months ago. I signed a contact that stated the rescue must be the primary contact on the soon-to-be implanted microchip, and neutering was to be done there as well. Weeks later, I found online sources that stated, under new CA law, the owner must be the primary contact on the pet’s microchip. Perhaps the rescue does not know this, or does not want adopters to know. I want to be the primary on my pet’s chip, and also want to get him neutered somewhere else, sooner than the rescue recommends, in order to avoid spraying. Since this bill was signed into law, back in 2022 (bill AB2723), does the rescue have any legal ground to stand on? I’m afraid if I get him neutered there, they will also chip him at the same time.

By |2025-08-08T13:08:54-04:00July 24th, 2025|

Rescue suing to repossess my dog.

I adopted a dog after fostering for more than a year. The dog got sick at the same time the rescue was trying to get the dog adopted. The rescue was concerned about the adoption than waiting for the dog to get better. I nursed the dog, paid for treatment and decided to adopt him, though he has behavioral issues. He is a husky and finds a way to escape. The rescue is suing me to repossess the dog because they consider me unfit.

By |2025-08-08T12:52:58-04:00July 10th, 2025|

Looking for clarity regarding adoption fee for feral cats I’m fostering.

I have been fostering a feral mother and her five kittens since they were three weeks old. We have decided to keep three of the babies . When we reached out to the organization that we are supporting, they informed me that I would still have to pay an adoption fee. Though they gave us a discount they still want over $400. They said at first that the fee is covered neutering, vaccination, and micro chipping. I told them that I will cover neutering, and I don’t want them to be microchip. Then they changed their tune and said that the fee is the adoption fee. Should I submit all the receipts of everything to support these babies for the last three weeks? I never signed a contract. And I feel like I’m being taken advantage of.

By |2025-07-02T15:50:15-04:00June 30th, 2025|

Adoption refused due to same sex dog at home not being spayed.

Help! My mother, who is a senior wanted to adopt a senior female dog (7yrs old) Chihuahua mix from a local shelter. Recently, one of her dogs passed away, and the other dog left behind is showing signs of grief from the loss of her playmate/sister. Not to mention my mother for losing her dog. The shelter refused her application for the adoption of the senior dog because the dog she has at home (which is a female, same sex), was not spayed. There is absolutely no chance of the two dogs breeding. Why would the shelter deny the senior dog (sitting in a crate for the past 3 months) of the chance to live out its life within a loving home? Does a dog have any rights? Shouldn’t an adoption be on a case-by-case basis? Seems cruel to me. The woman I spoke to at the shelter said, “it’s their policy”. Meanwhile they have every cage full.

By |2025-03-26T14:41:53-04:00February 21st, 2025|

Rehoming an aggressive adopted dog.

Our daughter adopted a dog from a pet rescue, and it's not working out. The puppy is too aggressive to be around her 3 younger children - he has already bitten 2 of them in the face. When she adopted him, she was told his parents were golden retriever and Australian Shepard with one of them being a service dog. Since he was being so aggressive, she had a DNA test done by Embark and it came back 45% Pit Bull, 26% German Shepard, and various other breeds. She regrets signing the adoption agreement saying she could only return the dog to them if it didn't work out and that they will always own the dog. That's so ridiculous. I know rescues are trying to protect dogs, but when you adopt a dog, it should be yours and you should be able to give it away to where you choose if need be. She would rather give it to a Pit Bull Rescue or some other rescue. The place she adopted him from is fraudulent - they deceived her about the breed, they won't respond to her communications, the health report they gave her is bogus, the pickup procedure was questionable, the puppy isn't the picture of the one she asked to adopt, etc... This non-profit should be put out of business. They finally responded when our daughter contacted another rescue, and that rescue called the rescue she got the puppy from. They said to our daughter they will take him back but have to find a foster for him - that could take forever - I can see that coming. My question is, is she obligated to return the dog to this fraudulent rescue she got him from, or due to the circumstances can she give him to someone else without legal consequences?

By |2025-03-26T14:25:39-04:00February 13th, 2025|

Illegitimate foster and adoption process.

I had fostered a dog for nearly 6 months and the foster facilitator completely forgot about my dog. During that time, I had forged a bond with the dog and when the foster care facilitator followed up (4 months later), I stated that I wanted to adopt the dog. After meeting the dog, who she barely spent time with, she triggered her and blankly stated that she should be in the country. Some family from Connecticut that could barely walk the dog was deemed fit to adopt her but it seems unethical to rehome the dog if she wants to stay with me. What are my rights to challenge this unethical adoption process.

By |2025-02-19T15:04:59-04:00January 15th, 2025|
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