i wonder if someone can help me i had a bassett hound dog with all the papers saying i was the legal owner and still have them while i was on a business trip my girlfriend signed the dog away to a charity i have mailed this charity countless times to no avail i still have all the paperwork for the dog is there anything i can do ?

thanks in advance

danny

I would think you need to see a solicitor.

You could always Register with us if you want to reply to any questions forum members may have

Melody :)

great a solicitor

thanks for the help ive registered now

Welcome to the forum Danny :) ....a solicitor could be your best bet ...it does sound like a legal matter. Also , have you tried phoning the animal charity rather than email?

Melody

Danny.
I would make sure the charity does not rehome the dog until things are sorted and make them aware they could well be housing a stolen dog!!
Dawn.

im thinking this worse case senario may have hapened :-(

Hi Danny
So sorry to hear about your bassett,what a heartless thing to do..it can get a bit complicated...the owner has nothing to do with whats on any paperwork...it's who has paid for up keep and vets bills.The best thing to do is to go to the rescue and buy the dog back and then if you want to ? claim the money back from your girlfriend in a civil suit.Its the fastest,cheapest and easiest route to getting your dog backagain and I should a new home for your girlfriend...hope it all works out for you and your dog.
Tracey

In the terms and conditions of sale from Battersea Dogs Home, it states, "It is regretted that occasionally after a sale has taken place, the true owner asserts that the dog was brought to the Home without their knowledge and in these circumstances the Committee does not have good title to sell and therefore the Purchaser, upon signing the attached receipt, fully understands that in these circumstances the animal may have to be restored to the true owner."
Hopefully even if the dog has been rehomed, they may have signed something similar, and you should be able to get your dog back.
Good luck.
LynnT

Hope you get your dog back Danny:) What Lynn has came up with sounds like a key to it:)

Stacey x x x

I used to work for a rescue centre and this happened quite a few times. In all cases the dog was returned to the first owner and whilst obviously upsetting for all involved hopefully the home that your dog is in will see that this is the only fair and reasonable way to resolve this matter.

If the home is ignoring your calls I would go there in person and present your case (along with any proof of ownership) in a calm and reasonable way, remember that they took the dog in in good faith and if it has now been rehomed have also done so in good faith.

I hope you get this sorted out, for whatever reason this is a horrible thing to have done to you.

many thanks to all the helpfull replys i just wanna get things sorted but i got a feeling the charity and gonna give up without a fight :-(

Danny
Get ya self down there lad and sort it face to face, don't give up on your dog, he wouldn't give up on you and is probably just waiting for Dad to come and collect him..:D
Tracey

Just to veer off slightly - how do you prove the dog wasnt given without your permission ?
I'm not referring to the poster by the way - I mean in general
What about people who may change their minds and say their other half gave it away without permission just so they can reclaim the pet after changing their mind . Do you have a timescale in which to do this .
What does the law say about this as the home or rescue centre has taken the pet in good faith
lel

If the owner is the one who signs over the dog, then they can't say it was done without their knowledge. If anybody else brings in the dog, they can. You have to hope that those who are in two minds about rehoming their dog may be put off asking for it back, but it shouldn't stop someone reclaiming their dog if it has been taken there by someone else without their permission.

Danny
I do hope you get your dog back. Please keep us all posted and let us know. Fingers crossed for you:)

Alison

As a rescuer I agree with the other postings. You need to call them and preferably go and see them, take the paperwork with you. When here we are offered a pedigree dog of any sort for rescue, we do try and at least have sight of the pedigree and/or the KC registration.
Problems arise if the dog is registered in two names and only one of them is there with the dog. I once rang someones (almost) ex husband to check that the dog was being rehomed with permission, much to the annoyance of the lady in front of me.
I have several times come across dogs being given up that were cases of spite. Most were easy to spot, some not so easy. If the dog has been rehomed, then you do need a solicitor if the rescue won't return the dog. If you take your proof to the rescue involved, hopefully they'll see sense (!). Is the dog identifiable by tattoo or microchip? I have been involved in a case where someone came into a rescue I was at and claimed (he had a KC registration and a pedigree) that a black Lab male was his and had been given up in error by his family. The dog was almost handed over when someone remembered that they actually had this dogs KC registration etc on file. Once challeneged the man virtually ran out. So I guess there are people trying to get dogs for nothing. This man was suspected of gaining dogs for puppy farming, and I expect if you go around enough large busy rescues, someone might just believe you?

Contact a solicitor without delay. Get them to put a bar on rehoming the dog, then call the police on the girlfriend for theft. If you follow this you have a pretty good case for return of the dog.

Forgot to say, best of luck and my heart just bleeds for you. PLEASE register and keep us all posted on how it turns out.

The police won't do anything as this is classed as a domestic dispute!!!! It happened to my bro - slightly different circumstances - brother was with g/f whose family bred dogs, her mum registered a dog to my bro from a puppy, when they split up, my bro couldn't look after the dog as he was working full time by then, so arranged for me to take on the dog during the week, we built a run, kennel etc with the proviso that it was always his dog etc, and he would stay here or take her at w/e's. She found out and snatched the dog from his garden the day she was supposed to come here. The police wouldn't get involved as a domestic dispute, even though the dog was given to my bro with all papers and microchipped in his name etc. They even went on to sell the pup (I say pup - she was over a year old by then), and gave the new owner my bro's addy and phone number to get the paperwork from!!!!! They told him my bro just hadn't got round to returning them??????? Anyways, my bro still has papers, man threatened to sue him but never took it anywhere, this was all about 3/4 yrs ago, he couldn't get registered at a vets at the time cos of the microchip - don't know about now, bro didn't pursue as he didn't have enough money to take to court, also the kennel club wasn't too helpful either - dunno what they could of done mind you but he did ring them.

Nikki xx

Unfortunately this would be the case with the dog having come from, gone to, and benn repossed by same parties. With dog going to rescue, there is now an outside influence and the police have to take it seriously as a solicitors letter should be enough for the rescue to start involving them too. Sorry for your brother though, it must be awful!

Sadly you are right about the Police.

I had a BSD Groenendael when I was married, it was bought, paid for, looked after by me and all her paperwork was in my name.

When I was 8 months pregnant after having been seperated from my Ex-husband for 5 months, he broke into the house while I was out, and stole the dog!

He then proceeded to taunt me, family and friends saying she was in the dogs home, and would be put to sleep if unclaimed. Of course tyhey didn't have her, but I wouldn't beleive them until I checked (often the breed is misidentified as a collie or GSD cross).

I got the local paper to do a piece ont the "Tug of Love Saga" they did a cute pic of me and my daughter (who was 3) saying how upset she was at the dogs loss. I was contacted by a lady who had been given the dog in the pub. She would only let me have her back if she thought I was a good owner, and th dog seemed happy to see me, and brought her Dad around to make sure. Of course Saga went ape with delight!

I hadinformed the Police, the Courts and they did nothing, as the dog is considered a chatel!!!

Sorry Danny for you and your dog. Do let us know what happens. What a bitch your girlfriend sounds, she needs a slap.

I hope your grilfreind is looking for a new home.

Hi Jane
He has registered as danny1586. I do hope he get's his dog back.

Alison

Danny, if you do go along to the charity witht the paperwork, do take any photos that you may have taken of your dog, as this will be proof he is your dog, when colouring /markings etc are checked.