Second, you may be guilty of theft or be held liable for any damage to the animal if you take it. Some court rulings have actually allowed people to take their neighbors` stray animals to shelters, but there is no guarantee that all states would allow this type of behavior. In fact, some States explicitly criminalize the retention of lost property with the knowledge of its owner. Q. What steps can I take before my pet is lost to maximize my chances of returning? One. There may not be much you can do if your pet has been adopted by another family from a shelter. If the shelter complied with local laws, they probably had the right to give your pet up for adoption because you didn`t claim the pet during the detention period. See above the two previous questions for scenarios where an owner`s rights have been violated. Overall, there are very few guidelines under state laws for the title of lost dogs. The exception is when the investigating party is the State itself. If the person who finds the dog reports it to animal control, the dog will be kept for a period determined by state law.
Almost all states require the confiscation of dogs at large by state agents. These laws essentially empower local animal control agencies to pick up pets found in the wild. (Click here to learn more about state seizure laws.) Unfortunately, many of these laws often allow for quick action if the dog is perceived as a threat to public safety. That is, many of these laws provide for the slaughter of any dog found in the wild. While this is clearly not a comforting thought, owners need to understand that loose dogs are likely to be seized and confiscated if found by animal control or other law enforcement agencies. These animals are then kept in an animal control facility for a legally prohibited period of time (usually about seven days, depending on state law). The Virginia law is an example of such a seizure law. The law states that all dogs that run freely without tags are locked up.
It then describes the process of registering confiscated dogs, the effort the pound must make to find the owners of the dogs, and how a rightful owner can get their dog back. Va. Code ann. § 3.1-796.96. No matter how long an animal is legally kept, owners need to understand that they lose ownership of an animal much faster if the researcher is the state. In general, these laws determine the procedure a searcher must follow when searching for lost objects, which is usually based on the monetary value of the property found. In other words, a State requires additional effort on the part of the person who finds valuable goods rather than ordinary objects of low value. Most lost bastard animals meet the legal requirements of low market value. These laws require citizens to report and/or hand over the property to local authorities, announce the discovery in a local newspaper, or attempt to find the true owner. After a certain period of time (between three and six months), the researcher can claim ownership of the property. Oklahoma`s law is then perhaps the most enforceable of all lost laws on pet discovery. Instead of using a procedure where an intermediary has to hand over the goods to the local authorities, intermediaries become legitimate bailiffs who are entitled to compensation for the care of the goods.
Okla. Stat. Ann. tit. 15, §§ 511. A person is not obliged by this law to take care of the property, but if he assumes this responsibility, the legal provisions must be followed. (Click here for a list of state search laws). One. It is strongly advised to take certain measures to protect yourself and your pet in case it gets lost. Most cities require dog owners to register their dog with the local government.
This step is important because it can give you extra rights and improve your chances of finding the dog if caught by animal control. Starting with the question of when a private party is found, it appears that only one Vermont court has dealt with this issue. In this case, a bastard puppy, which was trained by its owner as a hunting dog, detached from its chain and was lost. A few weeks later, another person found the dog and took it in. She then called the local humane society (who advised her to keep the dog until it was claimed) and gave a description of the dog. The researchers also posted printed notices around the city and held radio broadcasts reporting the discovery of the lost dog. After the finder received a response from the humane society or one of the advertisements, she welcomed the dog into her home. While laws and regulations vary from state to state, even from county to county, these are among the most common: the details contained in state garnishment laws in recent years illustrate the public policy concerns associated with taking possession of valuable and perhaps irreplaceable property. Again, the Vermont Supreme Court considered the issue of title if the finder for a lost dog is an agent of the state.
In Lamare v. North Country Animal League, 743 A.2d 598 (Vt. 1999), an unlicensed dog escaped from their yard and was later found by a couple who reported the discovery to the local animal keeper.