Legal Question in Civil Rights Law in Iowa

I have owned a dog for over 2 years. I reported the dog missing yesterday and a woman called my mother claiming to be the original owner from before I owned him. This woman has my dog for sure, I've seen the pictures on Facebook. If in fact she is the original owner of the dog in question (Peanut), then why did she give her dog away, and why did the person she gave her dog away to drop it off in the middle of a highway on a desolate country road? I believe the answer to that is simply that they did not want to own the dog.

If the original owner wanted to keep the dog, then she would not have given the dog away. The person she gave the dog away to had dropped the dog off on a highway in a desolate country location. My girlfriend's mother lives on that desolate country road, and there isn't a town for miles. My girlfriend, her mother, and her sister all 3 witnessed a red truck stop on the highway and let out two dogs. One was my Peanut and the other dog walked in a different direction and wouldn't respond to their calls.

Myself and my girlfriend both made calls to the local vet and police stations at this time and for about a week to find out if anybody had filed a report on a missing dog or stolen dog, and there hadn't been any reports, so we ended up keeping him. We have grown to love him like a family member over this time, and then yesterday he ran outside when company came over. I made the missing dog report at the police station. Today my mother got a call from a woman that is claiming to be that original owner I described earlier. She refuses to give our dog back and feels she is the rightful owner, even though it's been years since she has given the dog away to a different person, and then that person abandoned my Peanut and a second dog on a highway.

We saved Peanut's life, and took him in, and we called around to make sure we weren't keeping him from anybody. What can I do to get my dog back? The police won't help and I don't know how far it would go in court if she is the original owner, regardless of whether she got rid of the dog or left it for abandonment, if she has the original paperwork, can I still get my dog back?


Asked on 8/18/10, 6:57 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
Robert Luedeman solo practitioner

How do you know it's your dog aside from a picture on a facebook page? Was it microchipped? The way I see it you can't prove that it's your dog. If you think differently hire an attorney and be prepared to pay up front for their services.

Read more
Answered on 8/24/10, 5:51 am


Related Questions & Answers

More Civil Rights Law questions and answers in Iowa