What To Do if You Know Who Stole Your Dog?
Contact the police immediately if you know who stole your dog. If you go to the dognapper yourself, it’s possible that they will deny the accusations and then move the dog, which will make it more difficult to find.
Therefore, contact the police. They will visit the dognapper themselves. The police are trained in reading body behavior so they will have a good idea if the dognapper is lying.
However, if the dognapper does lie, there is nothing more the police can do, but, this is good evidence for you to bring to court, which will be your next step.
You can contact a lawyer and let them know you know who stole your dog and you know that they are lying. The lawyer may suggest a “claim and delivery” lawsuit.
This means that if you can legally claim the dog is yours then the dognapper will be served with this lawsuit and forced to go to court. This may either scare the dognapper so much that they give your dog back or they may fight.
If they fight, there’s a good chance they will lose. So, this may be your best bet at this point.
Someone Stole My Dog and Won’t Give It Back
You should file a police report immediately against this person. This will open an investigation and help you build a case with a lawyer if you want to go that route, which may be your last hope in this situation.
Claiming a stolen dog as yours has to go through the same process as anything else that is stolen. You will need to gather all the evidence you have that claims you have ownership of your dog.
This can be adoption papers, a receipt from the breeder if you bought your dog, microchip registry information, photos, and people who know you and your dog to write a statement.
You will then be able to file a lawsuit and the person who has your dog will be served and forced to go to court.
In the meantime, you can spread awareness of your lost dog especially around the area of the person who has your dog.
The dog cannot stay hidden indoors forever so if the people who live around the dognapper are aware of the situation, they will keep an eye out for the dog.
If the dog is ever seen, they can report the sighting to the police, which will help with your case. Most importantly, do not give up at home and remain persistent.
Who Do I Call if My Neighbor Stole My Dog? 12pm
You should call the police immediately if your neighbor stole your dog. They will get in touch with the animal control department who will be in contact with your neighbor.
You should also contact local vets and animal shelters in case your pet is found somewhere else or runs away and someone brings it in to get checked out.
You shouldn’t try to confront your neighbor yourself about your stolen dog. It’s likely that they will just lie to you which will get you nowhere. It’s best to act like you don’t know they have your dog and have the police deal with the situation.
Once you file a police report, an investigation will be opened and any evidence that is gained can be used in court if you get to that point.
OUR PUPPY WAS STOLEN! We’re in SHOCK!
BILLINGS — Last week, MTN News reported on a 12-week-old puppy being stolen out of a Billings residents yard. Neighbors are now saying that puppy was taken for its own safety.
It turns out the puppy thief thought he was a good Samaritan, but authorities say he may have broken the law. Neighbors claim the dog was taken after concerns were brought up on their neighborhood Facebook page.
“100% stealing a dog isn’t the way this should have been handled. However, when a dog who is younger than three months old is left outside in 100 degree weather without anyone checking on it for hours – what are bystanders supposed to do? We applaud the people who break windows for dogs in the heat. In my opinion – this was the same thing,” said a woman who says she is the neighbor of the dog owner and identified herself as Shelbe B. on Tuesday.
The puppy ended up being taken to the Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter for a short period. Trasene Rowland, the owner, now has the dog back. She says the claims of neglect are false.
“My dog was walked every day. She sleeps inside in her kennel, we cook food for her, she had multiple water bowls outside. She was only outside during the morning or night when it was cool and if we were outside during the day. She had adequate shade no matter the time of the day and sprinklers going. She was fed three times a day and was always playing with either our kids or us,” said Rowland.
“Stealing is wrong. You should not be taking animals from people’s property. Animals are considered property and that would make it a theft,” said Animal Control Supervisor Tom Stinchfield.
He also says you need to witness the situation happening to report it. If you only hear about it, you are just considered a third-party reporter.
“I have people reporting based on what they read on Facebook. We don’t take complaints like that. If you have first-hand knowledge of this happening, you need to call it in,” Stinchfield said.
The Yellowstone Valley Animal Shelter does not have a say in if a dog will be returned back to its owner or not. They only house the animals, keeping them safe and fed until an investigation can be conducted.
“Their frustrations are our frustrations too. We don’t necessarily agree with how everything goes down all the time. But we answer to the city of Billings Animal Control,” said Gabi Fry with the animal shelter.
If you do suspect an animal is being neglected, especially during these hot summer days, you have to report it to Animal Control.
“All of [the reports] will be investigated. I know there’s stuff out on Facebook saying we’re not investigating and we’re not doing anything. But we are. Every case we’ll go out and investigate,” said Stinchfield.
No charges have been filed in Rowlands stolen puppy case, since they do not know who took the dog. Even if the man believed he was doing the right thing, Montana animal abuse and neglect laws say otherwise. An animal is considered property in Montana, as long as it is being provided shelter, food and water it is not being neglected.
“Basically, the laws need to change. The laws in Montana for animals are very minimal,” said Fry. Copyright 2022 Scripps Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.