how do custody laws work in relation to dogs?

[brian p]

my ex gave her dog to her brothers girlfriend to look after while she completed her final year at uni, now she's graduated and her brother has split with his girl and she is refusing to give her back. can she do anything legally?

[Dan the MAN]

If the dog is registered to your ex then surely she has grounds to get her back. I suppose other proof of ownership, could be vets bills and their records, but you would have to check that out. Hope this helps.

[kelannde]

There's no such thing as "custody" of dogs - it's about ownership, not custody.

The owner of the dog can retrieve the dog, just like he could retrieve his car, furniture, etc. He may need to provide proof of ownership - like vet bills or dog registration. It could be considered theft of property - but it's not custody.

[joan k]

If your ex has proof of ownership of the dog then she would have to apply to the County Court for it's return.

[peekaboo]

It is not a custody issue as by law dogs are regarded as property (harsh as it may sound).

If it was her dog, and she just gave it to the brother's girlfriend to look after, it is still her property.

She can sue, for the return of the dog or payment of the value of the dog (although this is obviously not what she is after), but in the same way as had she left a car or other inanimate object with her to look after, not as a custody issue.