Ex is taking my baby girl

[stoppingby]

What if she went to his home with the police and she has that paperwork with it being in her name? Woudn't the police make him turn the dog over to her and tell him that he'll have to battle the rest out in small claims court or with an attorney?

 

[Baja28]

What if she went to his home with the police and she has that paperwork with it being in her name? Woudn't the police make him turn the dog over to her and tell him that he'll have to battle the rest out in small claims court or with an attorney?

Then send her a letter that the dog died and he spread the ashes over the bay.

 

[TurboK9]

What if she went to his home with the police and she has that paperwork with it being in her name? Woudn't the police make him turn the dog over to her and tell him that he'll have to battle the rest out in small claims court or with an attorney?

No. IF the dog was tattoed before sale, perhaps... or microed before sale... But, barring that, there is no way for her to prove it's the same dog, for one. What would stop here from taking any GSD named Abbi of approximately the same age? Or selling the dog, retaining those papers, then going back later and taking the dog? He could always say she GAVE him the dog, and she changed her mind a year later. It's his dog now.

The only facts that the police could be sure of is that he currently posesses the dog, and he has a history of ownership as shown by vet records and licensing. In the abscence of a written agreement between the two, what it comes down to is who is currently in ownership of and has been caring for the dog. In this case, he can show a history of being the owner, all she can show are six year old pedigree and kennel papers.

 

[TrueSOMDGirl]

Got email from ex-gf that she's wants her German Shepherd (Abbi) back.

Abbi (6) has been living with me and her beagle brother, Dino (7) most of her life. The ex and I broke up several years ago but we stayed friends and did a joint custody thing. The dogs were with me most of the time because I had a bigger house and yard. She just got back from a 1yr deployment and has since got married and moved to FL.

Anyway, the ex likes to start problems once & while and since she didn't get her way she said she's coming to take my baby away. I have paid for everything on Abbi and never asked for a dime. Dino, is going to be devastated. This sucks...

You do not have to release the dog if the dog has been in your custody all this time and you have joint custody. Tell her to take you to court.

 

[TrueSOMDGirl]

Hand her a bill for $30 a day boarding and reimbursement of veterinary costs, then tell her she can have the dog when she pays the bill.

I'm assuming you have no prior agreement saying she can up and take the dog away at an undisclosed future point. Unless she has some sort of written agreement saying you'll turn the dog over to her on demand, and as long as you have documentation showing your posession of the dog such as vet bills and such, she has no legal claim to the dog. I'd tell her to go buy her own dog.

Excellent ideas

 

[TrueSOMDGirl]

What if she went to his home with the police and she has that paperwork with it being in her name? Woudn't the police make him turn the dog over to her and tell him that he'll have to battle the rest out in small claims court or with an attorney?

Not really, people that have had similar paperwork have often sold or given away the dogs to different homes, just because the dog started off as hers does not mean it ended up as hers.

 

[SA475]

Hand her a bill for $30 a day boarding and reimbursement of veterinary costs, then tell her she can have the dog when she pays the bill.

I'm assuming you have no prior agreement saying she can up and take the dog away at an undisclosed future point. Unless she has some sort of written agreement saying you'll turn the dog over to her on demand, and as long as you have documentation showing your posession of the dog such as vet bills and such, she has no legal claim to the dog. I'd tell her to go buy her own dog.

The more she thinks you want to keep the dog, the more she'll want it. Act like it's no problem that she comes to get it, it's her turn. Wait until she's about a hundred miles or more out of her hometown and then tell her that the dog is missing. At least she'd think that she was on her way to pick up the dog and surely wouldn't want to keep driving if not there. Place the dog(s) with friends or a sitter and let her think they went missing. (You don't want her to ask for the other one.) If this wasn't done through a divorce decree, then what can she do? Don't let the dog go and let the other one be lonesome.

I like how you think! Tell her to Eff off...

 

[Roxie04]

Why make a excuse or lie about the dog? That's stupid. She has been gone for years. You say the dog belongs to me and if you set foot on my property I will have you arrested for tresspassing. End of discussion.

 

[Lilypad]

Thanx for all the advice. I haven't heard from her in the last 2 days. My wife says she's just trying to get back at me and they are idle threats. The custody thing was just something we called it when she lived up here. No lawyers or paperwork. We acted like they were our kids. Well, they are our kids.

The dogs don't want to be with her anyway. Whenever I'd go pick them up from her they would cry at the door to go out to my truck or they wouldn't follow her out to her truck if she was picking them up. My new step-kids are attached to them too.

I was told by a few people that it is technically her dog. Abbi was bought in Germany so all paperwork is in ex's name.

We'll see...

I feel your pain-trust your gut on this; idle threats or not be pro-active. Get your ducks in a row. Fight the fight.
As Ceasar says "dogs live in the moment", they adjust but who's to say she or her home is fit for a pet, a large dog at that.
Good luck.

 

[StadEMS3]

Thanx for all the great points. I still haven't heard from her since the initial threat. I have all Abbi's paperwork and I had her microchip info changed to reflect new owner and address...me The vet still shows her as the owner but with my name on it. I'm going to see if the vet will let me change the owner info to me only also.

 

[Loper]

Thanx for all the great points. I still haven't heard from her since the initial threat. I have all Abbi's paperwork and I had her microchip info changed to reflect new owner and address...me The vet still shows her as the owner but with my name on it. I'm going to see if the vet will let me change the owner info to me only also.

Tell her to eff off!!!!! When we took in a stray. I called all over the counties looking for the rules, I was told that if you harbor and feed an animal for 3 days in St Marys then it is yours, provided that you tried to find the animal's home and put out flyers for the found animal. This was 10 years ago..

Register the dog in your name with the county you live in and don't worry about it.

I think your ex would be hard pressed to claim ownership of Abbi. I really don't think you have anything to worry about.

 

[TurboK9]

Thanx for all the great points. I still haven't heard from her since the initial threat. I have all Abbi's paperwork and I had her microchip info changed to reflect new owner and address...me The vet still shows her as the owner but with my name on it. I'm going to see if the vet will let me change the owner info to me only also.

Good for you! That dog obviously means more to you... glad you decided to stand your ground!

 

[stoppingby]

Great, the chip ownership was changed over. Was it easy to do, no problems? If you called in to do the change, what did they say/ask you? I'm on your side but I still wonder with her having the original paperwork in her name if there could be any problems if she wanted to cause such (which I doubt). I know it's in your favor about your having had the dog for so long and I'm not trying to go against all that's said here but it still crosses my mind if she was to show up with a police officer with her paperwork. One officer might be different from another one. One could say you'd have to give the dog to her and another might say wait and battle it out. Have you asked any officers as to how a scene like that might result? I do hope and want the dog to stay with you and get this ownership issue behind you so you guys can relax and enjoy yourselves! (Without interference from your ex.)

 

[TrueSOMDGirl]

Great, the chip ownership was changed over. Was it easy to do, no problems? If you called in to do the change, what did they say/ask you? I'm on your side but I still wonder with her having the original paperwork in her name if there could be any problems if she wanted to cause such (which I doubt). I know it's in your favor about your having had the dog for so long and I'm not trying to go against all that's said here but it still crosses my mind if she was to show up with a police officer with her paperwork. One officer might be different from another one. One could say you'd have to give the dog to her and another might say wait and battle it out. Have you asked any officers as to how a scene like that might result? I do hope and want the dog to stay with you and get this ownership issue behind you so you guys can relax and enjoy yourselves! (Without interference from your ex.)

Again, youhave to remember the date of the papers she has with her name on it comparing to the dates he has with his name on it. It may have started off as her dog, but it is no longer hers.

 

[stoppingby]

I understand but what about a transfer of ownership? That's what crosses my mind and if the police were involved, what would they do if she says she never transferred anything. I think all the other contentions such has having homed and vetted the dog will factor in but I still think it could end up in small claims or with a lawyer if she wants him back, as I've said. I wish the OP would ask a police officer as to how the scenario might play out in this respect. I don't think she'd drive from FL to get a dog that she isn't 100% sure she'll get unless she has a lot of time on her hands and wants to be vindictive.

 

[TrueSOMDGirl]

I understand but what about a transfer of ownership? That's what crosses my mind and if the police were involved, what would they do if she says she never transferred anything. I think all the other contentions such has having homed and vetted the dog will factor in but I still think it could end up in small claims or with a lawyer if she wants him back, as I've said. I wish the OP would ask a police officer as to how the scenario might play out in this respect. I don't think she'd drive from FL to get a dog that she isn't 100% sure she'll get unless she has a lot of time on her hands and wants to be vindictive.

Exactly they would more than likely tell her to take it up in small claims court, and with him having the dog, and caring for the dog this long I doubt very seriously they would rule in her favor. As another poster said, if nothing else it would come into question why she feels she has the right to the dog if nothing was paid for the upkeep and it has been this long in his custody.

Hmmm that is a good idea, just call the sheriff or MDSP and talk to a duty officer and see what they say.

 

[stoppingby]

What crosses my mind over and over is that things don't often go as we think they will. Ownership on paperwork is the bottom line I think. An officer, imo, isn't going to make the decision about who cared for the dog for X amt of time, he's not a judge. But on the other hand, as I mentioned, one officer might agree to that and another officer might handle it different. One just doesn't know but ownership papwerwork is what my gut feeling says an officer is going to go with. I really do hope the OP will ask an officer, or more than one to get another opinion, as to what he might expect in that worse case scenario with her demand of retrieving the dog if it comes to that. I still think the less he makes her think he wants the dog, the more open she might be to saying okay to keep it. Hopefully it won't go to a tug-of-war over the dog. I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over, sorry. If I see an officer in my travels today I might just ask what outcome they'd foresee in such a scenario. I like to think of the worst in order to be prepared.

 

[Lexib_]

What crosses my mind over and over is that things don't often go as we think they will. Ownership on paperwork is the bottom line I think. An officer, imo, isn't going to make the decision about who cared for the dog for X amt of time, he's not a judge. But on the other hand, as I mentioned, one officer might agree to that and another officer might handle it different. One just doesn't know but ownership papwerwork is what my gut feeling says an officer is going to go with. I really do hope the OP will ask an officer, or more than one to get another opinion, as to what he might expect in that worse case scenario with her demand of retrieving the dog if it comes to that. I still think the less he makes her think he wants the dog, the more open she might be to saying okay to keep it. Hopefully it won't go to a tug-of-war over the dog. I feel like I'm saying the same thing over and over, sorry. If I see an officer in my travels today I might just ask what outcome they'd foresee in such a scenario. I like to think of the worst in order to be prepared.

That would probably be a civil issue and the police may not get involved.

 

[mingiz]

Got email from ex-gf that she's wants her German Shepherd (Abbi) back.

Abbi (6) has been living with me and her beagle brother, Dino (7) most of her life. The ex and I broke up several years ago but we stayed friends and did a joint custody thing. The dogs were with me most of the time because I had a bigger house and yard. She just got back from a 1yr deployment and has since got married and moved to FL.

Anyway, the ex likes to start problems once & while and since she didn't get her way she said she's coming to take my baby away. I have paid for everything on Abbi and never asked for a dime. Dino, is going to be devastated. This sucks...

I wouldn't worry about it. She is the one that abandoned the dog several years ago when she left. So the dog is yours. Tell her to ef off.

 

[StadEMS3]

SHE'S BACK!!!!

I got an email from her today after a year of no contact. I found out she got another GSD puppy from Germany with her new family too. She needs to let it go...

M***,

We are moving back to the area and I have received an injunction to obtain physical custody of Abbi. I need your address from you to make this an easier transition. If not I will obtain it from public record and proceed from there. Please reply by the end of next week. Thank you.

J*****

J****,

I intend to maintain legal ownership of Abbi. All her records and micro chip have been changed to my name and I have paid all expenses and provided all care since you left. You have made no attempt to see, pay expenses or check on her well being. Please let it go...

M***