Legal Question in Civil Litigation in Massachusetts

I'm not quite sure if I labeled this under the proper area of law, but I have a question regarding rightful ownership of puppies. In this scenario, a couple I know dated for under a year (not married), and during this time they intentionally bred their dogs which resulted in two puppies. The girlfriend now claims she has the right to sue the boyfriend because the puppies are as she states, "half hers" since her male dog was involved in the breeding and resulting puppies. The boyfriend has been caring for these puppies by himself from birth, and she has not contributed to their care/well being at all. Does she have any recourse as to whether or not she is entitled to either the puppies, or the funds that are received when the boyfriend decides to sell the puppies? She moved out of his home on her own will while the mother dog (belonging to the boyfriend) was pregnant, and she still currently owns the male dog (the father of the puppies). She is known to be an animal hoarder/abuser, so he is unwilling to give the puppies to her, and as of right now has no plans to sell them, but may in the future. Is she entitled to anything in this case? I am not in her favor due to her past treatment of animals, but the boyfriend (my friend) is curious as to what (if any) recourse she may have in this case. Thanks for any responses. This is in Massachusetts (western mass, Springfield).


Asked on 9/03/10, 4:03 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys
George Davis Law Office of T. George Davis, Jr.

I don't think there is a clear cut answer to this issue, and it would require a closer look into the entire set of circumstances between these two individuals to figure this out. I imagine a case could be made that the girlfriend is correct in what she claims, but she would then also probably be responsible for her 50% share of the expenses your friend incurred in taking care of the puppies. On the other hand, I imagine a case could also be made that the girlfriend never had any property interest at all in the puppies, and that they have always belonged to your friend and still do, and he can do with them as he pleases. Unfortunately, this kind of forum is limited in trying to obtain the information necessary to figure this whole issue out, and your friend might want to consult with an attorney to try to get to the bottom of this. Otherwise, the parties can try to sort this out in small claims court, but it would probably be advantageous for your friend to at least talk to an attorney first, if not bring that attorney to court. Good luck.

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Answered on 9/09/10, 12:03 pm


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