Legal Question in Family Law in Texas

Dog rights

I broke up with my boyfriend after many years of being together.We had two dogs together. All financial issues fell on me. One dog had two surgeries totaling over 3000k plus vet bills, food and anything else that came up I paid for. He actually bought both dogs.When we both moved out he asked if he could take the dogs for a two week visit out of state to his mothers� house. I told him that would be fine and he agreed to let me know when he was on his was back. Well two weeks past I tried to call him numerous times but to no avail. After a month, I called his moms house. When I asked when he was to return I was told me he had no plans of a return because she was ill and with him there she would need to go to a nursing home. I then received an email from him telling me that he had moved out of state and the dogs were his and the decision to take them was his and his alone! I was devastated! He lied all along about being gone two weeks; he had planned for months to move to another state and never said a thing about it. This happened at the end of July. My question is do I have any legal right to my dogs? And can I make him give them back to me for a joint custody situation. Thanks so much!


Asked on 9/23/08, 9:36 am

1 Answer from Attorneys
TC Langford Langford Law Office

Re: Dog rights

The dogs are property and are subject to ownership claims, not custody claims. Since you were not married, and there appears to be no enforceable agreement as to the ownership of the dogs; the fact that he bought and paid for them, results in a strong case for him that they are his property.

You might have a valid claim for reimbursement of expenses, but in my opinion, it is a long shot.

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Answered on 9/23/08, 11:38 am


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