Can Sarah Get Her Dog Back?

**catcher T** · 01-09-08, 11:08 PM

Here's the story,
Sarah takes her dog to a breeder Amanda, and drops it off (three hours away), Amanda has a stud. (party color white with brown spots cocker spaniel)
Sarah talks to Amanda the next day after dropping the dog off. Amanda says she bred the dog once.
the next day Amanda calls Sarah and says the dog ran away. Sarah drives back down, Amanda says she will put up fliers, she does and its the wrong number on all of them.
Sarah finds out that "a" dog at Amandas now has puppies, born at the same that Sarah's dog would of had puppies if it didn't run away(6 puppies, 4 look like sarahs dog).
Sarah has called and sent fliers to all the vets, shelters and humane societies within a 100 mile radius, no one has seen this dog. Sarah has copies of chat room talk and Amanda is talking about a dog named Mazie (Sarahs dogs name) and Amanda is registered with a game called showdogs.com and use's the name Maize as one of her dogs. Amanda also slipped up in a phone conversation and called the dog that had puppies Maize,(she has a black female that she says had the puppies)
What should Sarah do? She went to the police dept, (I know its a civil matter) the officer says "hey I am going to knock on the door and say do you have Sarah's dog and she is going to say no" so he tells Sarah to file a small claims that he can't do anything.
Small claims gives monetary damages, not property, Sarah wants her dog back.
Is this a Stolen dog? What should Sarah do to TRY and get her dog back?

**MacLean** · 01-09-08, 11:17 PM

Civil matter? Maybe, maybe not.

Sarah needs to bring photos of the dog and proof of ownership of the dog to the police officer. Prior dog licenses, vet records, etc.

With that information, I could do theft here in my State.

**Willowdared** · 01-09-08, 11:37 PM

If she's a show dog or AKC registered, then she's chipped, and vets check chips, so it would be easy to prove ownership.

She also could not register the litter with AKC without proving ownership, and AKC would have a record of who registered the bitch in the first place.

My Mom breeds and shows Cavaliers.

**Doc_Holliday** · 01-10-08, 12:09 AM

Originally Posted by PDawg

If she's a show dog or AKC registered, then she's chipped, and vets check chips, so it would be easy to prove ownership.

She also could not register the litter with AKC without proving ownership, and AKC would have a record of who registered the bitch in the first place.

My Mom breeds and shows Cavaliers.

I didnt realize there was a big calling to show those little Chevy's...what makes a prize winner??

**k-9max** · 01-10-08, 12:10 AM

Same as everyone else has said, there are ways to find out, pictures, chips, vet papers ect...

Here if she had that info it would also be theft.

**Willowdared** · 01-10-08, 12:46 AM

Originally Posted by Doc_Holliday

I didnt realize there was a big calling to show those little Chevy's...what makes a prize winner??

Dork!

http://www.ckcsc.org/

And she sold her pet quality pups for $1000 each, show quality runs $2000+, so it would be grand theft in California.

**catcher T** · 01-10-08, 01:25 AM

Now correct me if I am wrong, the officer knocks on the door and says, I think you have this girls dog, and the girl says no I don't it ran away, then what do ya do? is a judge going to give them a warrant? as far as I know no one has seen this girl in possion of the dog.
I don't think the dog is chipped, I would of never left one of my dogs somewhere, but then again look at one of my dogs in my pic there, he is such a good biter LOL,,,its awesome.

I love king charles caveliars,,,good little dogs.

**Willowdared** · 01-10-08, 01:53 AM

Well, Amanda had the dog, and was therefore responsible. At the very least, she civilly responsible, as she lost the dog.

If she ever wants to serve her dog as stud again, she'd better pay up, or the dog world will blacklist her. She's either a thief, or totally unreliable.

All Sarah has to do is get someone to go over as a possible buyer of one of the pups and get a picture of Mommy dog. They can hide a chip reader in their pocket and scan her real quick too.

**catcher T** · 01-10-08, 02:27 AM

Thanks PDawg,,I think that we shall give that one a try,,Amanda is offering one of the puppies,,since they do strangely enough look like Sarah's dog,,I told Sarah to take someone with her to look at the puppies and then request the mom,,but I like your idea better,,this way its not Sarah who is to close to the situation and plus Amanda would be more apt to bring out a mom for a "stranger",,thanks

**deputy29** · 01-10-08, 04:04 AM

If you can get pictures of the mother of the pups and prove it looks like Sarah's dog you might be able to request DNA testing. My family and I have breed and raised dogs for years and there is a reason they have all been chipped and we have never left a female to be serviced unless it was with someone we knew well and trusted. My Dogue de Bordeaux is chipped and I have no plans on breeding her. It's something a smart dog owner should do because there is always that one time where they might get away and you would want them returned. Depending on the dogs pedigree and worth it certainly could be considered theft. At the least it is a civil case because she didn't take care of the safety of the bitch while she was in her care.

**Bob Loblaw** · 01-10-08, 04:06 AM

Originally Posted by deputy29

...she didn't take care of the safety of the bitch ...

hahahaha! I know this is the correct terminology, but it still took me aback a little. "Geez...why is deputy 29 so hard on her? She's just a dog...."

**Pudge** · 01-10-08, 09:06 AM

It could be pursued as Theft by Deception here if she can provide all of the proper information.

If she couldn't provide the information she would be referred to give it an attempt in civil court.

**dcollins** · 01-11-08, 01:52 AM

I have only been an officer for about 2 1/2 years, but I've had several instances where I've had similar issues occur, albeit with other types of "property." I've simply told the person suspected of the "theft" that I would like to clear this issue up and explain that if they would let me take a look around or even ask them to give me a tour of the facility, I could document the information once nothing has been found. Prior to my visit, I have actually done a lot of research about the item in question and know exactly what I'm looking for. I don't let that person know that, but let them believe I am mostly in the dark about this issue. I've had at least 2 times where I've found the item in question and both times the item was returned to the rightful owner. This is another option, but I also agree with what PDawg said- it would be especially nice if the person who could look at the dog was another police officer who did their homework on the issue.

drc

**catcher T** · 01-13-08, 03:57 AM

Originally Posted by deputy29

If you can get pictures of the mother of the pups and prove it looks like Sarah's dog you might be able to request DNA testing. My family and I have breed and raised dogs for years and there is a reason they have all been chipped and we have never left a female to be serviced unless it was with someone we knew well and trusted. My Dogue de Bordeaux is chipped and I have no plans on breeding her. It's something a smart dog owner should do because there is always that one time where they might get away and you would want them returned. Depending on the dogs pedigree and worth it certainly could be considered theft. At the least it is a civil case because she didn't take care of the safety of the bitch while she was in her care.

me to! you see one of my dogs there, I am soooo picky about my dogs, I love french mastiff's!

**Coloradocop** · 01-13-08, 05:11 AM

Originally Posted by dcollins

I have only been an officer for about 2 1/2 years, but I've had several instances where I've had similar issues occur, albeit with other types of "property." I've simply told the person suspected of the "theft" that I would like to clear this issue up and explain that if they would let me take a look around or even ask them to give me a tour of the facility, I could document the information once nothing has been found.

That's it, in a nutshell. Nothing beats consent, and I can't recall any time when that tactic hasn't worked for me. "Normal" people (and by that I mean those who aren't hardened street-smart felons) won't turn a cop away if that kind of request is presented correctly.

After all, at the very least they know that they were responsible for a dog to some degree when it was dropped off to their care. If you play the "Can I just look around so that I can tell this lady that you don't have her dog?" angle, odds are you will get consent to search.

I have a shelter mutt, and even she is chipped. Is the dog in question actually chipped or not? This would be a huge help to the dog's rightful owner!