Elinor D. Molbegott, is an attorney who maintains a law practice devoted to animal law. Elinor donates her time to answer questions from North Shore Animal League America supporters who would like to learn more about animal law.
How can I get my dogs back including a service dog? The county has not charged me with anything yet has taken my dogs whom are healthy & well loved.
Do I have to get my dog fixed? Is it a law? What if I don’t want to?
Is it possible to re-adopt a cat?
Was fostering a dog to own from a shelter and was going to get her spayed but then found out she was pregnant. Instead of returning her to get spayed and aborting the pups, we decided it was in her best health to let her birth the puppies in our home. We then got the mother spayed, yet the shelter is now claiming ownership of the pups born at our home...saying they are the Shelter's property because the mother was still their property. Do we have any claim to these pups?
My niece adopted a puppy from a foster organization. It seemed unwell from day 1, by day 5 he had stopped eating and had diarrhea. They took him to a vet who had to do emergency surgery at a cost of $2,900. He had a dog toy in his stomach which the vet thinks was inside him when they bought him. Does anyone bear any responsibility for this huge vet bill?
My cat who is really like our child was stolen by our neighbor one night as I let her out for some fresh air when they grabbed her they told our security guard at our apt that it was cold and they would return her in the morning. It was caught on video when they grabbed her my wife called police who mistakenly told her a cat is not property in CA. What can we do? It has now been a few weeks and we are heartbroken . We can't get help from our landlord or anyone.
My neighbor is starting to put out cages to cage my cats and they are putting tuna in them to bait my cats over. Normally my cats stay in my yard and don't go into said neighbors yard but now with the tuna they are. I had to go over to my neighbors house and break my cat out of the cage. Do I need to call someone to get them to stop trying to cage my cats? (no feral cat colonies are in the area)
My neighbor is starting to put out cages to cage my cats and they are putting tuna in them to bait my cats over. Normally my cats stay in my yard and don't go into said neighbors yard but now with the tuna they are. I had to go over to my neighbors house and break my cat out of the cage. Do I need to call someone to get them to stop trying to cage my cats? (no feral cat colonies are in the area)
I adopted a kitten from a very negligent shelter several months ago. I was promised multiple times that when they did the double enucleation that he was neutered. I have texts from the person who assisted with surgery that says he was neutered, he IS NOT neutered. What can I do?
If I fostered a puppy through my job with no agreement signed between the foster and I then what rights do I have to the puppy? I also put in for an adoption of that puppy and the foster hasn’t contacted me for over two months. I have a text from the owner of my job stating I was approved and would be called with good news but never heard from the lady over the rescue/foster. I have not paid an adoption fee for him yet but also have been talking care of him for the past two months with no help. They had him neutered and most shots were tractor supply, I believe I am going to be leaving this job due to their poor ownership and was wondering if they could take him back from me even though they told me he was mine since I haven’t been able to pay for him because of no contact. I am worried about it.