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Torn photo of couple and their dog

There is a dispute about who owns my dog. 
What can I do?

Few things make an ownership dispute more upsetting than when the thing being argued about is your dog.

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Perhaps a relationship has ended and your former partner is saying they should keep the dog.

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Perhaps someone who was looking after your dog won't give them back.

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Or perhaps somebody is now claiming ownership of a dog you have always regarded as yours.

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Whatever has happened, the worry is usually much simpler: Could I actually lose my dog?

Start by protecting your position

If someone is challenging your ownership of your dog, don't assume that what they say determines what happens next.

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And don't assume that because the dog is currently with the other person, you have somehow lost your rights.

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The first step is to work out what evidence supports your ownership and what you should do next to protect your position.

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That is something we can help you with.

How do I prove that my dog belongs to me?

Sometimes ownership is straightforward.

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Sometimes it isn't.

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Dogs often become part of our lives without anyone thinking about keeping a legal paper trail.

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You may have bought the dog years ago. Your former partner may have helped care for them. One of you may have paid the vet while the other bought food. Registration may have changed. The dog may originally have been a gift.

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None of that mattered while everyone agreed whose dog it was.

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It matters when somebody challenges it.

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We can help piece together the history and identify the evidence that supports your position. That may include:

  • purchase, breeder or adoption records

  • bank payments and receipts

  • Council registration

  • microchip information

  • veterinary records

  • insurance documents

  • photographs

  • texts, emails and other messages

  • evidence about who the dog was bought for

  • what was agreed between you

  • evidence showing how the dog has lived and been cared for.

 

There isn't necessarily one document that decides ownership.

What about the dog registration?

That's important.

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Council registration, microchip details and veterinary records can all help establish the history of your relationship with your dog.

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But an ownership dispute may involve more than one piece of evidence.

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Rather than relying on a single document, we can look at the complete picture supporting your ownership.

What if my former partner is claiming my dog?

This is one of the most difficult situations because relationship property law also needs to be considered.

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A relationship ending is hard enough without also facing the possibility of losing your dog.

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And because couples don't normally document every decision they make about a pet, there may suddenly be disagreement about something that seemed perfectly clear while you were together.

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  • Who originally acquired the dog?

  • Was the dog bought for one of you?

  • Was the dog a gift?

  • What did you agree?

  • What do the documents and messages from the time show?

 

Those facts can matter.

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The important thing is not to assume that your former partner's claim means they are entitled to keep your dog.

How do I get my dog back?

New Zealand law treats dogs as property for important legal purposes, and there can be legal remedies where somebody is keeping property belonging to another person.

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But the right approach depends on what has happened.

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Sometimes a strongly supported request for the dog's return may resolve matters.

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Sometimes negotiation is appropriate.

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And sometimes a formal legal process may be necessary.

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Our job is to help you work out where you stand and the best way to protect your position before choosing which path to take.

Why DogLawyer?

When somebody threatens your relationship with your dog, you don't need to be told that “it's only property.”

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We understand that it isn't only about who bought what or whose name appears on a document.

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It's about whether you get to keep your dog.

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But protecting that relationship means getting the legal position right.

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We can help reconstruct the history, identify the evidence that supports your ownership, assess the other person's claim, and work out your better next step.

Because animal law is not just one of the things we do; it’s the entire focus of our work.

 

Guardianz is the only law firm in New Zealand dedicated to the practice of animal law.  We genuinely care about animal law  being done well and the outcome you get.

Woman and dog looking at computer

How do you want to look back on things in 12 months?

What's the best that could happen?

What's the worst?

 

Smart steps taken at the right time are routinely key factors that affect your outcomes in these matters, so your next step is simply to fill in this contact form. 

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CONTACT US

You can help us to help you by using the 'Message' section in this form to tell us:

  1. Where you are in the country

  2. Key dates and details about the problem that you're facing; and 

  3. What you would like to see as the outcome.


"Bottom line," it doesn’t matter where you are in New Zealand; one way or another, we can help you put your best case forward.

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