Legal Ownership of a Dog Uk
Adoption or purchase records. You consider your pet a member of the family, but the law considers it personal property. This means you may need proof of legal ownership. Proof of ownership can be as simple as your adoption record from the local shelter or as complex as AKC proof of registration. Try to find something formal and have it notarized to avoid concerns in case you are faced with a dispute. If your pets are shared with someone, as in the case of roommates who have a «domestic dog,» make sure something is written about who the owner(s) are. And children often have close relationships with pets in the family. Especially in one-child families. It is therefore logical and will convince your clients if, as a lawyer, you can be competent and empathetic about the type of legal situations that will arise in relation to pets in a family law context. As lawyers, we have seen cases where pets have been crucial.
For example, it was reported that Ant McPartlin of Ant and Dec refused custody of a yellow Labrador with his ex-wife. If you divorce your partner, the court may be able to decide who can keep the family pet. For example, if you have a dog, the court may order the transfer of ancestral property or paper in the same way as for land or other property. And since April 2016, the law also requires all dogs up to eight weeks of age to have a microchip. This can be done by a veterinarian, animal welfare organization or local authority and can be offered as a free service. You can be fined up to £500 if it turns out that your dog is not microchipped. There is not a single piece of evidence conclusively proving who owns a dog. A small claims court will consider various pieces of information in determining the ownership of a pet, and a district judge has the right to give that evidence the weight he or she deems appropriate.
This includes written and oral statements about: Yes, dealing with all the paperwork that comes with pet ownership is overwhelming, but it`s a task worth taking. From estate planning to basic medical records, it`s up to you to keep these things organized and accessible, but it`s a task worth taking. When doing the work to manage your pet`s paperwork and records, rest assured that you are doing everything you can to ensure that your pet enjoys a long and healthy life. Take the steps in this guide to heart and start making changes now to ensure you have the documents, records and reports in place to properly protect your pets. Please note that the information on this page relates only to the laws of England and Wales and does not constitute legal advice. You can find information about your specific situation in the «How we can help you» section of our website. If your dog attacks or chases livestock, or is not «under strict control» (on a leash) at certain times of the year or in certain areas of the countryside, you can expect a fine plus compensation. If they think your dog poses a threat to livestock, a farmer is legally allowed to arrest it, and this may include killing a dog that hunts or disturbs farm animals. That`s why it`s so important to keep your dog safe and under control at all times when walking in the countryside. You love your pet, but do you have the legal documentation to prove that it really belongs to you? Would you be devastated to learn that you were not allowed to own your pet if someone else claimed ownership? You may need to prove ownership of a pet in one of the following situations: If there is a dispute between two people who believe they should own a particular dog, the courts may be asked to rule on the basis that the animals are legally classified as objects. Cohabitation agreements are enforceable under English law.
Often, a member of a couple already owns a pet when they start living with a partner. Or the young couple living together buys one or more pets together before having children. The ownership of the animal can be agreed in the document, just as the ownership of a chandelier or painting can be transferred to one of the parties. If the animal does not exist at the time of conclusion of the contract, the couple can agree that the owner is the buyer of the animal and its offspring. All the better if the cohabitation agreement is prepared by lawyers, because the agreement is more likely to be compliant and therefore enforceable. The cautious couple will keep records of the purchase of the animal. These can be crucial for ownership. For example, there will be data on the registration of the animal and the owner with the Kennel Club or similar, who paid for it, who organizes and pays for insurance, takes it to the vet, organizes its kennel, feeds it, goes for a walk, etc.
The original property documentation is not crucial, as the property may pass to the other member of the couple over time. For example, in cases where the dogs were purchased as gifts for the wives, ownership was transferred to the husbands when the dogs were taken to their offices with them and spent whole days with them during the work week. It is also possible for the court to rule that the dog is jointly owned, and if no agreement can be reached on who should have it, they could order that the dog be sold and the money shared. Another possibility would be for the court to decide on joint ownership, so that each person could have the dog for six months at a time. There are four breeds of dogs that are illegal to own in the UK: As cruel as it may seem, the law considers domestic dogs to be «chattel». In other words, they are an «object» that becomes possessed. Proof of ownership of a dog varies from family to family, but can include items such as proof of purchase, Kennel Club registration, proof that the dog in question is microchipped to the family, veterinary records, insurance, etc.
