Financial & Legal News

Every Dog has their Day (in court)

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It was a good day at the office, or should that be in court recently when one of our team reunited a man with a long lost family pet.

Crowd-funding paid the legal costs and we were overjoyed to see our client, Richard Howard, back with his border collie Alfie.  A Facebook campaign was launched to cover legal and other expenses.

Chris Burke, solicitor at Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers, does not usually have a canine caseload but here he acted for the dogs owners:

“It was a bit of an unusual case for us, it’s not often we get civil litigation cases which are crowd-funded, or indeed concerning dogs.  In this case Alfie was a much loved pet, but legally speaking in the eyes of the law he was considered ‘chattel’ and treated in the same way as any other possession. They may be regarded as one of the family but the correct legal treatment of a pet in England and Wales is as personal property.

“Alfie’s ‘foster’ owner had done nothing wrong, he’d taken in a rescue pet from the dogs home, but this was a sort of mistaken identity case and Alfie should not have been there in the first place, it’s a reminder that if your circumstances change get your dog re-chipped.

“Saying all that it was a great way to end a working week by getting an interim injunction granted and having Alfie returned home.”

Even though the dog and his owner were reunited the case is not complete as this was an interim injunction pending the final outcome of the case, but the Judge ordered Alfie be returned to his former owner until then.

“Alfie is now quite a famous Facebook and media star and it’s nice to see the work we did for him and his owner recogised,” added Chris.

Please note that the information and opinions contained in this article are not intended to be comprehensive, nor to provide legal advice. No responsibility for its accuracy or correctness is assumed by Pearson Solicitors and Financial Advisers Ltd or any of its members or employees. Professional legal advice should be obtained before taking, or refraining from taking, any action as a result of this article.

This blog was posted some time ago and its contents may now be out of date. For the latest legal position relating to these issues, get in touch with the author - or make an enquiry now.

Written by Christopher Burke

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