Can I take my neighbor’s dog if it is being neglected?

Question

A friend of mine told me that his roommate is completely neglecting his Husky. His roommate never feeds or takes his dog outside at all (my friend does it for him). He has also told me that the dog has shown signs of being physically abused as well. He says that his roommate is moving in a month and is bringing the dog with him, but I was wondering if we would be allowed to take the dog from him. Animal control has been called, but they did nothing, and this dog is not chipped either. We really want to rescue this dog from this abusive person.

Answer

Generally, individuals who believe an animal is being mistreated cannot lawfully take the animal away from the animal’s “owner” though sometimes offering to purchase an animal works to get the animal out of a bad situation. Transfer of “ownership” agreements should be in writing to help avoid disputes in the future. Some SPCA’s (societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals) enforce animal cruelty/neglect laws so they should be contacted. The police can be contacted as well. People who violate these laws may be prosecuted and their animals may be seized by law enforcement officers.