Can a shelter sell my dog without contacting me first?

Question

My dog ended up at a shelter, they sold it after checking for a microchip and didn't call me

Answer

I am sorry to hear about your situation. It is very important to visit and contact animal shelters immediately after an animal goes missing.

Identified animals are generally required by law to be held for a longer period of time than unidentified animals, including in Colorado. A few states require animal shelters to check lost and stray animals for a microchip and to promptly contact the person to whom the microchip is registered. Local laws sometimes address microchipping so they should be reviewed too. Animal shelters in states and municipalities without such a law typically will also check for a microchip and other ID so that animals can be reunited with their “parents.” After all, that is the purpose of a microchip.

It is bad practice for a shelter not to scan for a microchip and to fail to make efforts to contact the microchip’s registrant. Although I cannot say what a court will do when there is not a specific microchip law addressing this issue, people who believe that their animal was wrongfully rehomed can sue to try to get the animal returned. I suggest attorney representation.