How do I go about the adoption process?

Question

There is a lady who lived near me and knew my cousin. She had a ton of dogs and decided to give some away. She gave a dog to my cousin, but after a short amount of time he no longer wanted the dog, and ended up giving the dog to my mother and our family. We've had the dog for about a year, and I wanted to get him his vaccinations and have him cleaned, but I can't because I don't have legal adoption papers. Is there any way that I can adopt him legally, and if so, how would I go about the adoption process. I don't want them to take my dog away. He means the world to me.

Answer

One does not need adoption papers in order to be an animal’s owner or to take an animal to a veterinarian. Ideally, when a person adopts an animal from another person there would be a written transfer of ownership agreement stating that one named person is transferring all ownership rights to the other named person. Transfer of ownership agreements are not required by law but they can be helpful in the event of a pet custody dispute. It can also be helpful to have such things as a dog license, microchip registration, and veterinary records in one’s name. When a person adopts an animal from a shelter or rescue, there is usually a written adoption agreement. When a person purchases an animal from a breeder or pet store, there is generally a written document provided to the purchaser and a receipt of payment.