My 5 year old orange tabby was stolen and taken to a animal pound 150 blocks away!!!! By the time I found out what happened to him he had been sent to a petsmart and adopted.!! It's going on 2 1/2 weeks without my beloved cat and seem to have lost hope of getting him back! The shelter is saying that it's a binding contract and will not help me get him back!! The animal pound is still the responsible for the cat and not petsmart (what petsmart informed me) Does anyone know of anything I can still do?!?!?!?! my family and myself will do anything to get him back!!!!
2007-10-09 03:45:38 · 13 answers · asked by THE TRUTH HURTS AND SUCKS! 1 in Pets ➔ Cats
he was outside my house and some lady that isn't from my neighborhood came and took him along with 2 other cats!!! Everyone in my neighborhood knows him!! I checked the local shelter the next day after he was missing! I never imagined this crazy woman would take him 150-190 blocks away!!!! He took off his rabies shot tag (he almost choked himself once) but he had surgery about 2 years ago on his leg and still has the marks. HELP ME PLEASE!!
2007-10-09 04:26:01 · update #1
Have you contacted the shelter? Do you have proof of ownership?
2007-10-09 03:49:47 · answer #1 · answered by Kamunyak 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
You have to have proof of ownership which you must show to the shelter (Petsmart does not control the adoptions, the shelter goes to that location and adopts them out so Petsmart can do nothing for you). Hopefully your cat has been to the vet so you need to get copies of the rabies vaccination and any papers possible to prove you are the owner. Also, your vet should help you if the shelter does not believe you because they will know it is your cat. Take the shelter any pictures you have of the cat also.
You need to act quickly because the longer you wait, the less chance you have of getting the cat back. Make sure you keep your animals inside from now on so they do not get stolen.
2007-10-09 10:55:08 · answer #2 · answered by Madison 6 · 5⤊ 0⤋
Petsmart is not responsible - they only offer space for non-profit groups, they don't have anything to do with the actual adoption.
If possible, talk to the folks who adopted him and see if you can work something out. Legally, he is theirs now, because the pound had him for the required hold time and put him up for adoption.
This is why it's important if you lose an animal that you contact ALL of the shelters and pounds in your area to let them know you're looking for your animal.
This is also why it's important to have ID on your animal, like a microchip or a tattoo.
Good luck...
2007-10-09 11:47:01 · answer #3 · answered by Nandina (Bunny Slipper Goddess) 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First off, what is your definition of stolen? Was your cat an outdoor cat? Did it have any collar/microchip? I'm guessing your cat was outdoors, without any identification.
Second, why did you wait over two weeks to start looking into what happened? Why weren't you calling/checking shelters and vet offices the second you realized that you didn't know where your cat was? My two cats are indoors only and I get nervous if I don't see them for a while.
Take it as a lesson learned. Keep your cats indoors only and even then, make sure they have some sort of identification in case they get out. I'm sorry, I don't have any sympathy for you, this could have been prevented.
2007-10-09 11:02:21 · answer #4 · answered by I hate Doodles!!!!! 4 · 1⤊ 2⤋
Get your vet records, and bring photographs of your cat with you and go down to the shelter and talk to management. Stolen property is not your fault, the cat is yours and you need it's return.
I'd also contact the police and explain the situation and then ask them if you need to fill out a theft report on your cat (documentation!). You attempted to find the cat through the closest shelter, indicating you were actively looking.
Stolen property IS stolen property. Proof of ownership is required to get it back.
2007-10-09 22:10:56 · answer #5 · answered by Elaine M 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
What you have is a case for Civil Court, probably small claims if this isn't a purebred animal. Cats are considered property.
You'll need to prepare yourself for the case. It would help if you'd filed a police report or notified the local shelter that your kitty was missing for documentation. If not, then you'll need to bring evidence or witnesses to verify that the cat was in your care and custody for an extended length of time. Veterinary records, photographs and as many witnesses as you can get will help prove your case.
Good luck. I hope you get your friend back.
2007-10-09 10:56:15 · answer #6 · answered by Leslie L 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Ask your vet for detailed records on the surgery that was done on his leg. Then ask the vet if he will testify to the identity of your cat. If he refuses or is hesitant, it is your right to supoena him, but be prepared- he simply may not remember the details of the operation if too much time has passed. I think this is your best plan of attack- but I cannot even begin to estimate your chances of success. If you do get your cat back, I would strongly recommend you have his ear tattooed if you plan to let him back outside, or else confine him to the house.
2007-10-09 13:12:55 · answer #7 · answered by howldine 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
is your cat ID chipped? if so then you can prove that you are the owner and should legally be entitled to have the cat back - other than that i'm really not sure. if you have no proof of ownership then you may be a bit stuck! did you report the cat missing at the time it was stolen? if so, this may go in your favour.
2007-10-09 10:59:52 · answer #8 · answered by WitchyPants 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is sad, but I believe that people who adopt, really will be good to your cat, not that this makes it any easier, but there are plenty of cats that need homes, think about adopting another Orange tabby, sorry about your orginal lose.
2007-10-09 10:50:04 · answer #9 · answered by culater 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Why not put up lost cat posters around the area. Maybe the people who adopted your cat will see them and realize who it really belongs to.
2007-10-09 10:54:19 · answer #10 · answered by blue_seal07 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
how long was the cat missing ? here if its been gone 30 days it will be put up for adoption.
2007-10-09 10:56:57 · answer #11 · answered by renee k 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋