Legal Fees to Save Rescue

Over 3 years ago, PB and Chi Dog Rescue Society took in a local owner surrender. He was in a dire state; malnourished, double ear infections, skin and eye infections in addition to being not neutered or up to date on shots. He was not microchipped or had any identification.

We took him in and immediately started getting to work. We posted him up on all of our social media as a dog we had just taken in and to see if the previous owner would find him and that we were looking for a Foster. We found an amazing Foster who cared for him while he physically, mentally and emotionally rehabilitated. After 3 months, nobody had stepped forward and his Foster had fallen in love, so she adopted him.

In December of last year, he and his mom were taking their final bathroom break of the evening when a woman came running up stating that he was her dog and that she wanted him back. When we were contacted by this person, we told them that we had followed all the requirements for any animal surrender and adoption, more so than some traditional shelters even conduct. As she started to get verbally abusive and demanding, we told her that we would only handle this situation through legal channels with the police and lawyers. After multiple requests for any sort of proof this was ever her dog, all she has produced is a multitude of social media attacks on our rescue and the Founder of the rescue. A police report was filed for harassment by the dog's current owner, and we have done nothing but disregard the slanderous and defaming comments that have been made about us both online and via email and text messages from her and people associated with her.

She is now taking us to court, demanding the return of the dog - with no concern whatsoever of his current medical needs or the fact that he should not be uprooted from the only loving home he has known for the past 3 years. She is also suing us and the current owner for $35,000.

We have retained the top animal law lawyer in Vancouver who feels we have an extremely strong case. The importance of winning this lawsuit is for the safety and livelihood of the dog and his owner, and for avoiding a devastating effect this could have on owner surrenders in the rescue community.

*As of today we have spent THOUSANDS of dollars on this case, which has had a crippling effect on our rescue efforts, but the end is not in sight anytime soon. We are turning to our communities and supporters to *please help us keep this dog with the loving and caring mom he has had for over 3 years, and help create a legal landmark that animals are not just pieces of property you can abandon and pick back up whenever you want.

Fundraising goal: $35,000