What to do if someone has my pet and demands money for its return?

This is a very difficult situation and without documented proof it would be very difficult for anyone to intervene in this case. IT may help if you could record the episodes you can hear and replay this to your local police officers so they can investigate a breach of animal welfare

I am not quite sure what you mean by "she is lost"? If she has run away you can call all the local shelters and animal control and report her missing and find out if she was found. You may also want to tell the police just in case they find her or someone turns her in.

Wow, what a tough situation for you to be in! It does happen that people abandon their pets, and it could be what happened to your cat. I would simply be honest with the vet. Tell them he turned up on your doorstep, and you kept him because you thought he was a stray. He will have to see a vet for his health, so as long as you are honest with them, I'm sure they will believe you :-)

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I'd be careful getting updates from the receptionist. They tend to not have any medical background or even the full story. I would call to ask to speak with the Vet who saw your dog or the practice owner or manager. Get the true story. Maybe they can tell you which shelter and if it wasn't expensive you can pay your bill. I doubt they had you sign paper work under false pretenses. We as vets don't want animals to suffer or die with out treatment. That is why we offer to take over their care at our own expense. There is a lot of emotional and compassion fatigue with in our profession and I can be 100% sure they did this to benefit your pet and not to purposely hurt or trick you. Good luck!

I'm sorry you are going through this. You should contact Petsmart management to discuss the situation and reasoning behind their actions. I'm not a lawyer, so I can't comment on the legality but you should check state and local property laws.

Get a list of equine veterinarians in the UK and send them a letter. This horse very likely is not anywhere near you anymore, so you need to go beyond 12 miles to inform equestrian centres. Inform your local radio stations. Here are some sites: http://stolenhorseregister.com/RWSHR/register.html https://www.preloved.co.uk/classifieds/horses-livestock/horses-ponies/all/uk/lost+or+stolen+horses https://www.facebook.com/groups/490805054290075/ http://www.tracingequines.co.uk/photos/index.php?/category/19 https://www.horseandhound.co.uk/tag/stolen I hope that helps.

This sounds like a friendship and ethics/legal discussion Rather than a veterinary question. I would encourage you to discuss your concerns and desires with your friend. If she is not being reasonable about establishing an arrangement then you will probably need to contact animal control in your area to determine the legal requirements of ownership in your state. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.