So, I woke up this morning to find a 6-10 week old kitten in my neighbors yard. It was drenched and hobbling on a broken leg. I’m taking it to the vet this morning to have its leg mended as well as whatever else it needs to return to full health. I’ve accepted resposibility for the costs. That’s no big deal as I can easily afford it. However, if the original owner turns up, is it their responsibility to reimburse me for the animal’s medical expenses? It is clearly their moral responsibility, but are they legally obligated to do so? Do I have the right to refuse to return the kitten if they fail to pay up? We already have 3 cats, so I don’t plan on keeping it. I’m just curious. If I find the owner, I’ll be happy to return it. I know how upset I’d be if my kittens escaped and were injured.
Well, the poor thing’s humerus was snapped in half. I tracked down the owner. The kitten belonged to my neighbor. Her cat had a litter of 4 kittens about 9 weeks ago. They had no idea one was missing until I questioned them 6 or 7 hours later. It turns out that the owner has no responsibility to cover any medical expenses. In fact, when I informed my neighbor that her kitten was at the hospital she called them to abandon it since it required about $700 worth of surgery to pin the bones back into place.
To answer my own question, I do not become the owner of the animal by default for accepting financial responsibility and therefore have no right to keep it. If I pay the bill and the owner shows up with a valid claim to the animal, I’m out of luck. The owner is under no obligation to pay. On the positive side, in some states, there are good samaritan funds for injured strays to prevent the vet and the good samaritan from being burdened with the costs of expensive treatment.
The story has a happy ending. I paid for diagnosis and initial treatment and the vet volunteered to perform the remaining surgery at cost. The kitten got the surgery she needed and will be adopted by one of the vet technicians. I feel like a superhero who only saves kittens. 