If it makes you feel better about it, sure. But after the first month without contact, it was pretty clear what was going to happen.
It gives me a legal leg to stand on if she ever does show up again. And with people like this, you cannot predict what they might think they are entitled to if it becomes convenient to them again.
The pessimist in me makes me point out that with people like this, legal standing may not be that important. But I hope they just stay the ever loving hell away and let you get on with continuing to improve this innocent beast’s life.
Someone upthread mentioned checking for a chip. If you haven’t done that yet, this might be a good time to do it. If the dog doesn’t have one, get it done.
Regarding the legality of it, I don’t know how that would actually play out. I have a feeling that if it came to it, a judge would give the dog back to them. I don’t know if there’s a way to do this without them suddenly deciding they want the dog back, but it would probably help your case if you could send her a text message getting her to confirm the dog is now yours.
Having said that, my gut still says it’s probably best not to contact her at all and just go on with the assumption that the dog is yours. Worry about what to do if she you contacts you when or if that happens.
If you’re going to call it a stray dog, make sure you check on stray/found dog laws in your area. At least where I live, you can’t just keep a dog you found without going through a series of steps, including notifying the owner, if known.
You can get a chip scanner online very inexpensively, so you don’t risk finding out the hard way at the vet when the vet notifies the previous owner. They’re only $20 - $35 on Amazon.
Well, the worst has happened, she has contacted me and wants the dog back. I made it clear that is not going to happen. That she had broken our agreement and abandoned the dog, and we are not going to discuss giving her back now. I left it open to discuss letting the daughter to visit.
She just told lies throughout the discussion. The dog was never thin, was well fed, went to daycare and also had a dogwalker in the afternoons (?). Nobody had ever hit the dog, and it only (!) spent eight hours a day in the cage. It was so sad. I just kept her talking.
Ugh. And that’s about all there is to say about that.
My friends are worried that she will call the police and say that I have stolen the dog.
Wondering if your posts in this thread will help as far as documenting the history of this mess.
Too bad she can’t actually seem to consider the dog’s well-being.
If she escalates legally, i expect you will end up with clear legal ownership of the dog. It may get ugly in between, though.
Good luck.
She called the police. I have been trading messages with the officer. Haven’t gotten to speak with them yet. UGH!! (You can call me Ned now.)
Any updates?
I was really hoping nobody would ask. The police demanded that I return the dog to the original owners or else be charged with a felony. The owner then took her time, waiting almost 36 hours before actually picking the dog up.
We are all utterly devastated.
I did get a chance to talk briefly with the young girl who owns the dog, and I taught her about the amount to feed the dog and how to feel her back to see if she’s eating enough. The new bf came with her and seemed appropriately shocked to see what the dog should look like healthy. He was an obviously gentle human.
The police officer assured me that she would refer the dog to animal control for follow up on her care. The new owner is >expecting< to have law enforcement checking on the dog.
I mean, it’s great that Animal Control will follow up to make sure the dog is being properly cared for, but this is a rotten outcome. I’m so sorry. I can well understand how devastated you and your family feel.
Perhaps this won’t be the end of the story. But at least the new boyfriend will be on the scene – for awhile, anyway – and may ensure there is better care of the dog.
Hugs to you for trying to do the right thing and protect the animal from such neglect.
I just didn’t even want to tell you all, because I know some of you will suffer as I do thinking of her back in that rotten situation. I told the police officer that what she was doing was evil, and she needed to leave this up to a judge. She had absolutely no interest in investigating at all. The dog might as well have been a lawn mower. And she called me a thief.
I find the police officer’s take on this situation bizarre. As if you would “steal” something that requires an ongoing and somewhat significant outlay of money to care for properly. Proper pet care costs bucks: Food, medications, vet, teeth-cleaning, grooming, etc.
No good deed goes unpunished, I guess. 
Again, I’m so sorry this was the outcome.
Maybe keep an eye on the situation so you can call Animal Control if necessary. I’m sorry, this sucks!
I am so sorry to hear this.
Oh, I’m so sorry! That’s awful.
And how bizarre of the police officer. I get that he might feel he needs to take back the dog to follow the law, but you’d think he understood the difference between caring for a dog that needs care and stealing something.
In VA, it’s a felony to steal a dog even if it’s only worth $5. Which in itself is, I think, trying to pay tribute to the deep sentimental value of pets. But in this case it backfired horribly.
I really don’t see how refusing to return a dog after the owner abandoned it is stealing though. That’s just ridiculous. If anything, she is guilty of theft of services.