Companion animals are more than property. They are living beings who form lasting bonds with the people who love, raise, and care for them.

Yet when a dog or other companion animal is taken, withheld, or transferred without the rightful caretaker’s consent, recovering that animal can involve a long, expensive, and emotionally devastating legal process.

These disputes don’t happen only in marriages or divorces. They can involve former dating partners, friends, roommates, family members, or people entrusted with temporary care.

We are launching this campaign to support the proposed California Companion Animal Care and Recovery Act.

The proposal seeks clearer protections for documented transfers of ownership, stronger consideration of established caregiving relationships, and more accessible court procedures for resolving wrongful-possession disputes.

It also seeks to ensure that outdated veterinary records or registration information are evaluated alongside more recent evidence, rather than automatically determining ownership.

We believe California can protect lawful ownership rights and due process while giving greater consideration to the welfare of companion animals.

Our request: We ask California legislators to review this proposal, work with animal-law and welfare experts, and consider introducing legislation that better protects companion animals and their families.

Sign our petition, share your experience, and help bring this issue to the attention of California lawmakers.

Pets are family. Their welfare matters.