Police Officer Preparation & Law Enforcement Resource - Archive

I just got scammed by someone. I sold my dog to them and they gave me a fake check. I called them back and said that I wanted my dog back but they won't give me my dog back. I know where they live. When I went to go ask for my dog back the person who opened the door claimed that they don't have a dog but I heard a dog barking from inside their home. I assumed they hid the dog before opening the door. I called the cops but they said they can't do anything about it if involving animal matters. I want my dog back no matter what! Can you help me please??

I'm sorry that happened to you.

If the police in your area cannot help you, then you will have to sue them (in small claims court) for either your money or the dog back.

Contact your local court. They will have more information for you.

If it was a fraudulent check (not just NSF), that's a crime. Contact your local police about prosecution.

If it was a fraudulent check (not just NSF), that's a crime. Contact your local police about prosecution.

The OP stated the Police will not do anything for her. So we can only assume its iether a civil issue or non criminal.

It also sounds like its the dog the OP misses and wants back. There may be more to this story, especially if they went to the "persons house" and they told her "they didnt have a dog" but the OP heard one. It was not, "I went to the persons house and the person that bought my dog denied it but I heard MY dog".

IMO, the truth is in the small details or lack thereof im most cases. This sounds like one of "those cases".

If the local Police would not take action, there is a reason!

Guess I stopped reading at the bad check and dog. If it's really a fraudulent check, no matter what was bought is should be a crime. If it's an NSF check, it's civil.

Guess I stopped reading at the bad check and dog. If it's really a fraudulent check, no matter what was bought is should be a crime. If it's an NSF check, it's civil.

And I plead "no contest" to reading into it too much. Expecially over something so trivial as a dog. If it was stolen I would have more sympathy, but it was sold and NOW the OP wants the dog back and is not interested in money. And you know as well as I do people use "big" legal terms to add a "little spice" to the story.

I imagine if it was a fraudulent check it would be a FELONY and definately a "solid arrest" so the only "logical" explaination is, it was a "hot" check as in "no money in the bank" or "cancelled check" verses "hot" as in a stolen car or checkbook!

The OP may have felt they were "scammed" but people have been writing hot checks since the "Bonnie and Clyde" days. Probably been cancelling checks about as long too.LOL

A scam would be IMO the telephone and e-mail "send me 1,000$ cash and Ill send you a 10,000 FAKE cashiers check for your troubles. No offense but people who fall for that are morons. Nobody deserves to be a vicim of a crime, but if you let yourself become one I have less sympathy.

Goes back to that age old "If it sounds to good to be true, then it usually is".

If I won the state lottery I would make sure I recorded the numbers when they announced it, make photo copies of the lotto ticket, take pictures holding the winning ticket on 35mm film so no one could say I photo-shopped it, etc!

And I plead "no contest" to reading into it too much. Expecially over something so trivial as a dog. If it was stolen I would have more sympathy, but it was sold and NOW the OP wants the dog back and is not interested in money. And you know as well as I do people use "big" legal terms to add a "little spice" to the story.


Depends on the price of the dog.... Have you looked in the want ads for the prices of registered puppies lately?:confused5:

Oregon has a misdemeanor charge of negotiating a bad check which covers NSF's, but if the account never existed, on someone else's account, etc., it would be a felony and we would prosecute. It wouldn't matter what it was for, we'd prosecuted for small checks written for groceries depending on the nature of the check. We rarely go after NSF checks as a matter of course though.

Another situation, stopping payment on a check because of a dispute with the product is completely civil in our view.

The OP needs to clarify what the nature of the problem with the check was. You're absolutely right, we're not getting the complete story.

The OP stated the Police will not do anything for her. So we can only assume its iether a civil issue or non criminal.

It also sounds like its the dog the OP misses and wants back. There may be more to this story, especially if they went to the "persons house" and they told her "they didnt have a dog" but the OP heard one. It was not, "I went to the persons house and the person that bought my dog denied it but I heard MY dog".

IMO, the truth is in the small details or lack thereof im most cases. This sounds like one of "those cases".

If the local Police would not take action, there is a reason!

As they say, the devil is in the details... and as you said, they ain't none...