A recently adopted dog from a shelter can lead to an administrative fine of up to 1750 euros if the animal was previously registered as a stray and taken to the shelter with the help of the Riga municipal police.
Such a case recently occurred with a family in Riga, which officially adopted an elderly dog named Marko from a shelter. The family took Marko into their home a few days before Christmas as a temporary guest, and they signed the adoption agreement with the shelter on January 11 of this year. However, just five days after signing the agreement, they received a decision from the Riga Municipal Police to initiate administrative proceedings — for allegedly "hooligan" stray behavior by Marko in May of last year, when the family was not even aware of the dog's existence.
After a conversation with the inspector who started the case and providing explanations (including a copy of the adoption agreement and a record from the Agricultural Data Center regarding the registration of ownership), it took two months before the police finally closed the case, acknowledging that the new owner is not responsible for the animal's previous status.
This case has caused outrage due to the absurdity of the system: why do voluntary adopters, who help shelters alleviate their burden, find themselves in a situation where they have to prove their innocence for events that occurred before the adoption, hire lawyers, and wait for months? The fine for a stray dog in Latvia can reach 1750 euros, and practice shows that the police sometimes automatically initiate proceedings based on old records in the registry, without considering the fact of adoption.
Experts and animal advocates are calling for a review of the application of regulations so that new owners are not held responsible for the period when the dog was still under the care of the shelter or a previous owner. Otherwise, voluntary adoption could turn into an unwanted legal burden.
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