What if you refuse to give up foster dog?

This lawsuit would NOT cost "thousands of dollars."  You signed a BINDING LEGAL CONTRACT.  What part of that is confusing to you?  What is the legal jargon - binding, legal, contract or all three?  What can "they" do?  Report that you are holding property - and dogs are property - that does not belong to you.
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By the way, I went to legal jargon school, and that contract is binding if it is in accordance with the law.

NO, it would not cost them THOUSANDS (as already explained) by multiple persons.  

1) THEY legally own the dog, until it is adopted.  

2) YOU signed a LEGAL document to foster & were told you COULD NOT adopt. (WHY I do not know).  My rescue group always gives "first right of refusal" to the FOSTER home.

All they have to do is contact the police & show up at your house & take the dog AWAY from you (who are now viewed as a dog thief and/or in breach of contract & open to a lawsuit for the breach) and WILL BE BLACK-LISTED and WILL NOT be allowed to foster again, if it comes to that action.   And believe me they will make sure.... every rescue & adoption group in the STATE, knows your name, if it comes to it.

Many places have long waiting lists of pre-approved homes for specific dogs.  I would assume you also had to be approved to be a foster home, but if they let you adopt, they LOOSE the foster value of your offer to work for them. (Foster homes are hard to come by.)

There is nothing to stop you from asking NICELY if they could make an exception and allow you to adopt, but DO NOT assume if they told you OTHERWISE; they will make an exception, in your case, or they would have to, in all cases.

You signed a legal document.  They don't need to sue you to get the dog back.  If you refuse to give it back on your own, they can come to your door accompanied by a Police Officer who will tell you that you must give the dog back or you WILL be arrested.  It's just that simple.  Why would you want to end up with a criminal record when YOU SIGNED THE AGREEMENT?  What is it that you don't understand about it being illegal to be a THEIF?

If you signed a legal document, then what's in that document stands, legally.

What I don't understand is why (they won't let you rehome the dog).   Most Shelters/Rescues tend to hope their foster-homes will become permanent homes, so that's odd right there.

So you'd like to keep the dog - submit an application, just like any other prospective new owner would do.   They may already have chosen a new owner of course, but I don't see there's any other alternative.   Just like finding a stray and keeping it without making an effort to find the legal owner, to keep this dog would, under the terms of the Foster Contract, be theft.

It's as Julie says but tbh,  if you are genuine and can offer a wonderful home then why don't you ask them if you can put in for the adoption,  or have they already got another home for the dog to go to. 

I'm not quite sure why the rule exists other than they don't want people always taking on dogs on foster as a way to find out if they like the dog or not.   But if you are someone who is a regular fosterer surely they can be a little flexible.   I've never heard of this before.

You'd be in possession of stolen property.   You could also be sued for breech of contract.
They can file in small claims for $50..  no lawyer needed

OMG!  A $450 adoption fee????  That is a lot of money.  That could pay a BYBer for a puppy.

Contact Animal Control.  They have to operate under Animal Controls guidelines.  Animal Control would know the answer.  & why wouldn't they allow fosters to adopt the dog, that would be an ideal situation for homing the dog.  Don't make sense to me.  If you need a back up, count me in.  You should have the dog.

Ask them if they will reconsider, if you continue to be a foster. One of the problems is likely that if you adopt a foster dog, then you won't be available to foster more dogs. 

I would not go against the contract. You did not expect to fall in love with the dog, but you signed the contract. This is legal and rescue leagues can be quite rigid if you go against them. You could easily have the police at your door. Then, you would never be able to adopt from any of the other groups - they usually know one another.

Abide by your contract, but politely ask if they will reconsider. If not, then go with that and find another dog to adopt. Adoption fee of $450? Fees must have gone up.

All you can do is ask. Tell them you feel a strong connection. If they say no, its a no. I am sorry but you signed a contract. The dog is the legal property of the agency.

Why not call the agency you signed the paperwork for, let them know you have fallen in love with the dog and ask if there is any chance of you adopting it after all.

If you start by being nasty with them and simply saying I changed my mind and your not getting the dog back, it makes you sound petty and dishonest.  If you call and tell them you never respected to fall in love with such a wonderful animal and would be thrilled if you could adopt it so your family they may possibly let you adopt.  It depends why the foster and f there is a family waiting for the dog already.  Was there some type of medical or family emergency that they needed you to care for the dog while the family temporarily could not?  Imagine if it was your dog and day your home burned down, there was no room at the shelter for your dog and someone took care of it for you, would you wa;t your dog back or would you say since they loved the dog you would give it up?

No matter what the party that you got the dog from is the legal owner weather you want them to be,or not.  Dogs are legally property in the courts eyes and your currently the caretaker of their property, this gives you no legal rights or claims to the dog.  If you were getting paid it would make you their technical employ, but you volunteered and signed a legal contract do your stuck with your precare decision.  

You need to do what’s legally right, if you don’t surrender the dog now, they will 2ait and may take the dog sometime when your not watching it and they can take possession of their property.

As someone else posted, they can show up with the police and take the dog back into their possession.  I would rather try it by asking first instead of taking and stealing the animal.  You might be more successful that way.

Good luck.

They own the dog, and presumably can clearly show that in multiple ways, so if I was them I'd simply report the dog stolen, present proof they own it, and let police arrest you for theft and seize the dog. No cost to them. 

you have to at least 21  older to able work for foster care for taking care of animals such as any type of pets.  as for animals shelters same thing but if you were working at Aspca store  help customers pick out the best dogs and cats for adopt you might can get a chance to get a job there but you need to be at least 18 older .and working at those jobs actually good paid .if you like to be foster care any puppies and kittens. make sure you dont get rid off . there  some scammers out there. 

in the past there must have been many contentious  issues regarding placement of dogs at shelters, particularly if the shelter in question has an excellent reputation caring for pets in its charge.....there are times when extremely desirable dogs are placed in shelters due to unfortunate circumstances within a family.... rather than keep these dogs in a facility behind bars the shelters find great good volunteer homes as "temporary housing" until such time as permanent adoption is considered....

 IF a dog has qualities that are extremely appealing that dog will be in great demand, there would be immediate claims to be considered as adoptive family and the selected party would have won a "lottery" in effect....no reputable shelter today wishes to have a reputation that their most desirable adoptive dogs are gone to "shelter friends" before the general public ever gets to see them...PARTICULARLY if the shelter gets public funds and donations for maintenance...

I, many many years ago at a vets office saw a beautiful gsd and asked about the breeder... I heard that this dog came from shelter and this owner had relationship with the shelters caretaker....  also once a lovely highland terrier was placed with someone involved in another small animal rescue, as a "personal" pet.

 Then you would be guilty of theft. That simple so you would be facing naturally also the high probability of legal action being taken against you

I'm not understanding what the problem is, I know a lot of people who have adopted an animal they fostered.  It's a win win situation for both the animal shelter and the foster family. Is there something you've neglected to mention?

They will come to the door with police, you will refuse, you will go to jail and lose the dog anyway. Simple. You signed a legal binding contract. The best you can do is try to talk them in allowing you to adopt. If you go this route you may be banned from having animals at all. 

You could give him up, and go back to adopt him. The legal agreement would be void once you’re no longer a foster.

That is theft.
They could report you to the police and have you charged, at no cost to themselves.
You would lose the case and end up with a criminal record.

Just ask them nicely. Why wouldn't they want you to adopt it? There's no need to be so aggressive. They are dog lovers, too.

You spend the rest of your life in prison 

It's theft. There are reasons why the shelter has those rules (don't know why, a relative of mine just adopted her foster. Maybe former fosters have become hoarders? )

Surrender the dog. Maybe someone else has already contracted to adopt it? Go back in a week or two, and if no one has adopted the dog, offer to do so.