Kia ora and welcome to !newzealand, a place to share and discuss anything about Aotearoa in general
Rules:
FAQ ~ NZ Community List ~ Join Matrix chatroom ~ Alternate frontends ~ Donate
Banner image by Bernard Spragg
Got an idea for next month's banner?
NZ police being absolutely useless as usual. “it’s a civil matter”, never mind that the cat is registered in their name.
I have many thoughts about this case, but in general I feel like it really isn't a matter for the police. Police are an enforcement agency, an ownership dispute does seem like a matter for a court or tribunal or some sort.
This story just makes me think of all the people who were burgled but the police didn't have time to investigate.
How exactly is it a civil matter? An animal is property, surely this is simple theft.
From my understanding, the animal belonged to one side and was microchipped by the other. Who do the police return it to?
No, the registered owner was the one who had the chip registered to them.
Cats don't legally have to have a chip, so if I take all the neighbourhood cats and get them microchipped, do I become the legal owner?