I apologize about misunderstanding your post. I thought you were trying to keep a dog that you did not buy, and hoping the owner could not take care of dog so that you could keep the dog. Oral contract are not binding even if you both agreed that you would adopt the dog. You need a receipt in order to prove that the dog belongs to you. If you and the owner come into an agreement about you buying the dog, then you need to write in the memo section of the check that the money is for purchasing the dog. When she cashes the check, you can prove the money you gave her was for the purchase price of the dog. In my previous post, I mention that she could take you to court if she decides that she does not want to give you her dog. I did not mean that you should take her to court to get ownership of the dog. I do not want this situation to get messy either. Good luck in getting the dog back.
