Watching someone spiral through addiction can become even harder when an innocent animal gets caught in the middle of it.

This man spent years helping raise a dog with his close friend after the animal failed service certification. Over time, the dog became deeply bonded with his household, especially after his partner and another dog moved in.

But as his friend’s substance abuse worsened, so did concerns about the dog’s safety and quality of life. There were periods when the friend forgot to feed the dog and lived in unsafe conditions.

Now the friend sits in prison for the next two years, and the dog currently lives full-time with the man who helped raise him.

The problem is that he no longer feels comfortable giving the dog back.

Keep reading to see what happens next.

WIBTA if I used my power of attorney to transfer ownership of my friends dog while he’s in prison?

My friend (37M), “Evan,” and I (34M) have been close for over a decade.

In 2019, he volunteered to train a service dog (Spot) for a veteran. He struggled with depression and couldn’t keep up, so I ended up doing a lot of the training.

Spot didn’t pass certification (only ~30% do), and since Evan is a veteran, he was allowed to adopt him. Even though the paperwork is in Evan’s name, we raised Spot together for about 3 years.

He and Evan agreed to split custody of the dog.

In 2020, Evan developed a serious drug problem and was arrested. He ended up on probation, lost his job, and had to move.

Around that time, my partner and his dog moved in with me, and Evan and I agreed to a kind of “split custody” of Spot so he could spend time in both homes. It’s unconventional, but it worked for years, especially since Spot and my partner’s dog became very bonded.

Over time, Evan’s substance abuse worsened. There were multiple times he couldn’t care for Spot due to being in jail, rehab, or the hospital, and we would take over.

Evan loves Spot, but his addiction really gets in the way.

He’s admitted that while using, he sometimes forgets to feed Spot, and I’ve worried about how consistently he’s being cared for during those periods. I’m also concerned about potential exposure to unsafe situations.

To be fair, when Evan is doing okay, he clearly loves Spot. He’s paid for all vet care, buys him toys, takes him to the park, etc.

But his living situation has also declined. He now lives in a basement apartment that floods, has mold, mice, roaches, and is often messy with trash/food around. It’s not a great environment for a dog (or human).

Here’s the dilemma.

At our place, Spot has two attentive owners, another dog he’s very close with, frequent social interaction, and a stable, clean environment.

Last November, Evan reoffended and was sentenced to 2 years in prison. Spot is staying with us during that time. The issue is: I don’t feel comfortable with Spot going back to Evan when he gets out.

Legally, Spot is Evan’s dog, and he’s covered all expenses. But I truly believe we can provide a safer, more stable life. A couple months ago, Evan gave me power of attorney to handle his affairs. Now, I want to transfer ownership of Spot to myself.

AITA?

Yikes! It’s really hard to get your life back on track after all that.

Let’s see how the readers over at Reddit feel about what he wants to do.

This person thinks he needs to get his friend on board.

Here’s a good point.

According to this comment, that’s a violation and he could get sued.

Yet another person who thinks he needs to have a talk with him.

After everything Evan has been through, there’s no wonder this man thinks Spot would be better off with him.

However, the friend obviously loves the dog, too. He paid for the vet care, bought toys, and clearly formed a real bond with Spot despite the addiction struggles and instability.

None of this makes it okay to use power of attorney to secretly transfer ownership while the friend sits in prison. Power of attorney exists to help manage someone’s affairs, not take away something they love without permission.

If he truly believes Spot should stay with him permanently, then he needs to have that conversation directly instead of handling it behind his friend’s back.

If you enjoyed this story, check out this post about a woman who was stunned when her friends finally admitted the reason for their falling out.