Kathy, were you able to get the dog back? That is heart breaking. The truth is, unless you are rich, contracts don't help much. It is why I stayed co-owner on all my dogs until they were spay/neutered or championship and health clearances finished. It enabled me to go pick up a dog of mine that was being abused while the POS co-owner was at Westminster with her other dog. She didn't have the money to take legal actions, especially since I had pictures and vet documentation. But if I hadn't been able to retrieve the dog and been co-owner, I'd have been sunk.