NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The dispute over the ownership of a dog has become so heated that it is headed to a judge for a ruling.

Video: Judge To Decide Ownership Of Dog

Chris Morris said he found a Bernese Mountain dog wandering in his east Nashville neighborhood several months ago with no tags.

He took in the dog, cleaned him up, took him to the veterinarian for shots and got a license.

For months Morris tried to find its owner and posted an ad online, but no one claimed the animal.

"If we found the dog and it had a name on it and had been wearing a tag, the first thing we would've done is taken him back," said Morris.

Then, according to a court document, the dog disappeared from Morris' yard. He was later found in the yard of a neighbor, Virginia Gonzales-Garcia.

Gonzales-Garcia said someone took her dog from her yard several months ago after she adopted him from a shelter. She said he did have a tag, but someone must have removed it.

"My husband, my daughter, we ended up walking down the street, down the alleys, looking for him and calling his name. We couldn't find him anywhere," said Gonzales-Garcia.

The Sheriff's Department got involved in the situation, and the dog was then returned to Morris and his family. He said he should be able to keep the dog permanently.

"We made an attempt to find the owner. It was longer than 30 days," said Morris.

"If they want a dog, why don't they buy them one or go to the shelter and adopt one like we did?" said Gonzales-Garcia.

This case is scheduled to head to trial at the end of the month.