Can an agent that has POA get rid of the principal’s personal pet without the permission from the principal?

There is no single POA document. Although one can buy POA forms, even those forms can be added to or altered. One can also have an attorney draw up a very specific and detailed POA that contains explicit terms and conditions limiting the powers conferred upon the executor of the POA. The son could have unlimited powers to care for her and her property if she is hospitalized.

That being said, whether the son is legally within his rights to deal with the dog is a small matter as it is unlikely that his mother--or anyone else--will bring the matter to court. The real question is whether it is essential to the well-being of your friend to have her companion there to welcome her home and whether she will be able to care for the dog. There is also a consideration about whether she will be coming home. It is quite possible that the son knows more about her situation than you do. Ask questions, politely, focus on your concerns for your friend's well-being and on your willingness to help in any way.

It is a mistake to immediately question the motives of a younger caretaker. Most of the time the children of an aging parent mean well and try very hard to do what is best for their parent. You need to be straight-forward and completely honest both with him and with his mother. There may be some difficult choices to make and it will not help if there are not clear communications and understandings.

When my husband's mother was in her last illness we spent some time at her residence cleaning and sorting things. Many of her neighbors came to us and revealed that they were very concerned about her and that they thought she should have been placed in residential care years earlier. These were the same neighbors who had, for years, been assuring his mother that they would help her in any way and that they were glad to help out. During those years, when we would try to talk to her about assisted living or other care options she would absolutely refuse, citing the helpfulness of the neighbors and their assurances that they loved helping her out. If they had been more honest with her and with us about what they were really willing to do and had been more honest about her capabilities she may have been willing to make changes that would have made her last years more pleasant for all of us.

The best way you can help your friend is to work with her chosen POA, not question his motives without understanding what is behind his actions. For all you know, there may even be written instructions for him to re-home the dog if there is doubt that she can take care of it.

No it does not.

Can you take her dog until she gets home?

No it does not!

How long is your friend likely to remain in the hospital? There are boarding kennels where the dog could stay, or perhaps your friend knows a fellow Yorkie enthusiast who could help?

Speak to the son and ask him directly how he plans to have the dog looked after TEMPORARILY!!!

How did it come to light that he's been trying to get rid of it, though?

He can't be blamed for not liking dogs but obviously he needs to think again. What has he told your friend about it?

I love the idea of your offering to take the dog in, if you possibly can. Yorkies are poppets, and this one must be very worried about what's happening, poor little thing.

Here is the problem. When someone is elderly and sick or has Alzheimer's or dementia they are unable to properly care for an animal. My mother had five cats. The worse she got, the worse the house got. She refused to clean the cat pans and they were peeing and pooping all over the house. Some of them were indoor cats and she started letting them out. They lost a significant amount of weight. She started forgetting to feed them. She would often feed them the food that I cooked and brought to her instead of eating it herself.
I know that what he did might sound cruel but it is probably best for the animal. I sent all of the Cats to the Humane Society and my mother is fine. She is now in a assisted living and I had to tear up the carpeting in a two-level home because it was destroyed. I got her a fake cat that looks real and she loves it.

These situations are so hard.  We use a doggy daycare who also does animal rescue and many many times when someone is elderly and can no longer take care of themselves, let alone a pet, the pet gets handed off to the pound.  So so sad.  Devastating for the owner and the pet.  I am going to argue the point for both sides here without having more detail. Maybe your friend is sicker than you know and her son who is POA is doing his best to manage his moms care and the dog is more than he can deal with at the moment.   Maybe he has been told that even if his mom pulls through whatever this is, that she will need to go to a nursing home afterwards. Navigating all of that is a lot.   Which brings me to ask if you could possibly care for the Yorky until you know what's what with your friend.   Even if your friend ends up in a nursing home, could you adopt the little dog and take it to visit her?  It is a lot to ask, but maybe the son is allergic or not an animal lover or maybe he works long hours and can't take on a dog...I don't know.  The dog may be very low on his list of priorities right now and this would be a good way for you to help your friend.

If her son is trying to see after her, handle her affairs as POA, etc., he can’t also take on a dog to feed and walk and bathe or take to the vet/groomer. Maybe he has a job OR a home of his own and responsibilities. That is really asking too much of this person to expect him to do all of this. We have people on this forum who are stressed to the gills trying to take charge of a sock loved one. But, YOU could take the pet. Tell him to let you have it. You can keep it for her until she gets out of the hospital or know what her status is as far as functioning and care.

I am a nurse and have worked as a homecare nurse in homes where I have seen some incidents where the pet was a hazard. Pets that walk near or under owners feet are a fall risk. I have seen pets that for some unknown reason, walks around licking the owners legs, even when she is up walking. I have seen elderly working in the kitchen and around the stove with pets under foot. I have treated on several occasions, for a long period of time, months, wounds caused by a pets claws or nibbed with a tooth accidently. I would definitely need more information before answering this question.

I have owned a dog every day of my life. My sister(dementia) loved her dog and was fortunate to have it in Assisted living. As her dementia increased, staff told me of her meanness to her dog. I was shocked...she loved this dog, her "child." I
visited more often and witnessed the meanness in various ways. I took her dog
"for grooming" and next day told her he had died. We both cried for different reasons. I found a local family who had lost their dog to a Coyote incident. They
came with their 4 children, grammar school-HS, and it was love @ first sight.
"Gizmo" never event looked back as he hopped into their car. It was a win-win
and my sister forgot about him. Dementia is as sad as losing a pet.

If she is competent, no he cannot make that decision. His POA only gives him the ability to pay her bills when she can't and make Medicaid decisions, based on her wishes, when she is not able to.

If his POA is based on her being incompetent, its not in effect until she is. There is an immediate POA, but even then neither cover giving her dog away because he doesn't like it. Are u sure she is coming home? Maybe she is being placed in an AL or LTC. Some ALs do except small pets, but you have to be able to care for it. LTC/NHs don't allow them.

No it doesn’t give him the “right” but what’s to stop him?
She can change her POA. I would if my child did that to me. I would view it as a sign of things to come BUT, as has been mentioned there are many considerations beyond his right to do this. The dog could be kenneled until she is able to care for it or long term decisions could be made.