Question
My wife has a medical dog for anxiety and depression, and she was pulled over and brought to jail for six days. Three days after she went to jail, her 17-year-old daughter, who had the dog in a motel, was leaving the state and called Humane Society to pick up the dog because she couldn't bring the dog with her. When my wife was released she called Humane Society to retrieve the dog, but the rep on the phone informed her that the dog was taken by the police and will be used as a cop dog. The Humane Society later called and said they put the dog to sleep. The dog is registered as a medical dog and wasn't taken on grounds of abuse. She went to the building to demand answers about the dog. The Humane Society expected her to show up and had a police officer meet her outside of the building to threaten to put her back in jail if she didn't leave. I believe someone is lying, and I feel like a family member has been kidnapped by the only people that can help me. What can I do?
Answer
People who believe their animal is being wrongfully withheld can sue to try to get the animal returned. I suggest your wife retain an attorney in your area. Hopefully, the attorney will be able to get to the bottom of what happened---whether the dog was rehomed or euthanized. The attorney can then advise about next steps depending on what actually happened to the dog. Why the dog ended up with a 17 year old in a motel and not with you and then given to a humane society and not to you is unclear but regardless of the reasons it is important to act quickly. Good luck! I hope this works out for the dog.
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