An American woman from Maryland who had to mourn the loss of her sick young puppy after making the difficult decision to have him euthanized last year was said to have been stunned to discover him up for adoption on the site of an animal shelter last week.
“I have a lot of questions,” Kristie Pereira, the former owner of little Beau, said Friday, according to “The Independent.” But above all, I want him to come back with me.”
Last week, the woman was visiting family in Maryland in the United States, when she was said to have been completely stunned when she visited the website of the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue (LDCRF), where she had adopted a puppy two months last year.
Because among the photos of the dogs up for adoption was that of her little Beau, a mixed breed dog, whom she had reluctantly euthanized at the shelter last year, after following the recommendations of the veterinarian and the center.
Neurological disorder
The decision was made a few weeks after his adoption, after the young dog’s health began to deteriorate rapidly. He was then diagnosed by veterinarians with a neurological disorder.
Except that to determine exactly what condition he was afflicted with, veterinarians reportedly told her she would have to pay US$12,000 for tests, with “very little chance of finding out what’s wrong” and “even less chance let it be something that we can deal with,” she noted in an interview.
She apparently decided to take a month to think about the situation, by consulting the shelter where she had adopted her puppy.
“After talking to them, that’s really when I felt like I was going to do the right thing by euthanizing him. They really gave me that support and encouragement (that) even though it’s hard, sometimes it’s the best thing to do,” she continued.
In March 2023, she would have gone to Montgomery County Animal Services in Derwood to carry out the euthanasia. The second animal shelter then told him that it did not allow owners to stay with their animal for the procedure.
Never informed
It was by calling the LDCRF last week that it was explained to them that the puppy would then have been returned to them. Further tests would have revealed a liver problem treatable with surgery costing US$7,000, according to the English-speaking media.
But what his owner deplores is that she would never have been informed of the situation, and that today, the shelter refuses to return the dog to her, even if she would be ready to cover all the medical costs. .
“The person who called me was very rude, disrespectful and really mean to me. She just told me that I abandoned him and let him die,” the American said, crying, according to “The Independent.”
For her part, the spokesperson for LDCRF, Chloe Floyd, would have confirmed that the dog will not be returned to her, specifying that the American should have consented to more in-depth tests, or taken her dog to a veterinarian to allow it to be stay with the animal during euthanasia.
“LDCRF does not return a dog surrendered to its former adopter/owner. Our mission is to save dogs that are adoptable and safe for the community from euthanasia,” she reportedly said.
