Woman who paid for sick dog to be put down discovers it up for adoption
A woman who paid for her dog to be put down was shocked to later discover him up for adoption a year later.
It's the worst fear for a pet owner, seeing their beloved family friend become sick and then have to make the gut-wrenching decision to have them put down.
After making such a heartbreaking decision, it's normal to wish to see your pet again.
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For 32-year-old Kristie Pereira this turned out to be a reality. She made the difficult decision to take her dog Beau to be euthanised in March 2023, after being told by three vets there was nothing else she could do to help him.
She had originally adopted Beau from the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation in Maryland, USA in 2022 and the pair had bonded instantly, with the pup never leaving her side.
Unfortunately Beau was later diagnosed with a liver problem and, after initial medications failed to relieve Beau's symptoms, Kristie was given the devastating advice that the problem was likely neurological.
She was told further tests - which could cost up to $12,000 (£9,400) - were unlikely to find out what was wrong.
She told the animal shelter about Beau's medical problems, and claimed they supported her decision to euthanise the pup.
"Honestly, I mean, after I talked to them is really when I felt, you know, that I was going to be doing the right thing by putting him down," a devastated Pereira told the Associated Press.
"They really gave me that support and that encouragement that, although it’s hard, sometimes that’s the best thing to do."
Kristie paid $15 (£11.77) to have Beau put to sleep in March 2023, saying goodbye in the Montgomery County Animal Services' office as she wasn't allowed to be in the room for the procedure.
So you can understand Kristie's complete shock a year later when she was browsing through the original shelter's site and spotted a dog identical to Beau - just a year older and now named Amos Hart.
Naturally Kristie contacted the shelter right away, who confirmed that Beau hadn't been euthanised after vets on the day decided he could be saved. Beau was then returned to the original shelter where he was declared healthy after undergoing a $7,000 surgery (paid for through a GoFundMe campaign).
Kristie - who was never told about Beau's fate - revealed that she was more than happy to pay the original surgery cost in order to get him back.
After days of attempting to reach the shelter, Kristie finally got through - only to be told she wouldn't be allowed to re-adopt Beau.
"The person that called me was so rude and just disrespectful and just being really nasty towards me," she recalled.
"Just saying, you know, that I abandoned him, and that I left him to die. That I never cared about him."
In part of a lengthy statement (which you can read in full here), the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation said: "LDCRF does not rehome pets with previous owners who surrendered them for euthanasia.
"That is terribly at odds with our core mission – to save adoptable pets from euthanasia.
"With all due respect, the rescue assumes previous owners have exhausted all options and considerations before making the difficult, but permanent, decision to relinquish their rights and surrender their pets.
"We cannot speak to the former owner’s decision to select a municipal shelter, as she was advised by us against choosing a place that would not allow her to be present.
"Lastly, we reject the false claim that our rescue has ever faulted the former owner for not pursuing extensive testing.
"We would not and do not judge others so cavalierly. Pet medical decisions are emotionally charged and involve delicate financial deliberations for which we have only empathy and understanding.
"And, as shown by this case, not all forecasted medical outcomes can be predicted with certainty."
LADbible Group has contacted the Montgomery County Animal Services and Pereira for further comment.
Brenna Cooper