A woman learned her former dog had been surrendered to a kill shelter by her ex-boyfriend. She’d been searching for the dog for months after their breakup. The dog was scheduled for euthanasia the next morning.
She arrived after closing and found the facility locked. She broke a window, disabled the alarm, and searched the kennels until she found her dog, Max. She took Max and fled.
Shelter staff discovered the break-in and the missing dog. Police issued a warrant for burglary and theft. Security footage clearly showed her breaking in.
She turned herself in three days later with Max. She faced felony charges but argued that Max was stolen from her originally by the ex-boyfriend, who’d had no legal right to surrender him.
Her lawyer proved ownership through vet records, photos, and microchip registration. The ex-boyfriend had surrendered the dog illegally out of spite.
The judge dropped charges against her and issued a warrant for the ex-boyfriend for theft and illegal surrender. Max was officially returned to her.
She still faced civil penalties for property damage to the shelter. She paid gladly, saying that breaking that window saved Max’s life.
The case highlighted problems with shelter surrender procedures and identity verification.
