Heartbreak After Shelter Tells Family They Euthanized Dog. One Day After, Told She's Alive

Apr 15, 2019 by apost team

Most dog owners would experience a great deal of anguish at the thought of having their dogs taken away from them and banned from the city in which they live. However, many dog owners in our country are living in constant fear of having their dog reported and taken away from them.

Breed-specific legislation has resulted in heartbreak for many dog owners.

While it is true that some reckless dog owners cause community problems when they do not properly own and handle their dogs, it is not fair that all owners of a particular dog breed be punished for the actions of others.

Pitbulls and Pitbull mixes are not allowed in North Little Rock, Arkansas. One family, the Ancels, owns a pit bull-labrador mix who goes by the name of Iris. A work crew recently entered the Ancels yard to replace a damaged sewer line.

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The work crew performed their job duties, cleaned up behind themselves, and everything seemed fine. Eric Ancel explains the only problem resulted from the fact that the gate on the fence sometimes does not latch correctly.

Iris was able to get out of the gate and it did not take long for someone to call authorities.

By the time Eric came outside, two policemen were parked outside his home and Iris was coming from somewhere around the corner.

Despite the obvious friendly nature of Iris and the fact that Eric immediately returned the dog to the yard, animal control was soon on the scene. They informed Eric it was not legal for Iris to be in the city.

Neighbors came outside to attest to the fact that Iris was a friendly dog who posed no threat to anyone.

Eric was given two options by animal control. Sign custody of Iris over to them or go to jail. He was given three days to sign the paperwork and Iris was taken to a shelter in North Little Rock in the interim.

The next morning Natalie Ancel went to the shelter to check on Iris. She was informed their dog had been euthanized. The shelter told Natalie that Iris was deemed an aggressive dog and was put down.

"You put down my dog?" Natalie was taken aback. She could not believe that signing the release for Iris to be taken to the shelter meant she had signed her dog's death warrant.

The Ancels found out later the information they were given was incorrect. The paperwork to euthanize Iris had indeed been filed but their dog was still alive. The family has been reunited with their dog and are presently searching for a home outside of the city limits.

What a crazy story. Do you agree with breed-specific laws? Send this article to your dog-loving friends on social media to see what they think.