A woman who believed she'd relieved her sick dog of his ailing health by having him put to sleep last year discovered that he is alive and up for adoption.
Back in 2022, Kristie Pereira adopted a two-month-old dog named Beau from a local Maryland group, the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation, while working from home.
She and Beau quickly became inseparable, with Kristie taking her furry friend everywhere.
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Within a matter of weeks, however, she says she began to notice a change in Beau's demeanour.
Returning to the shelter from which she'd adopted him to have Beau checked over by a vet, Kristie was dealt the heartbreaking news that he could be suffering from a possible neurological issue, as well as blood tests showing he may have a liver problem.
Beau was subsequently sent home with liver enzymes and Kristie told that, if this was the issue, then the treatment would trigger a 'pretty fast' improvement.
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The dog's health tragically worsened, however, after he began to lose control of his bowels and failed to lift his back legs - which three vets allegedly agreed pointed to a severe neurological problem.
Kristie was then handed an even more devastating blow after being told that she'd have to fork out a staggering $12,000 in vet bills to run tests that themselves had a 'slim chance' at determining what was wrong with him, adding that there was an 'even smaller chance' of it being something that could be fixed.
Speaking to Associated Press, Kristie claims she was advised to have Beau put down - all while consulting the rescue's staff during the ordeal.
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"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," she told the publication.
"They really gave me that support and that encouragement that, although it’s hard, sometimes that’s the best thing to do."
While she initially didn't want to have him euthanised, a few days later, a heartbroken Kristie took Beau to Montgomery County Animal Services to have him put to sleep, where she was allegedly told that the shelter’s policy didn't allow owners to be in the room during the process.
However, last week while visiting her mother in Maryland, she checked the centre's website on a whim - only to come face-to-face with a photo of her dog very much alive.
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The dog was significantly bigger that he'd been when she last saw him, but several key characteristics - including the name he'd had prior to his adoption.
AP reports that, as per calls from the shelter, vets saw no reason to have him euthanised after having found no neurological problems and had returned him to Lost Dog & Cat Rescue.
Accordng to a written statement from the rescue, their vets also found no neurological problems and claimed to have paid $7,000 through a GoFundMe campaign for a surgery that would treat his liver problems.
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However, Kristie claims, this was never shared with her.
After asking if she could re-adopt Beau and even offering to give them the $7,000 they'd paid for his procedure, she claims her request was immediately shut down by a member of staff, who told her the dog would 'never go back to you' before hanging up the phone.
"The person that called me was so rude and just disrespectful and just being really nasty towards me," she said.
"Just saying that I abandoned him, and that I left him to die. That I never cared about him. I want him back with me."
In a statement, rescue spokesperson Chloe Floyd later defended their decision: "LDCRF does not re-home an owner-surrendered dog with its former owner.
"Our mission is to save adoptable and safe-to-the-community dogs from euthanasia."
They also confirmed to have spoke with Kristie during the process, however, said rescue had made it clear that she should take the dog to a veterinarian who would allow her to be in the room when he was euthanised - and that they'd take him back if she could not.
Montgomery County Animal Services executive director, Caroline Hairfield, also said that they are bound by contract to send surrendered animals back to rescues, so they could not do much.
She continued to say that while 'everyone feels for her [Kristie]', it's the rescue's decision if they want to return the dog to her.
LADbible Group has previously contacted Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation and Montgomery County Animal Services for further comment.
Rhianna Benson