I thought my sick dog was euthanized — then I found out he was up for adoption a year later

A woman was shocked to find that the sick dog she took in to be euthanized was back at the shelter a year later, up for adoption.

Christy Pereira, 32, was heartbroken when she was told the most humane thing she could do for her beloved pet Beau was to euthanize him.

The digital marketer said she paid $450 to adopt a puppy from the Lost Dog & Cat Rescue Foundation while working from home in Maryland in 2022.

Beau was almost always by Pereira’s side, wagging his tail, but Pereira soon realized something was wrong.

The puppy had no bowel control and could not lift his hind legs.

Blood tests showed that Bo had liver problems, but medication did not improve the condition.

Pereira said the dog’s veterinarian, the clinic’s attending physician and a veterinarian at the animal emergency room ultimately agreed that the dog’s symptoms indicated a serious neurological problem.

She was told further testing would cost $12,000, a sum she was happy to pay, but that the “chances of finding what’s wrong were very low” and “even lower that it was something else.” [doctors could] repair,” According to the Associated Press.

With no viable options left, Pereira said she was told the best solution was to euthanize the puppy.

Pereira endured for another month in hopes that Beau’s symptoms would subside, but ultimately decided to euthanize Beau on the advice of her veterinarian and after several consultations with rescue staff.

“Honestly, after talking with them, I really felt like euthanizing him was the right thing to do,” Pereira said. “They really supported me and encouraged me, and as hard as it is, sometimes it’s the best thing to do.”

In late March 2023, Pereira took Beau to Montgomery County Animal Services in Derwood, Maryland, and paid $15 to have him euthanized, she said. She was told shelter policy didn’t allow owners to remain in the room with their pets while they were being euthanized, so Pereira said goodbye to Beau and left the office.

About a year after the tragic incident, Pereira had moved to San Antonio and was considering getting another dog, so while visiting her parents in Maryland, she decided to check out the website of a rescue group.

She was shocked earlier this month to find a dog who looks just like Beau, only a little bigger, and with the same name the shelter gave her when she first fell in love with Beau in 2022.

Pereira immediately called the Montgomery County shelter and received confirmation that the veterinarian there had deemed the dog healthy enough to be saved and therefore would not have to be euthanized.

The shelter instead returned the puppy to the rescue group. Confirmed in statement Veterinarians said they found no neurological problems with the dog.

Instead, vets diagnosed the animal with liver disease and declared him healthy after a $7,000 operation.

Pereira claims it took several days to speak to a rescue worker on the phone to get an explanation of what had happened, and that he was hurt by the disrespect he received when he finally spoke to someone.

“The person who called me was very rude, disrespectful and really mean to me,” she said, breaking down in tears. “They just said that I dumped him and left him to die and that I never cared about him.”

She claims she was told the dog “won’t come back” before the call was hung up.

“LDCRF will not rehome owner-surrendered dogs,” rescue spokesperson Chloe Floyd said in a statement. “Our mission is to save dogs from euthanasia who are adoptable and safe for the community.”

The rescue group acknowledged that team members spoke to Pereira as she made the difficult decision to euthanize the dog, but claimed she was warned of the importance of taking the animal to a vet so she could be with it when it was euthanized.

They claimed they told her the team would take the dog if she was unable to do so.

“Everyone should be aware of this,” Caroline Harefield, executive director of Montgomery County Animal Services, told the Associated Press. [Pereira]”The organization is contractually obligated to return surrendered animals to rescue organizations.”

Pereira was advised to euthanize his puppy, but he steadfastly defends himself, saying he would have paid $7,000 for Beau’s surgery if he had known it would be a better option.

Hound mixes are Still available for adoption Tuesday morning.

“We have a lot of questions, but first and foremost we want him back,” Pereira told The Associated Press.