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- Dog rescuer says she was wrongfully arrested, deputy unlawfully removed dog from her care
Dog rescuer says she was wrongfully arrested, deputy unlawfully removed dog from her care
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She's now battling the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office and the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office to have her charges dropped and get the dog back.
CROWLEY, La. (KLFY)-- A Crowley animal rescuer is fighting back after she said she was wrongfully arrested after picking up a stray dog. She's now battling the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office and the 15th Judicial District Attorney's Office to have her charges dropped and get the dog back.
"We want her back. We want her back to her rightful owners, which is the rescue," Founder and Director of Precious Paw Prints Animal Rescue Jamie Amie told News 10.
Amie took Maggie, a German Shepard mix, in after finding her as a stray, wandering around a Crowley cemetery on Jan. 31.
For days, Amie searched for her owners. After Acadia Parish's three-day hold, Crowley Animal Control gave Amie the green light to get Maggie vetted, micro chipped, and put up for adoption.
Two weeks later on Feb. 15, the alleged owner of Maggie wanted to come pick her up.
"We explained to them that now she's legally ours, and that she's no longer available for adoption because she's pending adoption," Amie said.
If that didn't work out, however, Amie told the alleged owner they could also apply to adopt her.
"They weren't happy to hear that," she said.
Amie said they contacted the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office.
"At eight o'clock that night, the sheriff's department comes to my home," she explained. "They ended up getting a search and seizure warrant for my home, and then they had the couple come to my home. Then they arrested me."
The couple took the dog home. Amie was charged with theft and resisting arrest.
"It's upsetting that we're following the laws that they set and that they're following, but yet we're being arrested for them," Amie said.
She said according to the Acadia Parish Police Jury code of ordinances, her rescue legally owns Maggie. She said law enforcement had no right to take Maggie or arrest her.
"Without rescues that do what we do, dogs would be euthanized at the shelter all the time," Amie told News 10. "If we're going to get charged and search and seizure warrants and dogs taken from us and given back to alleged owners after we have put all this care and effort and time and money into them and found great homes for them, then we won't be able to help anymore."
The Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office is investigating how the deputy handled this situation. Sheriff K.P. Gibson told News 10 the case was sent to the district attorney's office Friday morning.
News 10 spoke with District Attorney Don Landry, who said his office will take the appropriate actions.
As for Maggie, she is still in the custody of the alleged owners. Amie said the couple did not satisfy the requirement of proof of ownership. She also has concerns for the dog's welfare after hearing concerning stories from the couple.
Amie said Sheriff Gibson told her it's up to the district attorney's office to decide to return the dog. She says D.A. Don Landry said in an email, however, his office does not have the authority to remove or place the dog.
Maggie's fate is unclear.