“I was driving down Whites Creek Road when I saw a dog that was in need of help,” Regina Dillard said.
Dillard showed up at the Animal House Veterinary Clinic with a dog so emaciated, its chances at life were slim.
Dillard said the veterinarian asked for $1,000 for a blood transfusion, which Dillard could not pay for. Instead, she paid to put the dog down.
“This was not my dog. I was just trying to do the best for the animal,” Dillard said.
Days later, Dillard was arrested and charged with animal cruelty. In a release, police pointed out that Dillard had another dog inside her home in perfectly good health.
Dillard has since bonded out of jail and is seeking to clear her name.
“I feel like by trying to help an animal, I was wrongfully arrested,” she said.
The veterinarian, Dr. Catrina Herd, has a different story to tell.
“To say that was a stray animal is a little far-fetched,” Herd said.
Herd said her clinic if known for help animals in need even if their owners can’t pay. She said they never tell police, but in this case, Herd said they had no choice.
“Once I got the pictures of this dog, that’s just it. We can’t professionally not do something about it,” Herd said.
Herd said Dillard knew the dog’s name, weight and that she wasn’t spayed. She also said this isn’t the first time Dillard has brought in a starved pet.
“An older dog, completely emaciated, was brought in. Care was offered and the animal was euthanized,” Herd said.
While both women claim their hearts were in the right place, the courts will ultimately have to decide.
“We absolutely, 100 percent did the right thing,” Herd said.
“I didn’t do anything wrong,” Dillard said.
(WBRC - Dec 16, 2015)
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