28/12/2025
After a painful breakup, a woman spent months desperately searching for her missing dog, Max. What she didn’t know was that her ex-boyfriend had secretly surrendered him to a kill shelter, without her consent and without having any legal right to do so.
When she finally discovered where Max was, it was almost too late. He was scheduled to be euthanised the very next morning.
Arriving at the shelter after hours and finding the doors locked, she made a decision driven by panic and love. She broke a window, disabled the alarm, searched the kennels, found Max, and ran. She knew she was breaking the law, but she also knew she was out of time.
The shelter reported the break-in, and police charged her with felony burglary and theft after reviewing security footage. Three days later, she turned herself in, bringing Max with her. In court, her lawyer presented overwhelming proof that Max had always been hers: vet records, photos, and microchip registration.
The judge ruled that the ex-boyfriend had illegally surrendered the dog out of spite. All criminal charges against the woman were dropped. A warrant was issued for the ex, and Max was officially returned to her.
She did face civil penalties for the damage to the shelter, which she paid without hesitation. Her response was simple: breaking that window saved her dog’s life.
The case has sparked serious debate about how easily animals can be surrendered without proper ownership verification — and how family pets can end up on death row overnight due to bureaucratic failure.
Max is home now.
Safe. Alive.
And with the person who never stopped looking for him.
❤️🐶