SURREY 鈥� The Surrey Animal Resource Centre says it is holding onto a black lab 鈥� and for good reason.
But Olivia Todd says Linus is her dog and wants him back.
鈥淭hey won鈥檛 give him back to me because I didn鈥檛 have a second piece of ID with my address on it,鈥� Todd wrote underneath a SARC Facebook post dated Oct. 9th. 鈥淎fter frantically getting one made they are refusing to return my dog!鈥�
Todd has also started a that states SARC is using medical needs as 鈥渓everage in withholding my dog from me.鈥�
On the fundraising site, Todd wrote that Linus got through a hole in the fence and was picked up on Oct. 3, and released to her on Oct. 5th.He landed back in the shelter again on Oct. 9, according to Todd.
鈥淎 few days went by and Linus managed to get through the hole again in the backyard even after enclosing it but he still managed to wiggle on through (Linus loves to be chased) and now Surrey Animal Resource Center located in Cloverdale on Colebrooke road decided to make our lives a nightmare and refused myself and any of my family the ability in reclaiming our dog Linus.鈥�
That time, the shelter demanded proper identification, said Todd.
鈥淎fter frantically calling around to different family members I managed to get something with my photo on it and raced that to them.鈥�
She added: 鈥淚ve told the shelter we had funds for the first surgery but they feel they have the rights to steal him from his family.鈥�
Todd wrote Linus鈥� surgery will cost thousands.
According to the GoFundMe, 鈥淲hatever proceeds will be donated to the vetinarian and their choice of animal clinic or hospital and that will also take on Linus鈥� procedures. I have the funds for the first surgery but Surrey Animal Resource Center has been withholding my dog and refuses to give him back to his family and is deciding to use Linus鈥� medical needs as a way to take him from me instead of maybe help me as he already has a good home and a family that loves him.鈥�
But SARC鈥檚 story is different.
Surrey鈥檚 manager of animal care and control Kim Marosevich told the Now-Leader the dog had been impounded several times in the last year and has a medical issue that has gone untreated.
Marosevich said Linus has been a 鈥渇requent flyer鈥� at the shelter, being brought in five times in the last year.
Sometimes, he鈥檚 been found wandering by animal control, other times he鈥檚 been brought in by the public.
鈥淔ortunately nothing happened to him when he was out,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a prototypical lab. Although he鈥檚 mannerless, he wouldn鈥檛 know how to sit, he鈥檚 certainly very, very friendly.鈥�
Marosevich said Linus has a ruptured cruciate.
鈥淥ne of the muscles around his knee is blown,鈥� she explained. 鈥淪o if you think about the band of muscle, it鈥檚 torn. When he puts his leg down, he can鈥檛 bear weight on it. He鈥檚 hobbling around.鈥�
Marosevich says the last time Linus was released, it was with a follow-up order to be completed by the SPCA.
鈥淲e first contacted the SPCA to do a follow up cruelty investigation as a result of Linus鈥� leg in February of this year,鈥� said Marosevich.
She said it鈥檚 not unusual for such an order, when animals come into the shelter who will require ongoing vet care.
鈥淏ut the challenge is when the animal can鈥檛 be found, essentially,鈥� she said, adding they had no address to follow up with in Linus鈥� case.
Then, the dog turned up at the shelter again.
Marosevich acknowledged that veterinary care can be expensive, but said the dog needs this issue rectified because it impacts his quality of life. She said in the past, the shelter worked with the woman, who says she鈥檚 the owner, and have 鈥渂ent the rules鈥� when she asked for men to pick up the dog for her.
鈥淎t the end of the day the shelter just said, really, you need to be able to provide the medical care the dog needs鈥�. We can do the surgery and set him up in a home where he鈥檚 in a stable environment.鈥�
As for the dog going back to the woman, Marosevich said 鈥渋t鈥檚 a little late.鈥�
But it appears Todd isn鈥檛 giving up.
鈥淭hey know they are wrong and this is disgusting,鈥� she said in a message to the Now-Leader.
amy.reid@surreynowleader.com
Like us on and follow Amy on
