UPDATE: Dog Allegedly ReHomed Without Consent By Westmoreland Vet Has Passed Away

This story has been updated in chronological order.

Update as of 7:00PM 6/8/2021: We have received word that Shane has passed away.

Jody Grossman reached out to us with the following:

Shane had to be taken to Syracuse Emergency Hospital today and it was found he had a severe cat bite on his paw that was severely infected and part of his elbows and pads were missing from being dragged around. This is because the vet at CNY gave the dog to an employee that did not know what she was doing.

A member of the staff at CNY Veterinary Medical Services claims to have spoken to members of the staff at Syracuse Emergency Hospital and got insight back from the dog's visit. They were allegedly told different information regarding the condition of the dog and how he died.

Dr. Evan spoke directly to us and said he would not like to make any official comments about how the dog passed until he sees a final copy of the report.

We are in the process of trying to obtain a copy of that report and will provide that information as soon as we can.

Update as of 8:47PM 6/7/2021: According to Jody Grossman of New Hartford, Shane was picked up from CNY Veterinary Medical Services. Upon their arrival to bring him home, he was allegedly in horrible condition compared to when he was originally brought in.

"He was covered in urine and in poop. He has open sores on his elbows and pads from being dragged. " She also claims the office never took an x-ray of the dog to find out his cause of mobility issues and that he was very dehydrated.

Grossman said Shane will be residing at a sanctuary will he will be able to receive the proper care that he needs, and his owner will be able to visit him whenever he wants. Their overall mission to get the dog back has been completed and Shane has been reunited with his owner.

Update as of 4:17PM 6/7/2021: The owner of Shane, the dog who was placed for adoption, has asked to have him back.  The new owner who adopted the dog has agreed to the original owners wishes and he will be brought back to his home.  Per CNY Veterinary Medical Services, they say this is the first time the owner has asked for his dog back.

ORIGINAL STORY:

A post is going viral on Facebook claiming that a Westmoreland, NY veterinary clinic is responsible for taking in a dog for therapy, but placing him up for adoption without the owner's full consent.

A Facebook post was written originally and reshared by a secondary party. She told us wanted to share it to her own page to get the word out.

"We would love for more people to be aware of this situation. And for Shane to be returned to his owner."

According to the Facebook post, which has since been deleted, CNY Veterinary Medical Services in Westmoreland allegedly took a dog into their care by the name of Shane for physical therapy. A vet tech told the owner that he would have to stay at the clinic to continue treatment. During that time, the owner of the dog was asked to sign papers; which he was under the impression that was for the therapy treatment. He allegedly had no idea what he was signing were papers surrendering his ownership of his dog.

We spoke with Dr. Evan Sandler of CNY Vet, who explained that the owner of the dog is an 81-year-old gentleman. The owner called the practice to discuss the unique situation. Shane weighed over 100 pounds and had a hard time getting around. He couldn't walk more than 100 feet, and the owner was concerned that the dog was more of a danger, because of his size, than he (the owner) could handle.

"We discussed over the phone his concerns and how he was considering euthanasia for the dog because he believed he couldn't care for dog the way he needed to without hurting himself. He was really worried about Shane, but also his own safety."

Dr. Sandler claims he then discussed another option with the owner; helping him find another home for the dog, to save his life.

"I told him I didn't want him to make a decision immediately, but to think about it and what would be best for the dog."

The owner allegedly called the office the next day and said he was considering signing the dog over for adoption. He then came into the office the next day, bringing all of the dogs belongings.

Get our free mobile app

"He signed. And the forms are very clear. There was nothing we were trying to hide. We were under the impression he understood."

Two days later, they find out he didn't read the form. The owner called back to try to get the dog back.

"The problem is I already had someone who adopted him," said Dr. Sandler, "so I had no right to reverse the action. I have no idea how the owner would not have understood what he was signing. If you look at our forms, it is very, very clear."

Dr. Sandler said he has spoken with the owner that relinquished his rights for the dog twice since the original conversation, including after the post circulated around Facebook. Now that he understands what exactly happened, he hasn't asked for the dog back after discussing what happened. He also allegedly didn't ask for the dog back as many times as the claims state.

"He never asked for the dog back. He just asked if he could get updates, occasional photos and videos. After all that has transpired, I have no problem with this man and by the sounds of it, he has no problems with me."

CNY Vet has been working to provide the secondary option of adoption for clients that don't have the means to take care of their animals considering euthanasia. Because of this viral post, they say they may have to reconsider that.

"In our job and our profession, we euthanize a lot of animals. If I can do anything to save these animals I will, which is why, in this case, we discussed finding another owner. And he (the owner) said, and I quote, "as long as he has a chance at a second life.""

We have reached out to the original source of the allegations and have yet to get a response. When we get additional information, we will update this story.