Help Us Get Justice for Harriet.
A few days before Thanksgiving 2025, Harriet was euthanized by her adopters, only three months after they finalized her adoption.
We were told after it happened. The adopters never mentioned euthanasia as an option. Had they done so, we would’ve been at their door immediately.
In mid-November, Harriet’s adopters reported that some frustration behaviors had been resurfacing - leash biting, ankle nipping, general over-stimulation. We provided resources, enrichment ideas, discussed behavioral medication, recommended a certified positive-reinforcement trainer, and shared everything we knew from working with her for nearly a year without incident.
On November 20 — the same day as their trainer assessment and just seven days after their initial message — they said they wanted to return her. They agreed to keep her for two weeks while we secured placement. We asked for vet records, the surrender form, and the trainer's assessment. The adopters only sent the trainer's evaluation, which stated clearly, "I do not view Harriet as a dangerous dog; she is over-the-top enthusiastic but is not attempting aggressive harm” and “...behavioral euthanasia was discussed, my opinion is Harriet should not be a candidate for euthanasia.” We scrambled all weekend to find a place to put Harriet and make a plan for her return, so we were ready when she was.
On Tuesday, we were notified she had been euthanized and that no one from O&Co was to contact the adopters again. That was it. She was gone, and there wasn’t a damn thing we could do to save her this time.
Neither the adopters nor the vet consulted us. The vet didn’t consult the certified trainer, who had clearly noted in her assessment from three days prior that Harriet was not a candidate for behavioral euthanasia, nor was she dangerous or aggressive. The vet didn’t bother to reach out to us to see if there was a chance we’d take her back (spoiler alert: we were already planning to) versus euthanizing a perfectly healthy, perfectly happy, albeit overstimulated, dog. Considering Harriet had only been in the adopter’s care for three months, had been seen by the vet for this issue originally only ONE WEEK prior to being euthanized, we would absolutely assume the vet would have done some due diligence before, literally, killing a dog. Our dog.
We intend to fully pursue legal action, as this was a serious breach of our adoption contract, along with negligence on the part of the vet clinic. Complaints have been filed with multiple agencies, after trying to have an amicable conversation and being ignored, a demand letter has been served to the adopters, and they have seven days to respond. If they don’t, we will move to a civil suit.
Nothing can bring Harriet back. But, she deserved better, and we’ll fight for her for as long as we possibly can…loudly.
If you’re interested in supporting justice for Harriet, consider donating to her cause.
Support Our Department of Safety & Professional Services (DSPS) Complaint
If you’re interested in speaking up and supporting our complaint against the veterinary clinic that performed Harriet’s euthanasia, you can take the following actions:
Call the Wisconsin DSPS at (608) 266-2112 between the hours of 7:45am and 4:30pm CT.
Clearly state your purpose: Explain that you are calling to support a claim that another person filed; reference case number 2025004732.
Provide your statement: Clearly and concisely provide your statement and any supporting evidence you have gathered.
Ask for a case number: Request a case or reference number for your statement so you can easily reference it later.
After Your Call
Send a written acknowledgement: Follow up your phone call with a written acknowledgement, which may include a summary of your statement and supporting evidence.
Written acknowledgements can be emailed to dsps@wisconsin.gov
We are grateful for your support.
