A veterinarian in western Michigan has been convicted of misdemeanor theft after refusing to return a sick pit bull mix to its homeless owner.
Amanda Hergenreder found the 16-year-old dog tied to a truck last November and took him on a two-hour drive to her clinic. There, she treated a severe urinary tract infection and removed a decayed tooth. She named the dog “Biggby,” after a nearby coffee shop, and said he was thriving under her care.
But prosecutors charged her with larceny after she declined to return the dog to his owner, Chris Hamilton of Grand Rapids, who at the time had no permanent housing. Jurors convicted her following a two-day trial. The charge carries a penalty of up to 93 days in jail and a fine.
Despite the verdict, Hergenreder stood by her actions. “I would do it all again in a heartbeat,” she told the court, saying her duty as a veterinarian outweighed the legal risk. Her attorney, Miles Greengard, said she believed animal welfare officials would not step in to evaluate the dog’s situation. “What is right and what is legal are not always the same thing,” he argued.
Hamilton, who had named the dog Vinny, said earlier this year that he tied him to a U-Haul truck while he went into a gas station, only to never see him again. “Never felt the same after losing him,” Hamilton told WOOD-TV.
The case has a somber ending: Biggby—also known as Vinny—was euthanized in July due to declining health, according to Greengard.