Family was told their dog had to be euthanized, only to discover she was alive months later. But what the hospital did next was ‘just sick’
A family experienced heartbreak twice.
Pets often become cherished members of the family. So when an animal hospital in Senoia, Georgia, allegedly told a family that their dog had to be euthanized because she was suffering from poor health, they were understandably heartbroken. But now, the family claims that they discovered a photo of their dog, alive and well, under the care of an employee months after the alleged euthanasia.
In March 2026, Rebecca Belote said her family brought their four-year-old pug, Cha Cha, to the Senoia Animal Hospital in Coweta County after she became ill. She claimed the hospital had diagnosed Cha Cha with diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious and life-threatening diabetes complication caused by insulin deficiency, and that she was suffering from organ failure, according to WSB-TV.
When the family was allegedly advised that Cha Cha had to be euthanized because of her health complications, Belote said the news affected her 17-year-old son the most, who was “really attached” to the pug. “They had matching clothes. Like matching hoodies that they would wear,” Belote told the outlet. “She hardly walked anywhere ‘cause he carried her everywhere.”
Family alleges their dog was euthanized after
The family ultimately paid hundreds of dollars for Cha Cha to be euthanized. But eight months after they believed Cha Cha had passed away, Belote allegedly found a photo of their dog while she was browsing through Facebook, suggesting that she was still alive. “I knew scrolling, like, that’s my dog,” Belote said.
According to Belote, the person in the photo with Cha Cha appeared to be an employee at the Senoia Animal Hospital. When she went to confront the hospital, they allegedly denied that the employee took home the four-year-old pug. “They have a lawyer,” Belote added. “They won’t talk about it.”
The employee’s partner, however, confirmed that Cha Cha was in their care, Belote said. Despite being told that the family needed to put down their pet due to her declining health, the partner said Cha Cha was actually in good health.
Belote’s family was not able to get their dog back. Instead, Belote accused Senoia Animal Hospital of trying to cover up the incident by actually euthanizing Cha Cha, despite her allegedly healthy condition, after taking the pug back from the employee. “The fact that they put a healthy dog down, that’s just sick,” Belote said.
Senoia Animal Hospital faced a similar accusation from another family
This isn’t the first time the hospital has faced such accusations. According to FOX 5 Atlanta, another family brought their 19-year-old cat, Annie, to be euthanized at the same hospital. But 18 months later, the family allegedly discovered their cat was alive and living with one of the employees.
Annie was ultimately euthanized at the family’s request in August, at the age of 20, and the feline’s body was returned. Senoia Animal Hospital was said to have issued an apology and refunded the family’s money.
An attorney representing the Senoia Animal Hospital said they advised the hospital not to release any statements on the issue. They added that the hospital “looks forward to providing excellent care to its clients and the community.”
Senoia Police Department also issued a statement and said it would not be filing any criminal charges against the individuals involved. Captain Jason Ercole said: “We feel that there are obviously some ethical concerns regarding the conduct at the Senoia Animal Hospital, but we don’t believe that it rises to the level of criminal conduct. […] Ethically, we feel that there is other authorities that could better address these issues, like the State Board of Veterinary Services.”
Belote said she formally filed a complaint with the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine. She is also in touch with the Coweta County Solicitor, who is now investigating the incident.
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