Connie Osborne
The Siamese mix snuck out of the house the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Osborne tells Paw Nation, and by the time the family realized he was gone, everything had shut down for the holiday. So it was a major relief two days later when Osborne received a call from microchip company HomeAgain. Griffon was safe and sound at the animal shelter across town. He'd been picked up by animal control less than a block from her house.
Osborne arrived at the shelter with a cell phone picture to prove Griffon was hers, along with her microchip paperwork. They told her she'd have to pay $55, a charge that covered the cost of his overnight stay, some vaccinations automatically performed at the shelter and a $25 fee for animal control having to pick him up. All of those fees were understandable. But then she was told that she needed to speak with animal control at the police station where she was given a ticket for allowing her cat to get out.
"At that point I was thinking, 'I'm a good citizen, I'll sign the ticket,'" Osborne admits. "When I actually looked at it the next day, I broke down in tears." The city of North Las Vegas had fined her $1,132, and when she called animal control hoping it was a mistake, they told her that was the standard fee.
The Doggie Diaries: At the Dog Park, Part 1 -- The Brawl
