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Family says vet employee secretly took pug home after they paid to have dog euthanized
The family says a hospital worker took Cha Cha home instead, and state investigators are reviewing the case after the dog was reported dead.
Rebecca Belote claims she discovered her four-year-old pug, Cha Cha, was alive months after paying Senoia Animal Hospital in Coweta County to euthanize the dog in March 2026.
After the clinic diagnosed Cha Cha with organ failure and diabetic ketoacidosis, the family authorized euthanasia; Belote later spotted the pug in a Facebook photo allegedly living with a hospital employee.
The employee's husband confirmed his wife kept Cha Cha for months in "good health," yet the clinic subsequently euthanized the pug, which Belote alleged was an attempt to cover up the incident.
Senoia Police Department declined to file criminal charges, citing lack of criminal intent, while the clinic's attorney stated the hospital has "advised not to make any statements regarding these issues."
This follows reports of another family's cat, Annie, kept by a hospital worker for 18 months; Belote has filed a complaint with the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine, and the Coweta County Solicitor is investigating.