Rebecca Belote claims she discovered that her four-year-old pug, Cha Cha, was alive months after she paid the Senoia Animal Hospital in Coweta County to euthanize the dog. As reported by LADBible, Belote told WSB-TV, the discovery happened while she was scrolling through Facebook, where she says she saw a picture of a dog that she recognized as her own.
Belote says the family initially took Cha Cha to the hospital after the dog was diagnosed with diabetic ketoacidosis and organ failure. The veterinary staff reportedly told the family that the dog had no chance of recovery, leading the family to agree to have the dog put to sleep.
Belote said the loss hit her family hard, noting that her son was especially close with the pug. “They both took it kind of hard. My son was really attached to the dog,” Belote said. She added, “They had matching clothes. Like matching hoodies that they would wear. She hardly walked anywhere cause he carried her everywhere.”
A Facebook photo led her right back to the animal hospital
After seeing the dog on Facebook, Belote says she discovered that the person who had the pug was an employee at the same animal hospital. She claims the employee’s partner confirmed they had Cha Cha, even though the hospital denies that any employee took the dog after the family believed it had been euthanized.
Belote says the employee’s partner told her the dog had actually improved, which contradicts what she was told when the hospital recommended putting Cha Cha down. She alleges the hospital has since put the dog down.
“The fact that they put a healthy dog down. That’s just sick,” she said. Belote has filed a complaint with the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine, and disputes between pet owners and clinics have also played out online, including one over a $725 ear infection vet bill.
Another family has made a similar claim about the facility. They say they believed their cat, Annie, had been euthanized, only to discover 18 months later that a hospital employee had allegedly taken her home. Annie was later euthanized in August at the family’s request.
As reported by FOX 5 Atlanta, local police and prosecutors have looked into the claims but decided against filing charges. Captain Jason Ercole stated, “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.” He added, “Ethically, we feel that there is other authorities that could better address these issues, like the State Board of Veterinary Services.”
An attorney representing the Senoia Animal Hospital said, “With the developing issues at this time, we have advised (them) not to make any statements regarding these issues, the Hospital has decided to follow our advice.” The statement also noted that the hospital looks forward to providing care to the community. Belote says the hospital has a lawyer and refuses to speak about the situation directly with her.
Published: Oct 28, 2026 06:00 am