Jury convicts veterinarian of theft for refusing
to return dog to homeless man
A veterinarian who refused to return a dog to a homeless man after finding the ailing pit bull mix tied to a truck was convicted of theft Friday in western Michigan.
Amanda Hergenreder took the dog on a two-hour drive to her clinic, where she cleared up a severe urinary tract infection and removed a rotten tooth last November. She named him Biggby, after a nearby coffee shop, and said the 16-year-old dog was thriving while living with her.
But prosecutors filed a misdemeanor larceny charge after Hergenreder refused to bring the dog back to Chris Hamilton, a Grand Rapids man who lacked a permanent home at the time. She cited her ethical duties as a veterinarian and noted that the dog wasn't licensed.
Despite the controversy, Hergenreder told jurors that she would do it all again "in a heartbeat."
Defense attorney Miles Greengard said the veterinarian kept the dog because there was no assurance that animal welfare authorities would investigate his living conditions.
The trial in Grand Rapids lasted two days. A conviction for larceny can carry up to 93 days of jail and a fine.
"She believed, as I believe, she did the right thing. What is right and what is legal are not always the same thing," Greengard told The Associated Press.
Hamilton won't be getting the dog back. Biggby — or Vinny as Hamilton called him — was euthanized in July because of health problems in old age, Greengard said.
Earlier this year, Hamilton told WOOD-TV that he had tied the dog to a U-Haul truck while he walked to a gas station. "Never felt the same after losing him," he said.
Ranked Choice Voting update presented online
The Eastern District of Michigan Bar Association will present a “Ranked Choice Voting Informational Lunch and Learn” online program on Tuesday, October 28, from noon to 1 p.m. via Zoom.
The virtual presentation and Q&A will focus on the movement to bring Ranked Choice Voting to Michigan. The program will be moderated by Wayne State University Professor Marjorie Sarbaugh-Thompson and feature a representative of the organization behind the ranked choice voting ballot initiative. Attendees will learn how ranked-choice voting works, why it’s gaining traction, and what it could mean for Michigan’s elections.
To register for the free online program, visit https://edmibar.org and click on “events.”
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