A heartbroken Georgia family is speaking out after what they call a stunning betrayal of trust at a local animal hospital, one that left them grieving a pet that was never actually put down, only to learn months later the dog was living with a staff member before the clinic allegedly euthanized the healthy animal to hide what happened.
Rebecca Belote of Coweta County told WSB-TV that she and her family brought their beloved 4-year-old pug, Cha Cha, to Senoia Animal Hospital in March 2026 after the dog became seriously ill. Hospital staff diagnosed organ failure and diabetic ketoacidosis and recommended euthanasia. The family, devastated, said their final goodbyes and paid hundreds of dollars, including for communal cremation, believing Cha Cha was gone.
“They both took it kind of hard,” Belote said of her husband and especially her 17-year-old son, who was inseparable from the pug. “They had matching clothes. Like matching hoodies that they would wear. She hardly walked anywhere ’cause he carried her everywhere.”
Months later, while scrolling Facebook, Belote froze. There was Cha Cha, alive and looking well, in a photo with someone connected to the hospital. “I knew scrolling like that’s my dog,” she said. A former hospital worker confirmed that an employee had taken the pug home instead of carrying out the euthanasia. Even more shocking, the employee’s husband later told Belote that his wife had the dog and that Cha Cha was in good health.
When the family confronted Senoia Animal Hospital, managers denied it ever happened. “They have a lawyer,” Belote said. “They won’t talk about it.” She believes the hospital then took the dog back and euthanized it to cover up the deception. “The fact that they put a healthy dog down. That’s just sick.”
This is not the first time the same hospital has faced nearly identical accusations. Earlier, another family paid roughly $300 in February 2025 to have their ailing 19-year-old cat, Annie, euthanized and cremated. Eighteen months later, they discovered a veterinary technician had kept Annie alive and living at home. The hospital eventually euthanized Annie in August 2026 at the family’s request, refunded the money, and issued a statement admitting it “fell short in honoring the trust the family placed in us.”
Senoia police investigated both cases and declined to file criminal charges. Capt. Jason Ercole acknowledged “obviously some ethical concerns regarding the conduct at the Senoia Animal Hospital” but said the actions did not rise to the level of a crime. The matter was referred to the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine. Belote has filed a formal complaint with the board and says the Coweta County Solicitor is also looking into the case.
An attorney for the hospital released a statement saying the clinic has been advised not to comment publicly on the “developing issues” and that “Senoia Animal Hospital looks forward to providing excellent care to its clients and the community.”
For the Belote family, the silence and the alleged final act of putting Cha Cha down after months of secret care have only deepened the pain. What began as a heartbreaking decision to end their pet’s suffering has turned into an ongoing fight for answers, and a painful reminder of how completely a family’s trust can be shattered.
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