Who should get the dog?

em26

I was watching Inside Edition and this story just aired.

WTF? That lady should not have gotten the dog back.

BULLSHIT! :x

http://www.insideedition.com/news.aspx?storyID=2316

It was an emotional moment as a dog comes home. But does it actually belong to this overjoyed woman? Or this heartbroken one?

"I'm very upset," Megan Graham tells INSIDE EDITION.

An adorable schnauzer is at the center of a bitter custody battle. Carole Barrett calls her Roofy, but Megan Graham calls her Rosie.

The dispute began when Carole, the original owner, brought her gravely ill dog to the North Valley Veterinary Hospital in Chico, California, where Megan works as a technician.

Carole says the dog was diagnosed with a life-threatening infection requiring emergency surgery that would cost $3,000. "I didn't have the money. I didn't have the credit," says Carole. Instead, she made the painful decision to have her beloved pet euthanized.

"I didn't want her to suffer anymore, she was just laboring so hard," explains Carole.

But Megan said there was another option. As an employee of the animal hospital, she could have the surgery performed at greatly reduced cost. But in return, Carole would have to sign the dog over to her.

This is their hand-written contract saying..."I, Carole Barrett, release ownership of my dog Roofy to Megan Graham," and it was signed by both women.

"She agreed to it. We hugged, we cried. We stood there for 10 minutes and talked about what [the dog] liked and what her favorite things were and things like that," says Megan.

Miraculously, the dog survived the operation. But when Megan called Carole to tell her the dog was okay, things got ugly.

"I said, 'What's it gonna take to get my dog back?' " Carole says.

Megan stood firm that the dog was now hers.

"I could see how much she cared about the dog but that doesn't change the fact that she did not want to spend any money for the dog's treatments," explains Megan.

Carole hired a lawyer. And even though Megan had fallen in love with her new pet, she couldn't afford to fight a lawsuit.

INSIDE EDITION was there when Megan returned the dog. It was a tense moment and Megan was so upset she wouldn't get out of the car. A friend handed over the dog.

So who is the rightful owner? Two women, one dog, and a decision that would test the wisdom of King Solomon.

INSIDE EDITION's Diane McInerney spoke to Megan Graham via satellite.

"A lot of folks watching this story think you are the bad guy. Why did you take Carole's dog to begin with?" she asked Megan.

"I didn't take Carole's dog," says Megan, continuing, "And the hardest thing about all of this is her unwillingness to help her own pet."

When McInerney asked what Megan thinks would have happened to the dog if she did not get involved, Megan answered, "She would have been euthanized. She would have been euthanized, if I didn't step up and take her responsibility on, the dog would be dead."

"It appears as though you took the dog during a tremendous time of grief for Carole. How do you respond to that?" asks McInerney.

"Okay, she couldn't afford the $3,000 surgery. But she has money to file a lawsuit to sue me...but she can't treat her dog. It's absolutely ridiculous," answers Megan.