Hi everyone, I need some help for a family member ASAP.

Just had some distressing news, my cousin (she has a baby, and has brittle bones) had 2 yorkies, one of which was only a puppy but barked continously (non-stop through the day and night), a neighbour had reported her to the council, and council told her to control his barking, or rehome.

She asked her friend, who knew somebody that could train him to stop barking, so she let said friend take the puppy as she couldn't train him with her bones and the baby. So called friend told her that the person who could train him didn't want him as apparently he (the yorkie) was going for a fully grown German Shepherd; she (the friend) rang the vet and said that the council had told her to have the dog (the yorkie) destroyed as it was dangerous, and had spread the rumor that she had been to see several vets, the dog had leg problems, back problems, and a swelling in his brain, which had contributed to him being vicious (all UNTRUE!)

She rang the vet 3o'clock yesterday afternoon, and was told to bring him in at 5, told the vet she had authority to have the dog destroyed (he is in my cousins' name) and at 5:05 he was put to sleep. my cousin had been trying to get in touch with her all day, and she wasn't answering anything, so in the end she went round to her house, only to find her getting out of a taxi, so called friend handed her the yorkies' collar and lead, walked into the house and shut the door in my cousins' face.

to say she is devestated is an understatment, they've been to see the vet this morning, who is horrified that he's destroyed a healthy dog and has given them a copy of the conversation he had with so called friend, and has advised to go to the police. What, if anything, can be done? Is there anyone they can get in contact with for help, or legal guidance? They're going to the police, the RSPCA already.

The only problem with this puppy was that he barked a lot!!

Sorry for the long post.

OMG, that is just awful. I would be calling my solicitor first of all, not sure what the police could do tbh if they were called, that poor poor puppy

I can't believe that a vet would just put a dog to sleep just like that? on the say so of a person he possibly has never met before!

They haven't got a solicitor; is there one who deals with canine cases?

She said that she'd only just got the dog, but the council had told her it was dangerous! he had nothing else to go on, except this so called friends word!

That is so sad, may the pup RIP.

When the trainer didn't want to continue then the pup should have been returned to its owner, not taken to the vet by someone with no authority to do so let alone PTS.

Hopefully someone will be along with the contact details for the Canine Solicitor I have seen mentioned on here.

Here they are
http://www.doglaw.co.uk [Trevor Cooper]

A vet must get a consent form signed to put a dog to sleep -clearly this was not signed by the right person, if one was done at all. I'd imagine legal proceedings can be taken both against the other person and the vet. Try Trevor Cooper the dog law solicitor.
http://www.doglaw.co.uk

What a sad story :(.
Has the owner told the vet to hold on to the body of the dog as it might be sensible to have a PM done on the body as it would prove without a question the dog did not have any of the issues the vet was told it has...
I truly do not know what kind of friend or person the lady who took him to the vets is!
What was she thinking, why did she do such thing?
Horrible, I can not imagine how the owner is feeling.

Good grief what a terrible story :(

Legal advice asap and act on it.

The so called friend rang the police last night -- obviously to cover her back.
Don't know about a consent form, but will ask; don't think one was done as the vet obviously thought with the council saying the puppy needed to be put down, that was it.
Will get cousin to ring Trevor Cooper now.

We always get a consent form signed by either the owner or the owner's agent to authorise a PTS. The reason isn't stated on the form but we'd never simply put an animal to sleep without written permission so there's some comeback in case of argument.

What a nightmare situation, I can't understand why a friend would do this.............. I really can't!!

Is there a huge gap missing from this story, as it just does not make sense unless your cousins friend is a psychopath if so other signs of her character would have surely shown not to trust someone like this with your dog, something is amiss in this story, it must be? I can't believe anyone could be that evil.

I wish your cousin had come on here for advice about dog barking, we would have helped for free......... and told her, her rights with regard to the council and dog barking.

For the council to have said stop it or re-home, I would surmise it must have been going on for a while and through the complicated process, unless your cousin was so scared at having a first letter and panicked?

Did this friend believe that if the dog could not be 'cured' of yapping your cousin could not have it back? As obviously your cousin thought she had to re-home the dog if not 'cured' didn't she? Did she believe that the dog was hers or in her guardianship due to this, was this discussed at all? Something is missing here. Did she then in desperation after the trainer rejected it call the council for advice and they told her to do this, believing she had full consent?

For your cousin this is devastating and for a yapping puppy even worse, could someone's 'friend' be that evil though? I don't understand it, if so I hope your cousin throws the book at her, but before you all go charging in here and spending a lot of money on solicitors, make sure that you have the complete facts here, as to me there seems to be a gap in the story..........