Dog News

The Fight for Patrick: Miracle Dog Caught Up In Custody Battle

by ADMIN

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The feel-good story of a saved dog that moved and united throngs of animal lovers has taken a very ugly turn.

The emaciated red pit bull mix was discovered in a trash bag at the bottom of a Newark apartment building garbage chute one day before St. Patrick’s Day. Patrick, as he was later named by the Humane Society, was brought to the Garden State Veterinary Specialists in Tinton Falls where specialists determined that he was found just hours from death. Since then, thousands have followed his case with great interest as updates from the vet’s office have been posted on their Facebook fan page.

Now The Associated Humane Society has filed a 40 page motion to have Patrick moved to Popcorn  Park Zoo, a shelter for abused animals. The AHS wants seeks to overturn an earlier order that allowed Patrick to stay with his vet while the criminal case against a Newark woman charged with starving him is underway. The motion states: “Patrick is no different than any other stray or abandoned picked up in Newark or any other city — once he was rescued by AHS, he became the property of AHS.”

The city of Newark opposes the motion and has argued in favor of keeping Patrick in the only safe environment he’s ever known.

Adam Zipkin, chief of staff of the city’s department of economic and housing said, “It’s the city’s position that it is not in Patrick’s best interests for him to be turned over to Associated, and we have notified both Associated and the court of that fact.”

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