A family in Farmington, Utah was shocked to find out that their beloved dog was put up for adoption six months after they took her to the vet to be euthanized. Back in 2016, the Coates family noticed that their boxer dog Zoey was not doing well as she started having seizures and developed a large mass on her body. They thought the growth was cancerous and causing Zoey pain, so they made the difficult decision to put her down. In November, Tawny Coates’s father took Zoey to the Bayview Animal Hospital for the procedure because Tawny was too upset to do it herself.
The Coates family became concerned for their boxer dog Zoey when they started to see a decline in her health, particularly when she began experiencing seizures.
Zoey developed a large growth on her body that her family feared could be life-threatening.
Before Zoey fell ill, the Coates had been through a rough patch with their home being foreclosed and Tawny’s husband being incarcerated for robbing a bank. After some time, the family decided they were ready to bring some joy back into their lives and decided to adopt another boxer dog. Tawny started looking at Boxer Town Rescue of Utah’s Facebook page for potential pets and was astonished by what she found. When she saw a dog named ‘Miss Frankie’ who looked just like Zoey, she couldn’t believe her eyes. Through tears, Tawny recounted the moment she realized it was truly her beloved dog that was in need of a new foster home.
The Coates family welcomed the dog back into their household, where she continued to flourish and grow.
Tawny was taken aback when she stumbled upon her canine companion featured on an adoption website going by the moniker ‘Miss Frankie’.
The veterinarian assured Tawny that her dog still had many years ahead of him. Tawny expressed feeling devastated, saying that it felt like the last straw. She was aware that it would be the breaking point for her kids. Mr. Coates, who was with Dr. Mary Smart when he brought Zoey to be put down, was not informed by the vet that the hospital may not proceed with the euthanization.
Veterinarian Dr. Mary Smart suggested that Mr. Coates did not seem interested in keeping the dog, despite his claims otherwise. She believed that the dog, Zoey, had more years left to live and could benefit from other medical options besides euthanasia. However, Mr. Coates insisted on letting the dog rest despite Smart’s recommendations. Due to this miscommunication, Dr. Smart decided to send Zoey to a rescue home where she could receive proper care. Unfortunately, Dr. Smart did not inform the Coates family about this decision, admitting that she made a mistake by not doing so. Dr. Smart acknowledged that she should have contacted the family to give them the option of taking Zoey back. Dr. Drew Allen from Utah’s Veterinary Board emphasized the importance of considering both the well-being of the animals and the wishes of the owners in such situations. He mentioned that legal disputes could arise if the interests of the owners are not taken into account. Despite the confusion, the Coates family was eventually able to bring Zoey back home, unaware of the events that had transpired. Zoey continued to live a healthy and happy life with the family, ultimately receiving the care and love that she deserved.
The canine received treatment at a shelter for animals in need.