My dog is my baby!

A Denton, Texas, couple is asking the city for $206,000 and threatening to sue. Their dog got out of their backyard, and the city euthanized him before they could pick him up. The city clearly messed up, and I completely sympathize with anyone who loses a dog in such a manner -- my dog is my baby, and I would be heartbroken if something like that happened to me.

However, I question whether this couple is really that heartbroken over their loss or they just see the possibility of a financial windfall. When you hear the whole story, you just might wonder, too.

Amicus, a 3-year-old black labrador, was picked up by animal control officers on May 8. A neighbor told the officers where Amicus lived, and the officers left a notice on the door telling the owners how to retrieve their dog. The owner called the next day (May 9) and arranged to pick the dog up on May 16. That's where my doubt comes in. If my dog is in the city pound, when I call it will be to tell them I'm on my way to get her! The couple says they didn't pick the dog up sooner because they were waiting for a paycheck to pay the $109 fee to get the dog back. To me, that's like saying, "I'll get my kid a shot of antibiotics when I get paid." I would have borrowed the money, used a credit card, hocked some tools, appliances, or jewelry -- I wouldn't have left my dog in the pound for a week! Amicus' records were tagged, but a goof-up resulted in him being euthanized on May 15.

Amicus' owner says, "I'm not going to just let them get away with an apology. They can't bring my dog back, so the only thing they can do is give me money." It sounds to me like Amicus' owner is just a little too hung up on money!