A woman in Rockland County claims she was unfairly accused of animal cruelty and is fighting to get her dogs back. Sarah Wallace reports.
A pet owner in New York was accused of animal cruelty, but four months later she still has not been charged or has any idea what she did wrong — and still isn’t allowed to see her beloved dogs.
Rebecca Klein says she was unfairly accused while caring for her own pets. Her two pups — Lily, an emotional support animal, and Max — were seized by the Hudson Valley Humane Society while the group executed a search warrant.
“I didn’t do anything to hurt them. They were the best thing that ever happened to me,” said Klein, who sobbed as she spoke with the I-Team.
She has not been allowed to see them since that day. The president of the Humane Society told NBC New York there is no definitive process when they seize animals and it could take up to two years to file charges.
Get Tri-state area news delivered to your inbox.> Sign up for NBC New York's News Headlines newsletter.
“You’re not seeing everything. Trust us, we are. We don’t get a warrant lightly,” said Hudson Valley Humane Society President AnnMarie Gaudio.
What’s not in dispute is that Max got loose in Nov. 2022 and broke his leg after being hit by a car. Klein documented visits to clinics and veterinarians. As a registered nurse, she says she opted for a splint rather than expensive surgery — indicating one vet wanted $8,000.
“I opted to do the splint because I myself had surgery and I suffer from other problems, complications… I don’t think I was negligent,” said Klein. “I don’t think I did anything that should be looked at as negligent. I was definitely on top of it.”
Her ex-husband lives in the same Rockland County home and says she adores the dogs.
“When I think of animal cruelty, I think of dogs sitting out in the winter like those commercials when they try and raise money for the humane society,” said Robert Klein. “Rebecca is the opposite. This woman loves animals.”
But apparently, someone disagreed and flagged the Humane Society, which confiscated both dogs. Lily, who was pregnant at the time, gave birth to seven puppies at the shelter.
So why did the Humane Society feel it was necessary to take both dogs, even though they claim that Max was the one mistreated? Gaudio said that “for her safety, we took Lily.” She also said there is more than meets the eye in this case.
“When you learn what happened in this case, you’ll be aghast,” Gaudio told NBC New York.
Klein’s next-door neighbor, a licensed therapist, said she went to the Humane Society and volunteered to foster the dogs. Her children often played with them.
“I was threatened that I was going to be arrested if I didn’t get off the property,” said Miriam Sultan. "Why not leave the dogs with me and my children if we’re willing to take them in. Especially because they know us.”
But the animal group wasn’t hearing any of it,
“It’s just another way to get the dog and give it to her — we’re not going to do that at this juncture,” said Gaudio, adding that she expects criminal charges to be filed in the next several days.
Meanwhile, Klein is still waiting for answers as to what she did wrong.
”You want to show me what I did that was wrong? I am willing to listen. I'm standing humble before these people. They have my dogs,” she said. “I’m lost here. If I did something wrong, I am sorry. If I did something, it wasn’t malice. Just tell me what I have to do to get my dogs.”
