A conflict over ownership of an assistance dog named Secret has spilled into an Arapahoe County courtroom after the group that provides the animals to help kids with autism pulled the cream-colored female Labrador retriever from a Texas home over fears about her suddenly skittish behavior.
Disco’s Dogs Inc., a Centennial-based nonprofit, had placed Secret last August with Julie Bradshaw in Leander, Texas, about 25 miles north of Austin, to help Bradshaw’s son. The family bonded with the dog, but Disco’s Dogs saw red flags when Bradshaw’s online posts indicated that she was trying to arrange for Secret to accompany her son to school, according to a lawsuit filed in Arapahoe County District Court.
Disco’s Dogs president Laura Edwards said the dog hadn’t been trained for that kind of setting, and she subsequently became alarmed by Bradshaw’s descriptions of the dog’s unusual behavior — including growling at one of her sons.
“The behavior Ms. Bradshaw described was tentative and fearful behavior,” Edwards said. “If a dog is backed in a corner, its last defense is to bite. If that were to happen, her son could potentially be harmed, and Secret could lose her life. We felt it was our responsibility that neither of those things happen. It was a really tough decision, but the mother was not able to make it, so we had to.”
Communication between Edwards and Bradshaw deteriorated, with Edwards claiming the organization tried to assist with further assessment and training of Secret while Bradshaw claimed she “kind of shut down” after feeling bullied into returning the dog. Fearing that the dog’s problematic behavior could lead to trouble, Disco’s Dogs filed the lawsuit.
Bradshaw responded by creating a GoFundMe page to raise money to defend the lawsuit. While acknowledging the dog’s “fear issues” in public, she wrote on the page that the dog does well with her family.
“We are all very attached to her and she to us,” wrote Bradshaw, who did not respond to telephone requests for comment. “They have refused to leave the dog with us and are twisting things around in very nasty ways to make me look bad. Anyone that knows me knows my love of animals is strong. And I am passionate about advocating for my children in any way I have to.”
Bradshaw has plans to fly to Denver for Thursday’s scheduled court hearing on the matter to determine who should have the dog while the sides await a trial, her lawyer said.
“When Secret was first delivered, the dog slept with her that night and bonded with her and the kids,” said Daniel Vedra, Bradshaw’s Colorado attorney. “They’re upset having the dog they know and love ripped from their hands. She’s a very young dog, and like any dog adjusting to a new home with two young children, there are times when things aren’t perfect.”
Vedra said Bradshaw is contesting Colorado’s jurisdiction as well as the organization’s claim to ownership of Secret. He called the lawsuit “an odd case, and it definitely conjures a lot of emotions on both sides,” prompting nasty exchanges among bystanders on social media.
Disco’s Dogs disputes the notion that the organization didn’t try to help, quoting e-mail correspondence it says Bradshaw didn’t answer in the lawsuit. In late March, a Leander animal control officer visited the home and took photographs of Secret and recommended Disco’s Dogs obtain a court order taking possession of the dog as soon as possible, the suit said.
After the organization got the court order, a network of animal rescue workers transported Secret from Texas to Albuquerque, where Edwards and the dog’s trainer met her on Sunday and had her examined by a veterinarian.
Edwards said the dog currently is living with a foster family in Centennial.
“She’s now terrified of the world,” she said. “It will take a lot of effort on a lot of people’s part to get her whole again. I can’t speculate if she’ll reach service-dog status again, nor are we going to force her. She can be who she wants to be, and we’ll honor that.”
Secret was the second dog that the organization tried to place with Bradshaw. She returned the first one, named Bay, after noting that the dog didn’t follow commands in public and was aggressive. After two months of retraining, Bay was successfully placed with another family, according to the lawsuit.
Disco’s Dogs was incorporated in December of 2013 and carries on work for which Edwards originally volunteered in a program where Colorado’s prison system allowed inmates to train rescue dogs to be canine companions. Disco was the name of the dog her family received through the program to help her own son, who has autism-related disorders.
Court documents list the value of Secret at $25,000.
Edwards said she sympathizes with Bradshaw’s child but that the legal action was necessary to ensure that no one was harmed.
“I feel horrible for her son,” she said. “Not only is he dealing with neurological issues over which he has no control, but now he’s lost his dog. The choice was not his, not because of anything he’s done. And that’s sad.”