A Michigan veterinarian has been charged with stealing a dog belonging to a homeless man, but she insists she was actually rescuing the animal.
The Kent County Prosecutor’s Office has brought misdemeanor theft charges against Amanda Hergenreder after she took the dog in November 2024. Hergenreder was at a conference in Grand Rapids when she came across a brown pit bull mix tied to a truck with a frayed rope behind a business.
Concerned about the dog’s welfare, she asked around and confirmed the dog belonged to a homeless man. “There’s no food, no water, no shelter,” Hergenreder remembered. “It was just a parking lot, and he’s tied up — obviously not being well taken care of.”
After waiting for about half an hour, Hergenreder contacted the Grand Rapids Police Department for advice. She said an intern suggested she do what she felt was best for the dog. Taking their advice to heart, she decided to cut the dog’s tether and assess its condition. Finding the dog lethargic, she took it to her clinic for treatment, which included surgery costing around $3,000.
However, the dog’s owner, Chris Hamilton, who claims he had left his pet, named Vinny, for a short walk to a nearby gas station, later found out his dog was missing. When Hamilton came back, witnesses told him that a woman in a van had taken his dog after cutting the rope. Hamilton reported the incident to the police.
“I just want my dog back,” Hamilton stated. “I had him for 15 years. I felt like I lost part of my body after that.”
Records from Kent County Animal Control indicated they had previously addressed concerns about the possibility of neglect but found no signs of cruelty.
Grand Rapids police instructed Hergenreder to return Vinny, but she refused, believing the authorities wouldn’t properly investigate the situation. “I rescued this dog. I put in more than $3,000 for his medical treatment,” she explained. “I can’t just hand him back to those conditions.”
Due to her refusal, the prosecutor’s office charged her with theft, and her trial is scheduled for March 6. Kent County Prosecutor Christopher Becker commented on the situation, saying, “It’s just taking something that doesn’t belong to you. You don’t have a right to just take something because you feel something’s wrong.”
He added, “People have a very big attachment to their animals. This is something that’s important to an individual, no matter their situation in life.”
Both the Kent County Police Department and the Prosecutor’s Office have been contacted for further comments regarding this ongoing case.
