By Wesley Harris
Social media went berserk Thursday after a reportedly malnourished dog in the custody of an animal rescue shelter was returned to its owner, with allegations a Lincoln Parish deputy was responsible.
4Paws Rescue posted the following on social media: “THIS DOG WAS JUST GIVEN BACK TO THE OWNERS!!!! She is emaciated!!!! ER vet said she had 3 days to live. The owners surrendered the dog so we could get her medical help!! The SHERIFF GAVE THE DOG BACK TO THE OWNERS!!!! The problem is we did not get the owner surrender in writing or on video. We were more worried of saving the dogs life. Sheriff gave the dog back to the owners instead of seizing the dog to investigate!! Call the Lincoln Parish Sheriff & demand answers!!!”
Nearly 300 Facebook users had commented on the post by 6:00 pm Tuesday.
Lincoln Parish Sheriff Stephen Williams provided the following statement after looking into the matter:
“On October 23, 2025, at approximately 10:55 a.m., Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s deputies responded to 4 Paws Rescue in reference to a reported disturbance.
“The investigation revealed that on October 21, a representative from 4 Paws Rescue had obtained a severely malnourished dog from a residence near Beacon Light Road. A verbal agreement was made with the owner allowing 4 Paws to take temporary possession of the animal for medical treatment, with the understanding that the dog would be returned at no cost once care was completed.
“When a relative of the owner later arrived at 4 Paws to check on the dog’s condition, she was informed the animal would not be released until veterinary expenses were paid. The disagreement led to a verbal altercation, prompting law enforcement response.
“Deputies advised 4 Paws Rescue personnel that, without proper surrender documentation, ownership of the animal remained with the original owner and that the animal could not be withheld pending payment. Deputies further instructed 4 Paws to contact the Lincoln Parish Police Jury, which maintains authority over animal control matters in the parish, regarding the reported neglect.
“Prior to clearing the scene, deputies facilitated an agreement for the dog’s owners to reimburse 4 Paws for medical costs incurred to that point. Deputies also notified the Police Jury of the suspected abuse and neglect.
“The dog was subsequently returned to the owner and taken to a local veterinarian for further evaluation. Upon review of the animal’s condition and veterinary records, animal control determined that sufficient cause existed to pursue criminal charges.
“As a result, the owner was charged with one count of Cruelty to Animals. The animal has since been voluntarily surrendered to Lincoln Parish Animal Control and is continuing to receive medical treatment.
“It should be noted, the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office nor the Lincoln Parish Police Jury Animal Control received calls regarding this animal abuse case before this disturbance occurred.”
4 Paws responded to the Sheriff’s statement with this social media post:
“4 Paws Rescue would like to thank the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office for their diligent work in this case.
“We would also like to make a few clarifications. The volunteer that found Chloe is new and inexperienced. He mistakenly trusted the verbal agreement to surrender. The agreement was that if they surrendered her, we would cover the cost of vet care. If they wanted her back they would have to pay for vet care. We wanted to keep her here and safe, not the money.
“We should have called the sheriff and/or police jury. That is our mistake, and we are sorry. However, it was after hours, and Lincoln Parish doesn’t currently have an animal control officer. Chloe would not have survived the night without intervention, so we made the judgement call to rush her to the vet without informing local law enforcement. It was the wrong call, but our first priority was to get Chloe safe. We feared that official channels would take too long.
“We are extremely grateful for everyone that helped us in getting Chloe the help she desperately needed.”
