God’s Gift was a beautiful brindle dog found tethered on an EXTREMELY SHORT LEASH (tied around her neck like a noose leash) outside in extreme heat, visibly suffering and in desperate need of immediate help. When we realized how severe her condition was, we called for assistance. We were later told that our first call had not been received. Regardless of what happened to that call, no one arrived while God’s Gift’s condition continued to deteriorate.
We did not stand by and wait while she suffered.
Ash crossed the fence, reached God’s Gift, carried her out of the scorching heat, and brought her to safety. For approximately 25 minutes, we carefully tried to cool her down, give her water safely, comfort her, and keep her alive. (And she was FIGHTING; her eyes made contact with our movement, and we even got her to swallow two sips of water!)
When help still had not arrived, we called again to ask where they were.
During that second call, Animal Control—not the police officers who later responded—told us that God’s Gift had to be placed back on the owner’s property. We were warned that we would face prosecution, and we were told that Animal Control would not help her unless she was returned to the property where she had been found so they could personally observe her & the severity of her living conditions. (?!)
We had already removed a critically ill dog from the conditions that were harming her. She was already receiving water, cooling, and human comfort. We were prepared to continue helping her (place her in the A.C. of our truck & even transport her ourselves), and possible legal consequences were not what stopped us.
We returned God’s Gift because Animal Control made us believe that 1. They were right around the corner, and 2. Placing her back on the property was the only way they would respond, assess her condition, and get her the treatment she desperately needed (E.R.)
God’s Gift was returned to the heat of that terrible property not because we believed it was safe, not because we did not want her, and not because we were unwilling to help her. She was returned because the agency responsible for assisting her told us that they would not help her otherwise, and in fact, it would be punitive, and counterproductive to the emergency on hand.
We want to make an important distinction: the police officers who later arrived were separate from Animal Control. The police officers were not the ones who ordered us to return God’s Gift to the property.
When responders arrived, precious time was also spent requesting identification and gathering information before God’s Gift was even given a glance, never mind assessed. We had to insist that they check on the dying dog before continuing with anything else!
Afterward, the responding police officers told us that we had done the right thing by intervening and that they highly doubted we would face legal consequences for trying to save her.
The police officers’ response stood in direct contrast to what Animal Control had told us.
The police said we had done the right thing.
Animal Control had told us to return a critically ill animal to the property she had just been rescued from—and said they would not help her, and we would face prosecution unless we complied.
God’s Gift later died.
We cannot say with certainty what would have happened if she had received professional treatment sooner. However, during a severe heat-related emergency, every minute matters. EVERY. SINGLE. MINUTE! Time was lost while we waited for help, called again, returned her to the property as instructed, and tried to convince responders that saving her life had to come before procedures and paperwork.
No animal should ever be placed back into dangerous conditions simply so an agency can personally witness the original scene.
Photographs, video recordings, witness statements, temperature readings, veterinary findings, body-camera footage, and other evidence can document neglect or cruelty without requiring a dying animal to be returned to danger.
In memory of God’s Gift, we are asking for God's Gift's Law to be enacted nationwide - beginning in Kentucky and serving as a model for every state. 
God’s Gift Law should:

• Provide limited civil and criminal protection to good-faith civilians who reasonably believe an animal faces imminent death or serious physical injury and take necessary action to save that animal.
• Allow civilians to remove an animal from immediate danger after contacting law enforcement, Animal Control, or emergency services whenever reasonably possible.
• Prohibit any agency from conditioning emergency assistance on a critically endangered animal being returned to the unsafe location from which it was rescued.
• Prohibit dispatchers or responders from ordering a critically ill animal back into dangerous conditions merely so the original scene can be personally observed.
• Allow photographs, videos, witness statements, veterinary records, temperature readings, and other documentation to establish the conditions from which the animal was removed.
• Require immediate medical assessment, stabilization, cooling, and veterinary transportation to take priority over identification checks and administrative procedures.
• Require rescued animals to be transferred promptly to law enforcement, Animal Control, a veterinarian, or an authorized shelter or rescue rather than returned to the dangerous environment.
• Protect people who act responsibly and in good faith while excluding theft, retaliation, fabricated emergencies, reckless conduct, unnecessary property damage, and attempts to hide, sell, or permanently keep someone else’s animal.

This is not about encouraging people to steal pets or engage in vigilantism.
It is about creating a clear, carefully limited emergency process that puts an animal’s life first when waiting for authorities could mean death.
God’s Gift had already been reached.
She had already been carried out of the heat.
She was already receiving help.
Yet Animal Control told us that she had to be placed back on the property or they would not assist her.
That should never happen to another animal.
Evidence can be preserved without returning a dying animal to danger. Paperwork can be completed after an animal is stabilized. Property can be repaired.
A life lost while everyone follows procedure cannot be restored.

Please sign and share this petition in memory of God’s Gift—and for every animal whose only chance of survival may be the compassionate person already standing beside them.

No animal should die waiting for legal permission to be saved.