Peso & Reese: One Escaped Death Twice. One Never Got the Chance
Peso is safe, but his story raises serious questions.
After being adopted from NECCOG, Peso's adopter contacted our rescue and asked us to take him. We agreed, but needed a little time to safely prepare for his arrival. Instead, he was returned directly to NECCOG.
Peso was not returned because he is a bad dog. He has a prey drive and simply needs a home without cats.
After his return, there were no public posts announcing that Peso had been returned or that he was once again available for adoption. This was especially concerning because NECCOG has publicly posted about other returned dogs in the past. So why wasn't Peso posted?
After we publicly shared that Peso had been returned and questioned why there had been no mention of him, we learned that he was reportedly scheduled to be euthanized. That decision was ultimately stopped.
However, Peso was publicly described as having "behavioral challenges" and as having "shown aggression toward other animals and certain people." Those are extremely serious labels that can determine whether a dog is adopted, rescued, or euthanized.
What specific documented incidents supported those claims? Was a formal behavioral evaluation completed, and who performed it? Were there bite reports, injuries, or documented incidents? Did this evaluation happen only hours after Peso was returned?
A dog who has just lost the only home he knew may be confused, frightened, overwhelmed, and under extreme stress. Those first few hours should not define his entire temperament, especially when the outcome could determine whether he lives or dies.
About a week later, we once again caught wind that Peso may have been at risk of being euthanized. While we cannot confirm whether that information was true, we knew we couldn't ignore it. Action needed to be taken.
Today, Peso is safe in our care, and every day we are learning more about who he truly is outside the walls of a shelter. We know he cannot live with cats, and we are continuing to carefully evaluate him around other dogs.
What we have seen so far is a dog who absolutely loves people, rides wonderfully in the car, lives for tennis balls, enjoys checking out the chickens and our pig, and is finally being given the opportunity to decompress and simply be a dog.
That is exactly why we are asking these questions.
We also can't help but think about Peso's sibling, Reese.
NECCOG publicly promoted Reese across Facebook, describing him as a wonderful dog. He, too, was adopted. But when Reese was returned, he was reportedly taken to the Killingly facility for a behavioral evaluation instead of being returned directly to Norwich.
We also can't help but ask how Reese went from being publicly celebrated as such a wonderful dog to suddenly being labeled as aggressive after being returned. What changed? Was there documented evidence supporting that conclusion, or was he evaluated during one of the most stressful experiences a dog can endure, losing the home he had come to know?
That raises another important question. Why evaluate a dog immediately after he has just lost his home and is experiencing one of the most stressful moments of his life?
Reese was ultimately labeled as aggressive and euthanized. Yet unlike when he was first available for adoption, there were no public posts announcing that he had been returned to NECCOG. There was no opportunity for the public to know he was back, to network him, or to try to save him. Instead, the public was left believing Reese was still living happily in his adoptive home, loved and thriving. Unfortunately, that was not the reality.
Reese deserved the same chance that so many other dogs receive. Why wasn't his return made public like the returns of other dogs? Why weren't people given the opportunity to step forward before it was too late?
Peso was fortunate. He escaped death twice and is now getting the chance to show the world who he really is. Reese never got that opportunity.
A dog deserves to be evaluated over time, not judged by one of the most stressful moments of their life. Every behavioral label should be supported by thorough, documented assessments because those labels can ultimately determine whether a dog receives a second chance or loses their life.
We're not asking these questions to attack anyone. We're asking because transparency, consistency, and evidence based behavioral evaluations matter. When returned dogs disappear from public view and life changing labels are applied during periods of extreme stress, the public deserves answers, and the dogs deserve every possible chance to live.
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