Group won’t return dog of deceased police officer – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports

(WSVN) – A police officer gave his son a puppy. A few years later, the Miami-Dade police officer was killed in the line of duty. The dog was a reminder of the boy’s father until he disappeared and a rescue group refused to return the animal. Is that legal? Tonight: Help Me Howard with Patrick Fraser.

When you enter Janenne’s house, the first thing you see is a monument honoring her husband.

Patrick Fraser: “He was a police officer killed in the line of duty?”

Jannene Howard-Brown: “Yes. I always promised that no one would forget my husband’s legacy.”

Sergeant Jermaine Brown was a Miami-Dade police officer who was killed while pursuing drug suspects. But he lives on in his home.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “Even though he is not physically present, I feel like he is present in spirit.”

Jannene finds comfort in her memories of her husband, and her son Justice is happy with this dog named Chaos, which Sergeant Brown gave to him when he was six.

Judge Brown: “When I walked through the door I saw chaos and burst into tears.”

Jannene Howard-Brown: “Chaos slowly but surely became my son’s best friend.”

After Sergeant Brown died, Jannene experienced all the emotions of a grieving widow. Axel came into her life.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “After my husband died, I just needed this little comfort. I’m very emotional, but it was a godsend.”

Two beloved pets help a mother and her son cope with their terrible loss.

And then one day, the two animals went into the backyard to run around. The clever Chaos opened a gate and the dogs disappeared.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “I’ve been everywhere, every, every, everywhere.”

Jannene lives in South Dade. Her family and friends searched the neighborhood and the Internet. They contacted every rescue group in Miami-Dade County. Nothing.

Then, a week later, someone on the Internet claimed to have found the dogs.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “And they say, ‘Hey, they’re at a shelter in West Palm Beach, in the Everglades.’ I’ve been calling. I’ve been calling, I would say, for – I would say over a week.”

Jannene still has no idea why someone would bring the dogs from South Dade to the Everglades Angels Rescue Group. Finally, Jannene says, someone returned her call.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “They said, ‘Unfortunately, they gave the dogs to different families.’ And they told me that the families were not willing to give the dogs back.”

Jannene explained that Axel helped her cope with the loss of her late husband and that Chaos was passed on to Justice by his father.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “The dog is a physical reminder of my husband for my son.”

The rescue group said, “No. We still won’t give you your dogs back, or tell you who has them.” Stunning Jannene.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “I just ask them to show some compassion if it occurs to them.”

And when they still refused to return the dogs, Jannene contacted Help Me Howard to find out if someone could keep her animals.

Howard Finkelstein, legal expert at 7News: “Sometimes, yes. Florida has a very broad law, and if rescue groups follow it, the new owners can keep the animals, and if they don’t return them, they have to go to court to try to get them back.”

I now know how Jannene felt when she tried to reason with the people who run the Everglades Angels Rescue Group.

They said they followed proper procedures before adopting the dogs.

At first they accused Jannene of leaving the dogs outside. I said it was only for a few moments.

They wanted to know why the dogs were not chipped and the name of the vet. Jannene provided all of that.

For two weeks I tried to convince them to return the animals. They refused.

We then contacted Lauren Peffer, a respected attorney who represents pet owners. Lauren said she would help Jannene for free in honor of Sergeant Brown.

I then told the rescue group that Lauren was going to court to get the names of the dogs’ owners and that I would go see them to reason with them.

Then something changed.

The next day, Jannene received a call asking her to pick up her dogs in Palm Beach County.

When we entered the vet’s office, we were afraid that Jannene’s Axel would not be there. The night before, the animal welfare organization had said that the family who had him wanted to buy him from Jannene.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “They offered me $6,000 and told me that the children in the family were desperate.”

Jannene’s answer: What about My Family?

Jannene Howard-Brown: “Magnify it by a thousand times or a million. I wish my son and I would go through the same despair.”

A few seconds later, relief and joy.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “That’s him, that’s him. Oh, Axel! Oh, it’s mommy’s baby. Oh, thank you very much.”

Then chaos broke out.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “Chaos. Oh, see?”

Jannene Howard-Brown: “When they first brought him out, they ran towards each other because they had never been separated before.”

And then Justice did something Jannene says he hasn’t done since his mess disappeared.

Judge Howard-Brown: “And I actually smiled. I really love this dog. I can’t lose him again.”

The dogs are home, the family is happy and Jannene is convinced that Sergeant Brown is also smiling in heaven and that his family is reunited.

Jannene Howard-Brown: “I don’t think we would have ever gotten these dogs back if you had gotten involved. The fact that you actually helped us is just a blessing. We are eternally grateful to you for that.”

Thank you, Jannene.

And as frustrating as dealing with the Everglades Angels was, they eventually returned the dogs. Credit to them for that, and thanks to Lauren Peffer, who offered to help Jannene legally. She couldn’t be happier.

Do you feel lost? Do you need to be rescued? Don’t be put off. Let us help you.

With this help, Howard. I’m Patrick Fraser, 7News.

CONTACT HELP ME, HOWARD:
Email: [email protected]
Reporter: Patrick Fraser at [email protected]
Miami-Dade: 305-953-WSVN
Broward: 954-761-WSVN

Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.