FAMILY PAID TO SAY GOODBYE TO THEIR BELOVED PUG — THEN THEY CLAIMED THEY FOUND HER ALIVE IN A VET EMPLOYEE’S HOME

Rebecca Belote says her family believed their four-year-old pug, Cha Cha, had been euthanized after a veterinary hospital recommended the procedure. Months later, she says a photo on Facebook led to a discovery that left the family devastated and demanding answers.

A Georgia family says they were left heartbroken after making what they believed was their final goodbye to their beloved dog — only to discover months later that the pug they had paid to have euthanized may still have been alive.

Rebecca Belote told local broadcaster WSB-TV that her family took their four-year-old pug, Cha Cha, to Senoia Animal Hospital in Georgia in March 2026 after the dog became seriously ill.

According to Belote, the family was told Cha Cha was suffering from organ failure and diabetic ketoacidosis. The hospital recommended euthanasia, and the family says they accepted the recommendation and paid for the procedure.

For Belote’s 17-year-old son, the news was particularly painful. He and Cha Cha had shared a close bond, often wearing matching hoodies, and he would carry the small dog rather than let her walk long distances.

The family believed they had made an agonizing decision to spare a much-loved pet from further suffering.

But months later, Belote says, a photograph on Facebook changed everything.

“I KNEW — THAT’S MY DOG”

Belote said she was scrolling through Facebook when she came across a photograph that she immediately recognized.

“I knew scrolling like, ‘That’s my dog,’” she told WSB-TV.

She alleges that a former employee of the animal hospital later confirmed that Cha Cha had not been euthanized in March and had instead been taken home by a member of staff.

Belote also said the employee’s husband confirmed that his wife had the pug and told her the dog was in good health.

The possibility that Cha Cha had survived the original appointment — while her family believed they had lost her — left Belote seeking answers about what had happened behind the clinic’s doors.

She said hospital management denied the family’s account. The hospital did not provide a substantive response to PEOPLE’s request for comment, according to the publication.

A FAMILY SAYS THE STORY ENDED IN MORE HEARTBREAK

Belote alleges that Cha Cha was eventually euthanized after the family began asking questions about the dog’s whereabouts.

She has questioned why the pug was not returned to her family if she had recovered, and said the possibility that the dog had been healthy when the final procedure took place was especially upsetting.

Those claims have not been established as findings by a court or regulator. The precise sequence of events and the decisions made about Cha Cha’s care remain matters requiring clarification.

For Belote, however, the emotional impact goes beyond the loss of a pet. Her family says they were denied the chance to understand what happened to a dog who had been a central part of their lives — and to make informed decisions about her future.

A SIMILAR CASE INVOLVING A FAMILY CAT

The allegations involving Cha Cha have drawn attention because they follow another reported case at the same animal hospital.

Brian Jagt said his family paid Senoia Animal Hospital to euthanize their 19-year-old cat, Annie, in February 2025. The family later learned that Annie had reportedly remained alive and had been cared for by a veterinary technician.

In that case, the hospital’s owner said staff had believed the cat did not need to be euthanized, but acknowledged that the family’s trust had not been respected. The hospital said it had addressed the matter internally and reinforced its policies.

Annie was eventually euthanized on August 13, 2026, after her original family learned what had happened.

Police and prosecutors subsequently declined to pursue criminal charges in the cat case, saying the conduct did not meet the legal definition of a crime. The matter was referred to state regulators, with possible civil action left to the parties involved. Those decisions concerned the cat case and should not be treated as a determination about the separate allegations involving Cha Cha.

COMPLAINT FILED AS FAMILY SEEKS ANSWERS

Belote said she has filed a complaint with the Georgia State Board of Veterinary Medicine. She has also said the Coweta County Solicitor is investigating the circumstances surrounding Cha Cha’s case.

The hospital has not publicly confirmed the family’s account, and the allegations should not be treated as proven misconduct while the matter remains unresolved.

For Belote and her son, the central question is what happened after they entrusted Cha Cha to the veterinary team and believed they had said goodbye.

Their story has sparked wider discussion about trust between pet owners and veterinary professionals — particularly when families are making deeply emotional decisions about an animal’s suffering and end-of-life care.

Cha Cha was not simply a pet to the Belote family. She was a companion, a source of comfort and a beloved member of the household.

Now, the family says they want a clear account of what happened to her, and why they were left believing their final goodbye had already taken place.