OMAHA, Neb. – A Colorado man is taking legal action against the City of Omaha after a misdemeanor drug arrest. It’s not about the bust but what happened to a beloved dog traveling with him.
Driving through Omaha with his constant companion named Trouble — that’s exactly what Josh Ingold got into after running out of gas. Ingold said, “It was literally one gram of marijuana.”
Police found him dehydrated so Ingold was taken to a hospital, then jail for three weeks. He claims he was unable to call on the status of his three-year-old female pitbull named Trouble. Police turned over to the Nebraska Humane Society while he was jailed. Ingold said, ”I was distraught, I was wreck.”
A mixed marshal arts athlete, Ingold paid a $1,000 fine for attempted drug possession but when he was released he wanted back his prized possession. Ingold said he came to the Humane Society to pick up Trouble and head back to Colorado only to discover that while he was in jail, the Humane Society assumed ownership of his dog and adopted her out.
Ingold says his dog shouldn’t have been treated like a stray and demanded answers from Humane Society staffers. Captured on his cell phone, Ingold said, “This is my family, this is my world.” Staffer replied to him, “I can’t even imagine what you are going through but they told you the last time you were here, you have to do everything through a lawyer.”
So he hired Omaha attorney Jim Schaefer who filed a tort claim against the city which contracts with the Nebraska Humane Society. Schaefer said, “The tort claim would at least give us an opportunity to visit with the Humane Society and perhaps they would disclose the name of the adoptive parents and we can deal with them directly.”
Ingold said, “This is probably coming way out of the blue for them and I’m sorry that this happened. This sucks but I’m sure you understand how much a dog can mean to somebody and I got to get her home.”
Omaha City Attorney Paul Kratz says that city legal will investigate and respond accordingly to the claim. They have six months to answer but Attorney Jim Schaefer said he might not wait and sue the Humane Society separately. Our emails and texts to the Nebraska Humane Society have been answered with a “no comment.”
Watch the video here: http://www.wowt.com/content/news/Dog-Adopted-Out-While-In-Jail-Owner-Sues-City-454366743.html