DOYLESTOWN, Pa.-
A New Orleans woman who lost her dog during Hurricane Katrina is suing the suburban Philadelphia family that adopted it and two kennels that processed the animal.
Sheila Combs said in the lawsuit that she wants Rocket, her 10-year-old son’s pet, returned home. The suit also seeks unspecified damages.
The suit, filed Friday in Bucks County Court, names as defendants Lynne and Joseph Welsh, who adopted the dog, and kennels Holiday House Pet Resort and Molly’s Country Kennels. The suit alleges the kennels “wrongfully adopted out” Rocket after the dog was sent to Pennsylvania following its hurricane rescue.
The suit also claims that the Welshes reneged on promises to return Rocket.
The Welshes took in the now 2-year-old chow-Finnish spitz mix last November and named him Rusty. Lynne Welsh then posted a report of a found dog on a Web site dealing with lost Katrina pets, according to the suit.
A member of Stealth Volunteers, an organization that reunites owners with lost pets, saw the report and had a flier posted at the ruins of Combs’ demolished home about Rocket’s recovery. When Combs returned there in June, she saw the flier and contacted the group, which sent an e-mail to Lynne Welsh, the suit alleges.
Combs contacted Welsh and requested she return Rocket, but Welsh refused, according to the suit.
Veterinarian Ransome Weis, owner of Holiday House Pet Resort, said his business acted in good faith.
The Welshes and Molly’s Country Kennels did not respond to requests for comment.
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