An 11-year-old dog that survived ISIS and helped a U.S. Army veteran during wartime is now being held at a Virginia animal shelter after being taken away by authorities. The family is asking the public for help as they await word on the dog’s fate.
Brendan Jones, a military veteran and Arabic linguist, rescued his dog Lucy while deployed in the Middle East. He said that after the birth of his son, he struggled with returning to deployment. Lucy changed that for him.
"That’s not the headspace you want when you’re overseas in danger. When you have to be focused on the mission," Jones said on "The Sean Hannity Show" Wednesday. "Lucy helped me get over that. Because she filled that void that was missing."
He found Lucy in 2015 while deployed near the border with Islamic State-controlled territory. In a post on X, he said he had to bribe a Jordanian officer to get the dog veterinary care before bringing her home.
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But nearly a decade later, trouble with neighbors began after the family moved onto their multi-acre farm in Strasburg, Va. Dolly Jones, Brendan’s wife, said neighbors were upset with their way of life, and that the family has faced over a dozen police calls, multiple visits from authorities and court complaints over things like animal sounds.
"So when that incident with Lucy happened, that really was the weapon they needed to wield against us," Dolly Jones said.
The family said Lucy had been declared "dangerous" a year earlier after she nipped a passerby. They said the behavior was out of character for the dog, who had recently come out of surgery and was groggy.
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Though they disagreed with the designation, the family said they went along with the demands to appease their neighbors. They said this unknowingly set up what they described as a legal trap.
Three weeks ago, Lucy temporarily slipped out of her collar while on a morning walk and barked at a neighbor. The family insists the dog never left their property and did not bite or touch anyone.
However, because of strict rules surrounding the dangerous dog registry, the incident allowed neighbors to call authorities. Hours later, the family said authorities removed Lucy from their property.
"When they actually came and kidnapped her off our property, the kids were outside playing and the cop came up and removed her from the field," she said. "They don’t remember a day without her. They miss her, asking questions to us if she’s going to be put down, and we’ve not had these answers for them."
Dolly Jones said the family has tried to get Lucy back and accused the neighbors of plotting against them, adding that they are fighting for their "rights to exist on our own property without fear."
The Jones family has launched the #SaveLucy campaign in hopes of saving the dog they’ve owned for more than a decade. "We're hoping that her life is bookended by miracles," Brendan said. "One to get her here, to save her from the Islamic State, and one to get her out of the hands of our own state."
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