More than 385,000 dogs in the United States have been trained to provide assistance to someone with special needs, but some people want to take advantage of the policy by faking a service dog.
ASHLAND, Miss. — It’s clear Debra St. Charles loves her dog Madison. Now she’s fighting the city to keep her beloved pit bull mix.
“Maddy is just a big, goofy girl. She’s my goofy girl,” St. Charles said.
St. Charles said she’s had one-year-old Maddy since she was a puppy. Maddy was originally was set to be a bait dog, St. Charles said, so she took her in.
“I had all the intentions of just giving her a boost in life and getting rid of her, but Maddy saved me. I can’t let her go. I can’t. I’m fighting for her,” St. Charles said .
But owning a pit bull in the city of Ashland, Mississippi is against a city ordinance. An alderman said the ordinance has been in place for years.