It was from my mother-in-law.
“We found Daisy a new home. She was upsetting your cousin. Stop crying and come downstairs for dinner.”
My daughter depended on Daisy, a trained service dog, to help her through severe night terrors.
Seeing the empty dog bed broke my heart.
I told my daughter to stay in her room while I went downstairs.
Near the back door, I found my father-in-law stuffing Daisy’s blanket, toys, and collar into a trash bag.
The collar had been cut apart.
He shrugged.
“She wasn’t a good fit for this family.”
A few minutes later, the rest of the family gathered for dinner.
I placed the damaged collar in the middle of the table.
“Where is my daughter’s service dog?”
My father-in-law answered without hesitation.
“I got rid of it.”
I quietly started recording on my phone.
He continued defending the decision, insisting it was “just a dog.”
At that moment, my husband came home.
When he saw the collar and heard what had happened, he looked at his parents in disbelief.
“You did what?”
His mother tried to minimize it, but he cut her off.
He told me to call the police and report the missing service animal.
An officer arrived that evening and took statements from everyone.
Using the information my father-in-law provided, authorities located Daisy at a nearby property the following day.
She was frightened but unharmed.
After bringing her home, we cut all contact with my husband’s parents.
Months later, we moved into a new house where Daisy once again slept beside my daughter’s bed.
The first night there, my daughter hugged her tightly and whispered,
“You came back.”
So did her sense of safety.