April 25, 2008

McALLEN, Texas – In a case that drew worldwide attention, custody has been settled for the Texas Shih Tzu, named Puddles, or Panchito, depending on which owner is

calling the pooch.

One of those owners is Grace Saenz-Lopez, the former mayor of Alice, a southern Texas town of less than 20,000 residents.

But earlier this week, District Judge Richard Terrell ordered her to return “Panchito” to Rudy Gutierrez and Shelly Cavazos, who were determined to be the original owners of Puddles.

The story begins with Saenz-Lopez agreeing to pet-sit Puddles, late last year, while the couple vacationed. During their trip, Saenz-Lopez informed the neighbors that Puddles had died. However, three months later, a relative of the couple spotted Puddles being groomed at a local vendor.

That’s when the story hit the media circuit. At that time, Saenz-Lopez was the mayor of Alice, an office she had held since 2003. But with headlines like “Texas mayor steals dog” buffeting the tiny town, a recall petition began circulating.

Saenz-Lopez then resigned in February, about the same time she appeared on NBC’s “Today” show, where she said, “I didn’t steal the dog. I did not return him to save his life.”

As previously reported by Pet Pulse on Jan.2, Guitierrez and Cavazos admitted that the dog was deathly ill and in need of care when they went away. Puddles had gotten trapped under his home a few weeks earlier and when he finally surfaced, he had been almost eaten alive by fleas.

The mayor called the family a day after their departure to tell them that Puddles had died. Given his condition, the family believed the news and said they were very upset.

It still is not known how the dog got out from under the house, if his owners tried to help him, or why the family didn’t take Puddles to the vet before they went away.

Nevertheless, the judge heard from Dee Ann Torres, the couple’s attorney, her clients had cared for Puddles just as well as Saenz-Lopez.

“She is no way a humanitarian in taking this pet away from its owners,” Torres told The Associated Press. “They love that little dog.”

Despite being “broken-hearted,” Saenz-Lopez returned the dog Thursday afternoon, but still faces two felony counts of tampering with evidence and concealing evidence. A preliminary hearing on those charges is scheduled for Tuesday.

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