A raffle for more than two dozen puppies rescued from a January pet shop fire is back on after a court battle over the animals was settled today.
According to The Animal Foundation, which has been caring for the dogs since the Jan. 27 fire, 25 of the animals will be put up for adoption by animal welfare groups through a raffle while two older dogs will be placed with the animal rescue group A Home 4 Spot.
The Animal Foundation will offer $250 tickets for a drawing to adopt the pups. Tickets will be available through the organization’s website at animalfoundation.com until Sunday; raffle winners will be vetted by The Animal Foundation and A Home 4 Spot. Money paid by ticket holders who do not receive dogs will go to subsidize future adoptions.
A date for the drawing has not been announced.
The dogs, which were taken to the Lied Animal Shelter in Las Vegas after the fire, have been the focus of a court battle between the pet shop owner’s estranged husband, Donald Thompson, and The Animal Foundation, which owns the shelter.
Clark County commissioners had approved the foundation raffle earlier this month, but it was called off after Thompson’s attorney filed a civil lawsuit claiming the county and the foundation conspired to steal the puppies from Thompson and sell them for their own profit.
A deputy district attorney and a lawyer for the foundation argued that Thompson hadn't properly demonstrated his stake in the store and lost ownership rights by waiting more than a month to try to claim the dogs.
Today’s settlement, which resolves the lawsuit, was agreed upon by Clark County officials, the foundation and Thompson’s attorney.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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