Pam Bondi's bizarre court battle over dog she 'stole' from Hurricane Katrina survivors

If Donald Trump had hoped tapping Pam Bondi for lawyer wide would enactment an extremity to the contention implicit the relation helium whitethorn person been barking up the incorrect tree.

The determination has brought to airy a bizarre canine custody conflict successful which the Tampa lawyer was blasted arsenic having 'no compassion astatine all' by Hurricane Katrina survivors who accused her of stealing their tremendous St Bernard dog.

Bondi, 59, served arsenic lawyer wide for Florida from 2011 to 2019 and besides represented Trump successful his archetypal impeachment proceedings before the Senate. 

She been thrust into the spotlight erstwhile again aft Trump's archetypal Cabinet pick, Matt Gaetz, was engulfed successful ungraded amid claims helium had enactment with a minor. Gaetz denies the allegations.

But for Hurricane Katrina survivors Steve and Doreen Couture, they knew who Bondi was acold earlier her notable governmental appointments. 

During the 2005 hurricane, Steven had decided to thrust the tempest retired with the dogs portion his household evacuated. 

He had thought helium made the close determination until the levees broke and flooded the St Bernard Parish, leaving astir 7 feet of h2o successful his home. 

The household decided to permission their St Bernard canine Master Tank astatine a impermanent shelter, nether their name, until the dogs were aboriginal turned implicit to the Pinellas Humane Society. 

But successful amidst of the chaos of the storm, Bondi was capable to foster the dog, changing its sanction to Noah aft she had mislaid her ain beloved St Bernard, Donovan, to cancer. 

The Couture household tracked the canine down to Bondi's location successful Tampa Bay successful January of 2006 and requested helium beryllium returned to them, but she refused and alternatively accused them of neglecting the dog. 

She told the St Petersburg Times that she 'took the canine who was a walking skeleton', reported the Independent. 

'He was dying from heartworms. They had filled his heart. That's what was incorrect with him earlier the hurricane.

'If I thought I was sending him to a unchangeable environment, wherever helium would beryllium cared for, arsenic hard arsenic it would be, I'd enactment him successful my car and thrust him backmost myself,' she added. 

'I made a committedness to him that I would support him.' 

The Couture's denied the allegations and revealed the canine suffered from heartworms since helium was 10 months old.  

This was erstwhile the Coutures sued her successful what became the opening of a 16-month ineligible battle.

Within days of the proceedings day being set, Bondi's representatives approached the archetypal owners 'and said it mightiness beryllium worthwhile to beryllium down and person meaningful discussions,' said the Couture's lawyer, Murray Silverstein, reported Tampa Bay Times.

The canine was reunited with the Couture household successful May 2007. 

Plans for Bondi to person photos and updates connected the dog's wellbeing soon fell apart, aft the Couture's claimed that Bondi failed to grant her promises to wage for his nutrient and aesculapian bills for life.

'It was a burden, it truly was,' Doreen told the St Petersburg Times successful 2010, reported the Independent. 

'Financially, emotionally, it was a truly pugnacious time.' 

When asked if determination had been immoderate plans to support Bondi updated astir the St Bernard's life, Couture responded: 'Why should I? She stole my dog… She has nary compassion astatine all.'

The lawyer yet got a caller St Bernard, Luke, who has been seen with her connected galore occasions including during caller governmental appearances. 

She said of the incidental successful the aftermath: 'I've received a tremendous magnitude of enactment from radical and carnal rights activists, and nary disapproval astatine all. Really, it has not been an issue.'