Allison Howard is demanding change from the city of Decatur after she claims shelter workers left her injured dog, Sophia, to die in a kennel after being hit by a car.

“Through the sharing of their story and use of the legal system, the Howards hope to achieve meaningful change so that Sophia’s death is not in vain and that no other member of this community will suffer the heartache and grief of being denied access to their precious animal at the moment it needs us most,” reads an official statement released by Decatur attorney Jonathan D. Watson on behalf of the family on Jan. 4.

In the statement, Watson lays out a timeline of what Howard says occurred between the evening of Jan. 1, when Sophia escaped was struck by a moving vehicle, and the morning of Jan. 2, when Howard said she arrived at Decatur Animal Services and was handed her dog’s remains in a trash bag.

Watson said the times were pulled from the Howards’ home security system and Allison Howard’s cell phone.

According to Watson’s timeline, Sophia, a 12-year-old Pekingese, escaped the yard just before 8 p.m. on Jan. 1 after being spooked by the fireworks during her nightly potty outing.

The family became aware that Sophia had fled within 10 minutes and spent the next hour searching for her until Howard was notified by a friend that someone had posted about the dog being hit in the Facebook group “Track My Paws.”

She was later told by the poster that Decatur Police and Animal Services had been contacted, and that Decatur Animal Services had picked-up Sophia.

Around 10:30 p.m. Howard was able to reach the dispatcher at Decatur Animal Services and was informed that the city veterinarian, Dr. S. Osborne, would be consulted, and the dispatcher would then call her back, according to the statement.

In their release, published Jan. 3, Decatur Animal Services said that officers consulted a veterinarian about the dog’s injuries and were advised to house her at the shelter and bring her back for a checkup the following morning before they were able to get in touch with Howard.

Their release said approximately three hours later, Howard came forward and spoke with the on-call animal control officer over the phone.

The vet was contacted again so Howard could brief them on Sophia’s medical history, but the planned course of treatment remained unchanged.

Following this conversation, arrangements were made to release Sophia the following morning, said the city’s release.

But the family’s official statement says Howard texted the animal services officer that she had a veterinarian who could see Sophia that night just after 10:30 p.m.

The animal services officer responded to Howard’s text message and said that, per management, she can only pick Sophia up at 8 a.m. the next morning, according to the statement.

Howard replied just before 11 p.m. that Sophia needed medication that night for stomach problems and other health issues and expressed “serious concern” about Sophia’s condition and her injuries, the statement says.

The officer did not respond again that night, according to the statement.

In their release on Jan. 3, the city said “the Decatur Animal Shelter has a long-standing practice of not releasing animals after hours to owners.”

Between 11 p.m. and 12:40 a.m., Howard says she drove to Decatur Animal Services in an attempt to pick Sophia up, confirmed that Madison Emergency Vet could transport Sophia directly from the shelter, and made multiple attempts to contact Decatur Animal Services, but was unsuccessful.

“Allison, having waited outside of Decatur Animal Services for more than an hour, elects to leave, in tears and overwhelmed with a sense of helplessness,” reads the timeline at 12:30 a.m., Jan. 2.

At 7 a.m. on Jan. 2 Howard began calling Animal Services again but was told they would not be open until 8 a.m. The statement says that no updates were given on Sophia’s condition that morning.

When she was allowed to pick up Sophia at 8:30 a.m. “Allison learns, for the first time, that Sophia is dead when Animal Services staff bring-out her remains in a trash bag,” the statement reads.

An examination by Sophia’s primary veterinarian at Bryan Animal Clinic revealed that she had suffered a broken back, a dislocated pelvis, and the fracture of both back legs, the statement says. The veterinarian also observed signs of internal bleeding.

Later that day Sophia’s remains were taken to Auburn University for a necropsy to determine the extent of her injuries and the cause of her death.

In the family’s statement, Watson wrote that the timeline “addressed inaccuracies in the statement released by Decatur Animal Services including erroneous times.”

One of the inaccuracies, Watson wrote, is a claim the city made in their Jan. 3 statement that Sophia was not “chipped,” with an electronic microchip containing identifying information.

“The Howard family also wants to communicate that Sophia was, contrary to the statement of Animal Services, ‘chipped’,” Watson wrote.

“…It appears obvious this was not checked.”

According to the statement, the family is consulting with Watson about ways to pursue legal action against the city of Decatur.

“While the death of a beloved family pet is always difficult, the loss of Sophia was made unimaginably more painful due to the actions and failures of Decatur Animal Services,” the statement reads.

“…The Howards goal is to mandate change, through political and legal means, to ensure no citizen of Decatur ever endures what Allison and her family have endured again. This will require accountability on the part of Decatur’s leadership and all involved actors, and a willingness to admit fault.”

“We are evaluating all legal options and will update the community and all of you as our investigation continues and as soon as any new information is available.”

Representatives for the city declined requests to comment on any part of the Howard family’s statement but said in their previous release that they are currently reviewing their shelter policies in the aftermath of the incident.

“While these circumstances are unfortunate, current policies and procedures for the Decatur Animal Shelter were followed,” it read.

“Due to these specific circumstances, existing policy for injured animals taken into the custody of the shelter after hours, and their potential for being released after hours to its owner, are being reviewed in hopes of increasing its effectiveness and preventing a similar outcome in the future.”