‘She thought we just left her’: Georgia family pays to euthanize cat. 18 months later, they find out a vet took her home, and she’s still alive

On February 14 2025, the Jagt family made the difficult decision to let go of Annie, their beloved cat who had been a part of the family for nearly two decades. Brian Jagt brought the 19-year-old cat to Senoia Animal Hospital in Georgia, where he signed the paperwork and paid for the euthanasia procedure. For 18 months, the Jagts believed Annie had died on that day, but that wasn’t true.

Clinic records at the Senoia Animal Hospital showed that Annie had died on that day. The family had no reason to believe any different; after all, they had paid for the procedure and signed the paperwork. However, in July of 2026, they learned that the people they had entrusted with their pet had crossed the line by not going through with the procedure. Instead, they opted to keep Annie alive despite the family’s wishes.

The truth was revealed after veterinary technician Courtney Bassin took a job at the Senoia Animal Hospital, reports thecitizen.com. Bassin was a close family friend of the Jagts; she said she mentioned Annie in passing at work, and the reaction she was met with was immediately strange. “It was the most awkward interaction I’ve ever had.”

Bassin said she was then told by a colleague that Annie was still alive and that a clinic employee by the name of McKenna Broussard had the cat. When Bassin heard this, she decided to inform the family.

Annie the cat is euthanized again

The police became involved in August, and by August 13, Annie was euthanized for real this time. Bassin was fired on the same day, although the clinic insists it had nothing to do with the Annie incident. However, she believes she was fired for speaking the truth.

Clinic records listed Kelly Alford as the veterinarian of the initial euthanasia procedure (the one that never actually happened). According to the police report, the vets had opted to try to save Annie rather than go ahead with the owner’s wishes. The staff had determined that euthanasia was not warranted and wanted to preserve Annie’s life.

However, according to Tyler Jagt, there was not a single month when Annie wasn’t brought back to the vet for various treatments and procedures. The continued care required for Annie was what led the family to decide euthanasia was the only choice in the first place.

Ultimately, the Senoia Animal Hospital acknowledged that it had fallen “short in honoring the trust the family placed in us.” They claimed to have since reinforced procedures to ensure that clients’ wishes regarding their pets are respected. The family requested that Annie be euthanized for real and requested their pet’s remains as well as an apology from the clinic.

Tyler Jagt claimed that Annie did not recognize them when they saw her for the final time. “With whatever memory she had left, she thought we just abandoned her,” he said, claiming the thought kept him up at night. “She thought we just left her one day.”