As a former prosecutor, I hold dear the right to due process. It is the cornerstone of our justice system.

As a veteran, I recognize that companion animals have been shown in study after study to reduce PTSD severity, lower anxiety, interrupt panic attacks, and improve sleep for veterans.

That is why I have joined the fight to save a veteran family's dog, Sergeant Snuggles.

Sergeant Snuggles was brought into a rural Tucson home as a livestock guardian and companion for a U.S. Air Force veteran and his young family.

Snuggles' family says he bit a family member who had startled him. They say the bite was an isolated, provoked reaction when coyotes already stressed the young guardian dog. Snuggles had no prior history of aggressive behavior.

That didn't stop government officials from removing Snuggles from his home and threatening to euthanize him. The government did this despite the family offering to pay for expensive training, enhance containment, and neuter Snuggles.

When the system removes the companion animal support over a single provoked incident on the family’s own property, holds the dog for nine-plus months with almost no family access, and forces the household to spend tens of thousands of dollars fighting for basic due process, something is broken.

As a member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I fully understand both the fight for justice and the duty we owe those who served.

This isn’t just about a dog. It’s about a veteran and his family.