• The rescue organization should have been really honest about Melo's behavior and give the adoptive family a heads up about incompatibility with children. It was negligent in a lot of ways of not giving that important information knowing really well that the family had children and Melo wasn't able to be around children. If the owner knew that information, he wouldn't have adopted Melo. Simply being honest would have prevented liability.
• Other than the rights mentioned, the owners should file a petition for an injunction to delay euthanize of the dog until they have had the chance to be heard in court. It is now also clear that hearings must meet certain minimum standards. Informal reviews that animal control agencies frequently provide upon the dog owner's request often do not fulfill these requirements, because the decision-maker may not be qualified to render the judgment or may not be impartial if he also made the original decision to euthanize the dog.