One Mississippi dog is getting a chance at a new life after more than five years in federal custody at an animal shelter in Hattiesburg.
Max has been at his new home in South Carolina for about two weeks, and he is already learning the ropes and adjusting to his new life.
The 7-year-old German shepherd was at the center of a federal lawsuit, which recently was settled out of court, leaving Max free to be adopted.
The dog, however, had been deemed a threat to the community and could not be released to just anyone.
Enter Michael Privett, a veterinarian in the Columbia, South Carolina, area. He has been a vet for around 35 years, and has been involved in animal rescue, especially of neglected or abused horses.
Privett, who is from Meridian, heard about Max's case several years ago through a relative connected with Southern Pines Animal Shelter, who was charged with Max's care while the lawsuit was ongoing.
"I told them if they did not have a suitable place for the dog, I would be more than happy to take him so that he wasn't just stuck in a shelter," he said.
Privett said while Max isn't perfect, especially after being held in limbo for five years, he hasn't shown any aggression toward him since he was brought to South Carolina.
"That does not apply to anybody else," he said. "This whole vicious dog issue has always given me a bit of concern, because an animal control worker can deem my dog to be vicious and remove him."
Training, not punishment, says veterinarian
He said Max has the potential for aggressive behavior, but can learn to keep those behaviors under control.
"He's got a basic disposition, you just accept that going in," Privett said. "He's got to have a higher level of discipline to be able to control that."
That discipline would entail guiding and training Max, not punishing him.
"Max will teach me more than I will teach him," Privett said. "My goal is, I will never punish Max. I'll try to guide him and correct him when he starts thinking the wrong thing.
"The last thing I need to do is have him look at me as somebody that he can't trust and needs to defend himself from."
Privett said Max gets along well with the other animals on his farm, but he may never get adjusted to being around people other than himself.
"He gets along well with the dogs in the yard," he said. "He rides in the truck, but he's a little bit hyper."
Max has stayed alongside Privett as he tills his garden and gets along well with the horses, cattle and goats, Privett said.
"I'm very pleased with the way he's coming along," he said. "Realistically, Max will never be a dog that you call allow the public to have access to."
How did Max end up in custody?
Max's story began in March 2015, when he allegedly attacked emergency responders who came to the home of Charlie Holt, Max's former owner, to take him to the hospital.
Max escaped from the home, and was found roaming the streets of Hattiesburg before he was brought to the shelter. Animal control officers with the city said Max was vicious and should not be released.
Five days later, per the shelter's policy, his owner Charlie Holt was no longer able to claim Max.
But Holt was in the hospital at the time and could not get to the shelter to claim Max. Holt filed a lawsuit in 2016 hoping to get his dog back, so Max could not be adopted or euthanized until the lawsuit was settled.
Holt died in 2018, but his family decided to continue pursuing the case, which by that time was in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, leaving Max in limbo.
Privett said he picked up Max in Hattiesburg and brought him to live on his 40-acre farm, where Max has been interacting with other animals there.
Max gets along well with Privett, but the veterinarian says he has to limit Max's interactions with other people.
The settlement is awaiting the final report from all parties. The final report must be filed by June 12. The terms of the settlement will not be made public.
Contact Lici Beveridge at 601-584-3104 or lbeveridge@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter @licibev or Facebook at facebook.com/licibeveridge.
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Mississippi's Max, the German shepherd at center of federal lawsuit, has found a new home - Hattiesburg American
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