The media will dig up anything to tarnish the Trump administration.
When President-elect Donald Trump nominated Pam Bondi as his attorney general, many were quick to scrutinize her past, including a legal controversy involving the adoption of a St. Bernard named Tank. This dispute, which dates back to 2005, highlights a conflict between Bondi and a Louisiana couple, Steve and Dorreen Couture, over the fate of their beloved dog.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the Coutures, whose home was devastated, placed Tank in a Louisiana animal shelter for safekeeping. Unfortunately, Tank was transferred to the Pinellas Humane Society in Florida, where he was adopted by Bondi, who renamed the dog Noah. Bondi, known for her advocacy for animal rights, had a history of promoting pet welfare, often bringing rescue animals to public events and supporting legislation like Florida’s 2018 ban on dog racing.
The legal battle began in 2006 when the Coutures located Tank in Florida and demanded his return. Bondi, however, insisted that the dog had been severely neglected during his time with the Coutures, citing heartworm issues and claiming the dog was “a walking skeleton” before the hurricane. Bondi argued that Tank would be better off with her, a claim that the Coutures vehemently denied. They contended that Tank’s health problems were a long-standing medical condition, not the result of neglect.
The dispute gained national attention, with coverage from major news outlets like CNN and Fox News. After 16 months of legal back-and-forth, the case was settled out of court, with the Coutures ultimately getting their dog back. Despite the resolution, the relationship between Bondi and the couple soured, and Dorreen Couture later accused Bondi of stealing her dog, a claim she reiterated in 2010.
Bondi, for her part, maintained that she acted in the dog’s best interests, and during her successful run for Florida Attorney General in 2010, she pointed to the widespread support she received from animal rights groups as evidence of her good intentions. While the Tank incident may have been a controversial chapter in her career, Bondi’s ongoing advocacy for animal welfare in Florida remained a central part of her political identity.