Homeless woman sues city of Eugene over death of dog

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) – A homeless woman is suing the city of Eugene in federal court, saying police officers allowed her dog to die in her car after they violated her civil rights while detaining and arresting her two years ago.
 
The Eugene Register-Guard reports Tamala Bemis’ lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court, seeks a ruling backing her claim that police violated her rights, along with unspecified monetary damages.
 
Eugene police stopped Bemis while she was walking along a sidewalk Oct. 5, 2015, and subsequently arrested her on warrants.
 
The lawsuit says officers stopped her without reasonable suspicion and failed to ensure that her dog – parked in a nearby car – was OK. Bemis says when she was released from jail she found the dog dead inside the vehicle.