Little Girl Breaks Wrist Trying To Find Dog That Police Took From Her

UPDATE: Maddison Armer and her dog Nellie have been reunited. Read the story here.

A little girl was so desperate to find out where police officers took her dog, she climbed a tree hoping she might see her best friend.

Instead, she broke her wrist and ended up having to spend two days in the hospital, according to her mother's Facebook post.

It hasn't stopped 7-year-old Maddison Armer, who has autism, from waging a campaign to have her dog Darla returned to her.

Jenny Armer

Authorities took the dog from her family in Lancashire, England last week, citing the country's Dangerous Dogs Act.

Under the law, any breed that looks like a pit bull, Japanese tosa or Argentine mastiff can be summarily seized and euthanized. It didn't seem to matter that Maddison's family insists the dog is a gentle cross between a shar-pei and a Staffordshire bull terrier.

Jenny Armer

When police arrived to take away Darla, Maddison locked herself in the bathroom, along with Darla, in an effort to hold onto her. Authorities managed to wrest the dog away from her, taking Darla to an undisclosed location where visits are not permitted.

In the days since losing her dog, Maddison's efforts have included making signs and waving placards, and at least one ill-fated effort to climb a tree. According to her mother, Jenny Armer, the loss of her dog has taken a terrible toll.

"As people are aware, Darla is Maddison's dog, and she is really suffering without her," Jenni wrote in a Facebook post. "She's become withdrawn and very quiet, which is my biggest concern. She also isn't eating or sleeping much at all."

Jenny Armer

Breed-specific legislation (BSL) continues to break families - and hearts - in many jurisdictions across the globe.

Nearly 5,000 dogs in England and Wales have been victimized by breed-specific legislation in the last three years. And where BSL is enforced in the U.S. and Canada, thousands more dogs are treated like contraband and locked away.

Jenny Armer

But for Maddison, there appears to be a light at the end of this dark tunnel. And that light is her best friend, Darla.

Maddison's mother posted on Wednesday that Darla is being returned to the family on Thursday.

"We are absolutely delighted to announce that our beloved Darla will be returned to us tomorrow," Jenni writes.

The Dodo has reached out to Lancaster authorities for confirmation and will update when we hear back.

Find out how you can join the fight to end BSL here.

And, of you live in England, sign this petition to get Parliament to reconsider this law.

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