Terrell County denies wrongdoing in lawsuit over 12 dogs

Resident disputes surrender of French bulldogs; county and officials seek dismissal

DAWSON — A Terrell County resident says 12 French bulldogs were taken from his property without a warrant or a meaningful opportunity to contest their loss, allegations county officials deny as they ask a federal judge to dismiss his civil rights lawsuit.

Talmadge Allen “Tab” Beckum disputes that he voluntarily surrendered the dogs during a June 11, 2024, visit by animal control director Martha Ann Coe and accompanying personnel. More than two years later, he says he still wants to know where the animals went.

Terrell County Commission Chairman Wilbur T. Gamble III denied wrongdoing in response to the newspaper.

Terrell County, Coe and Gamble moved Sept. 30 to dismiss the lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Their attorneys argue that Beckum failed to properly serve the lawsuit, that his claims are time-barred and that his allegations do not establish grounds for holding the officials and county liable.

The dispute centers on the circumstances of the dogs’ removal, the validity of a signed surrender form and what opportunity Beckum had to challenge the animals’ continued custody and disposition.

In a Nov. 2 interview, Beckum said Coe described the visit as a routine check of rabies certificates. He said he was preparing for a colonoscopy scheduled for the following morning and struggled to locate the paperwork while needing frequent access to the bathroom.

“I could not get all the certificates,” he said.

Beckum said Coe told him the dogs would be taken if he could not produce the certificates. His inability to produce the documents does not establish whether the vaccinations were current.

Beckum said 14 dogs were on the property and that Coe allowed him to retain two of her choosing. In a written response to Beckum’s records request, a photographed copy of which he supplied to The Herald, Gamble said one dog was allowed to remain for companionship. The accounts differ on that point.

In an email to The Herald, Beckum said he signed an incomplete release form and wrote on it that he had signed it blank and under duress.

“I dispute that I voluntarily surrendered them,” he wrote.

Gamble’s written response describes the surrender as voluntary and says it spared Beckum potential charges and costs, including a $100 pickup fee per dog, veterinary expenses and $15 per dog per day for boarding. The response does not identify the potential charges.

Beckum said he contacted Coe the next day to ask about recovering a dog named Biscuit. He said Coe referred to the surrender letter and declined to discuss the matter further.

He also said he contacted Gamble, who assured him the matter would be addressed. The defense brief recounts Beckum’s allegation that Gamble said nothing would happen to the dogs until the dispute was resolved. Beckum later addressed county commissioners in August and September 2024.

The defense brief also summarizes his allegations that adoption materials identified some of the dogs and described sterilization and treatment for medical conditions while he continued to dispute ownership. Beckum said in the interview that he had found online listings for five dogs but did not know their current whereabouts.

“If I did know where my dogs went, that would probably be my final step,” he said.

The written response from Gamble also addresses Beckum’s efforts to obtain records about the animals.

“The only written notes concerning this matter are the surrender form which you already have,” Gamble wrote.

He said no inspection reports existed for Beckum’s property and described the June 11 visit as a one-time visit. He identified Chief Johnson and Deputy Billy McClung as present for support and security, but said the Sheriff’s Department took no action. Any sheriff’s call log would be held by that department, he wrote.

Gamble said information about the dogs’ adopted homes could not be released under a confidentiality agreement he said Beckum had entered.

“All requested info is confidential per the surrender,” he wrote.

The response does not cite a statutory exemption for withholding the information. The Herald has not reviewed the surrender form or any confidentiality agreement.

In court, the defendants are seeking dismissal on several grounds. Coe and Gamble each submitted a sworn statement saying they received a summons but were not served with a copy of a complaint.

Their attorneys acknowledge that Beckum filed the original lawsuit within the applicable two-year period but argue that his failure to complete proper service means the claims are time-barred.

They also argue that Coe and Gamble are entitled to qualified immunity on the procedural due process claims, contending that Beckum has not sufficiently alleged that available remedies for challenging the loss of his property were constitutionally inadequate.

As to Terrell County, the defense argues that Beckum has not alleged sufficient facts showing a county policy or custom caused a violation of his constitutional rights. The defendants seek dismissal with prejudice, which would prevent him from refiling the dismissed claims.

Beckum said Nov. 2 that he remained without an attorney. An Oct. 7 order by U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands noted that Beckum reported unsuccessfully contacting approximately 134 attorneys, law firms or other potential sources of representation.

Sands declined to appoint counsel at that stage but granted additional time to seek a lawyer and respond to the dismissal motion. The order did not resolve the merits of Beckum’s claims.

Under that order, Beckum has until Nov. 9 to obtain counsel, with an attorney’s notice of appearance due Nov. 16. His response to the dismissal motion is due Dec. 7, whether or not he obtains representation.

Beckum described the dogs as family, saying their loss had driven his efforts to seek answers.

“This is all I had left,” he said.

More than two years later, he says he still does not know where they are.