Fact Check: Did Pam Bondi steal a dog from Hurricane Katrina survivors who lost their parents?

WASHINGTON, DC: In February 2026, The Atlantic magazine published an in-depth feature about Attorney General Pam Bondi, titled 'What happened to Pam Bondi?'

Following this, a rumor circulated online claiming that Bondi once stole a dog from a Hurricane Katrina survivor who lost their parents and then sued the dog's owners when they attempted to get it back. But is there any truth to this? Let us find out below.

Claim: Pam Bondi stole a dog from Hurricane Katrina survivor who lost their parents

A Facebook page titled Occupy Democrats came up with a post that read, "BREAKING: Pam Bondi once tried to steal a dog from an orphan hurricane victim and then sued his grandparents when they tried to get it back!"

"Bondi adopted a dog from a shelter in 2005, Master Tank, who had been lost after Hurricane Katrina's devastation. But Master Tank belonged to the four-year-old grandson of Steve and Dorreen Couture, who was recovering from losing his parents in a murder-suicide and was left homeless by the hurricane," the post added.

Similarly, versions of the claim circulated on other social media platforms, such as X, Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky. 

An X post read, "My favorite Pam Bondi facts: She tried to steal a dog from Hurricane Katrina survivors. The family consisted of grandparents who were taking care of two kids because they'd lost their parents. Took them to court over it. Trying to steal a puppy from literal orphans." 

"Every time I see Pam Bondi, I’m reminded that she once refused to return a Katrina‑displaced family’s dog and then fought them in court for 16 months. That choice says everything about her character," wrote a Threads user.

Fact Check: Partly true, Pam Bondi didn't sue dog owners

The claims made in the online posts are not completely true. What's true is that Pam Bondi adopted a dog from a Florida animal rescue after Hurricane Katrina in 2005, as per reports. It is also true that months later, the dog's owners found the pet and asked Bondi to return it, which she refused.

However, it is wrong that Pam Bondi sued the dog owners. It was actually the dog owners who sued Bondi. The Attorney General never faced criminal charges, including theft, in relation to her adoption of the dog. 

Bondi adopted a St Bernard named Master Tank and initially refused to give him back to the family. According to court records, the resulting lawsuit was settled out of court, and Bondi and another woman returned the pets to the Louisiana family in 2007. 

Moreover, the court records show Bondi did not sue the Coutures and never faced criminal charges in relation to her adoption of Master Tank.

Interestingly, since 2006, several news media outlets have reported that the owners' grandchildren lost their parents. Obituaries also show that both parents died on the same day. However, it has not been independently verified if the couple died in a m****r-suicide.