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 VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - A dog owner is facing animal cruelty charges after allegedly shooting his dog to death in February. 
 
 News 3 spoke with Michael Whalen about the decision to end his pet of 15-years life. 
 
 “We did everything together. She went everywhere with me. I even took her on a vacation trip one time on my motorcycle," Whalen said. 
 
 He said Allie was diagnosed with Cushing's disease more than a year ago and a veterinarian offered to euthanize her. 
 
 “Allie was not ready. I was not ready. She was still having fun. She wasn’t in ill health. “I got her stable on her medication," Whalen explained. 
 
 That was until late one early February morning when he said Allie started having uncontrollable seizures. 
 
 “She was not coming out of this," Whalen described. 
 
 Unable to get to a hospital, Whalen says he took his gun and ended her suffering. 
 
 “It was so emotionally disturbing. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to go through this in my mind and sometimes I’ll just start crying," Whalen said. 
 
 Allie was found partially buried on February 10 near 85th Street. 
 
 News 3 spoke with a local veterinarian about Whalen's decision. 
 
 She said based on current guidelines and standards, they don't consider a gunshot a form of euthanasia. 
 
 His attorney, George Yates, disagrees. 
 
 “We feel that he did what a pet owner is required to do," Yates said. "Take care of their animal and when their animal is suffering to properly euthanize the animal.�? 
 
 Whalen is expected in court in June. 
 
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 Previous coverage: 
 
 Owner of dog found buried at Oceanfront charged with animal cruelty 
 
 Virginia Beach Animal Control looking for info on dog found buried on the beach ||||| (Photo: Provided by family) 
 
 VIRGINIA BEACH, Va (WVEC) – A man who shot and killed his dog then buried her on the Oceanfront is facing animal abuse charges, but he says police have it wrong. 
 
 For 15 years, Michael Whalen said Allie was his closest companion, but Cushing’s disease caused hardship towards the end. 
 
 Allie would have seizures as a result and one night in February, the worst one came. 
 
 “It required my full attention to keep her airway open, to keep her from aspirating her vomit, to keep her from laying in her poop,” said Whalen. 
 
 Whalen told 13News Now that the sight was too painful to witness, so he shot her. 
 
 "I told myself I have a small handgun and I thought this will be painless, instantaneous," Whalen said. "And then I just broke down, it was the most emotional thing I've ever done." 
 
 Whalen then buried Allie at the 85th street beach and a resident found her, according to police. Authorities charged Whalen with burying trash, as well, after hearing Whalen’s side. 
 
 “I gave my full testimony of what happened ‘This is what happened folks, I didn’t do anything wrong here and you’ve got to know the truth`,” Whalen said. 
 
 Whalen is speaking out because he wants to set the record straight. 
 
 He has a court date in June and hopes his case will shed light on euthanasia rights. 
 
 “If your animal needs you, you gotta be there for her. You have a duty and obligation. I loved this dog. She needed me,” Whalen said. 
 
 
 
 
 
 © 2017 WVEC-TV ||||| Move over, Lassie. A Massachusetts pit bull named Lilly took on a freight train last week to save her owner, who collapsed unconscious onto the tracks during a late-night walk in Shirley. 
 
 The 8-year-old dog used her teeth to pull Christine Spain, 54, off the tracks as the train approached. While Spain emerged unscathed, Lilly lost a leg. 
 
 The train's engineer, who didn't want to give his name, said he spotted the woman and her dog on the tracks just after midnight on May 3, according to the Angell Animal Medical Center in Boston. He said he tried to stop the train in time but feared he'd hit them both. When he got out, he found that Spain was unharmed, but the train's wheels had sliced through Lilly's front right leg, which was bleeding heavily. 
 
 An animal control officer rushed Lilly to an emergency animal hospital in nearby Acton, where Spain's son, Boston Police Officer David Lanteigne, met them in the parking lot. Lanteigne said he had a feeling of dread as he got out of his car, but Lilly let him know she was OK. 
 
 "The first thing I see is just those big, beautiful eyes just looking at me, and next to her, I saw her right front paw was severely damaged," he told ABC News. "I saw her tail wagging the first time right there." 
 
 Lanteigne said he rescued Lilly three years ago, thinking she'd make a good therapy dog for Spain, who had battled alcoholism, depression and anxiety for many years. He said Spain doted on the dog, and often defrosted packets of green beans to cut them up and put them in Lilly's food. Eventually, he said, Spain's drinking decreased. 
 
 "We saved Lilly, and Lilly saved my mom's life," he said. "My hope is that this story is going to get out and show what pit bulls are truly about. I hope by Lilly going through this, it's going to get other dogs homes." 
 
 Lilly underwent two surgeries last weekend at the Angell Animal Medical Center. Steel plates were implanted to repair her fractured pelvis and support her left leg. She now has a long scar where her right front leg was amputated. 
 
 Angell spokesman Rob Halpin said Lilly's doctors expect she'll be able to walk again, but adjusting to three legs will be hard for the senior dog. 
 
 Meg Whalen, one of Lilly's doctors, said the pit bull's rescue "captured the hearts" of the staff. 
 
 "She's got the character and spirit that sometimes trumps all our medical advances when it comes to recovery," Whalen said. "I think she's got what it takes to get back to her former self." 
 
 On Wednesday, Lilly tried to stand up when Lanteigne came by to visit, but her hind legs won't be able to bear weight for the next few weeks. 
 
 Spain, who Lanteigne said relapsed before her collapse last week upon hearing some bad news, was arrested on the scene and arraigned the following day in Ayer District Court on charges of obstruction and danger on a railroad track, walking on a railroad track and animal cruelty, Shirely Police Executive Secretary Ann Whiting told ABC News. Spain was not arrested on any alcohol-related charges, but she was placed in protective custody because of intoxication, said Whiting. 
 
 Lanteigne said the accident had been hard on his mother, but she has been helping him get ready for Lilly's homecoming by sterilizing the apartment and bringing over all of Lilly's favorite toys. 
 
 "Lilly's been her heart and soul," Lanteigne said of his mother's relationship with the dog. "Thank God Lilly was there."
– A Virginian man charged with animal cruelty for allegedly shooting his dog of 15 years says it was an act of kindness, not abuse, WTKR reports. Michael Whalen says his dog Allie was one of his best friends. "We did everything together," he says. Last year, Allie was diagnosed with Cushing's disease. Whalen says a vet offered to put her down, but neither he nor Allie were "ready" for that. Instead, he put Allie on medication. But early one morning in late January, Allie started having intense seizures, according to the Virginian-Pilot. Whalen says he didn't think he could get Allie to a 24-hour vet safely, so after 40 minutes he decided to end her misery. Whalen tells WVEC he thought shooting Allie would be a "painless, instantaneous" way for her to go. He says shooting his dog was "so emotionally disturbing" he still cries when he thinks about it. He buried Allie's body at a beach nearby because he says she used to like watching him surf, and he would wave to the spot when he walked by in the coming days. But a few weeks later, a passerby spotted Allie's partially buried body. Whalen was charged with animal cruelty and burying trash. Vets don't consider a gunshot an appropriate form of animal euthanasia. But Whalen says he's no animal abuser. “If your animal needs you, you gotta be there for her," he says. "You have a duty and obligation." A court date is set for June.