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Veteran Battling To Get His Dog Back From Couple

PITTSBURGH (KDKA) -- He's served in South Korea and Iraq, but Army Veteran Tim McGill says his current battle is to get his 3-year-old dog Layla back.

McGill has a brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder after his time in the service.

Multiple flashbacks coupled with depression and anxiety had doctors suggest a dog for McGill.

"I can still feel my best friend's body just go lifeless in my arms," McGill said. "Ten seconds after he said tell my wife and kids I love them."

Until June of last year, the pit bull/terrier mix was the perfect prescription.

McGill says when he moved to a Lawrenceville rental apartment to go to the Art Institute, his dog wasn't allowed. And that's when McGill says he struck a deal with Laura Stratemier.

"It's all a bunch of lies," Stratemier said. "It's him having a pity party for himself trying to get the dog back."

McGill says he asked her to watch his dog while he applied to get papers to make Layla a service dog and in the meantime McGill, who is a tattoo artist, would repay her and her husband with free ink.

Laura Stratemier admits she was only supposed to have Layla for two weeks.

Now more than six months later, Stratemier says the dog is better taken care of by her.

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