MORGAN CITY — A woman in Morgan City was arrested after not returning a dog that was reported missing after police and the owner of the animal ordered her to, Morgan City Police said.

Morgan City Police received reports of a dog that was roaming a trailer park along Mayon Street travelling toward Onstead Street around 12:38 p.m. on May 8. Later that day, the owner of the dog called police and said that a woman, later identified as Alyssa Muse, found the animal and refused to return it. 

The dog's owner explained to police that the 9-year-old animal had been undergoing treatment for a long-term skin condition since November when it escaped from an open window. 

Police added that the dog's owner and Muse exchanged several messages discussing efforts to return the dog. 

Eventually, Muse was reached via phone. She said she believed the animal to be in poor health, adding that she was told by the owner of the trailer park where the dog was found that it suffered from a skin condition.

Muse told police she brought the dog to a veterinary facility in Harahan, adding that she did not think the dog could be returned to its owner due to the examination process.

Muse was then told she needed to return the dog to its owners. She agreed to return the dog, but said weather conditions and the late hour prevented her from doing so until the next morning.

The dog and its owner were reunited the next day, police said. 

Later, as police continued to investigate, Muse told officers that she believed she had authorization from a shelter to remove the animal. The shelter told police this was not the case. 

The following week, the dog's owner pressed theft charges against Muse. On Saturday, she was arrested at her home and charged with one count of theft under $1,000.

The police department said they've investigated several other incidents where Muse took possession of animals within Morgan City limits. She was not authorized to take these animals either, police added.

"In this case, the established procedure was not followed, as the department was not contacted until after the animal had already been removed from the area," Morgan City Police Chief Chad Adams said. 

Muse's attorney said they plan to release a statement later in the week.