NEW YORK – It may not rate as an international scandal, but the death of a Yorkshire terrier in U.S. custody is fueling a messy legal battle over the importation of a group of purebred canines imported from Russia.The dog died in September at a private facility at New York’s Kennedy Airport used to hold animals from overseas that are denied entry to the U.S.
by federal officials. The news was heartbreaking for a woman who says she was the owner-in-waiting for the female Yorkie.“It’s been really, really rough for me to deal with her death,” Rachel Hobbs, of Dayton, Ohio, said in a recent interview.The Yorkie, named Uti-Puti Knopochka, was among 11 dogs — including three Dobermans, a Dalmation and a golden retriever — flown into the country.