This has my brain overworking itself and keeping me up late at night trying to find some reasonable explanation. This happened last week but is so fresh in my thoughts as I just read about it yesterday evening.
The story basically goes like this: On Monday a pet dog some how escaped the yard, mail carrier called it in, Animal Control was dispatched to retrieve the dog and left a note on the owners door. I have to stop here for a moment because questions are already formulating such as: Did the mail carrier see where the dog came from and if not how did Animal Control know who the owner was, Was the dog wearing a Collar with the owners information and if so did they try to contact the owner? Well in fact they just left a note saying “Dog was loose and attacked mail carrier please call.”
So back to the story. After coming home from work Monday evening the owner placed a call to animal control on Tuesday morning and explained how she found the note and wanted to know what happened. Animal Control responded with "Well he attacked the mailman, but he didn’t bite the mailman.” Stopping the story here again as more questions are popping up. I gotta ask it if the dog in question did not bite the mailman how did he attack him? What did he do lick him, or did he bark at him, or did he strut right up to the mailman and pee on his shoe? The owner says the dog was not aggressive and questions what really happened so the question remains as to why the mailman felt it was necessary to place a call to Animal Control in the first place.
Continuing the story the owner called again on Wednesday and agreed that between their work schedule and the pound’s hours, that Friday would work best to pick up the dog.That was, until the owner's phone rang on Thursday.The Supervisor of the pound called the owner and said there was a mix up and we euthanized your dog by mistake. The owner confused replied "What do you mean? I was coming to get him."
The news station got wind of the story at this point and after no one from Animal Control would talk on camera by way of a phone conversation the Supervisor admitted a mistake was made when an employee didn't pass the word that the owner had called and planned to pick up the dog and a disciplinary action is being taken against that employee. Furthermore the Supervisor did offer the owner another pet. Stopping the story yet again. OMG Becky! What is this A-hole thinking? A family pet is an extension of the family they can not be so blatantly replaced. What kind of idiots do they hire at this facility that they can't even write a note like they did for this owner about taking their pet in the first place? What kind of a moron is running the facility that would allow such a mistake to happen without having any safeguards or security checks in place? Can you imagine if this happened at a hospital with people? I can't because we don't euthanize humans no matter the case and even if we did security & safety checks are in place to safeguard their patients at every corner more so than there is at Airports even.
The end of the story is, “He said, 'If you want to, you can come and get a puppy,'” said the owner. “I said, 'No way.' What would I get a puppy for? That’s not supposed to make me feel like everything is OK.”
Good for the owner making sure that Animal Control knows exactly how she feels. I feel as though that somehow it's just not enough. I know suing isn't always the right way to go but something more should of been done. I am just not sure of what can be done. Which poses my last and final question to leave you with WHAT WOULD YOU DO?
This does happen more often then people know. In my opinion if we hit them in the pocket book maybe they will provide better safety measures to prevent this. Our pets are our family as well. I would sue them and it will not bring my beloved pet back but I would then take the money and donate to a charitable animal cause in the name of my pet. MF
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