Animal shelter mistakenly euthanizes family pet

This would send me over the edge if this happened to our dog.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25372860/?GT1=43001

Animal shelter mistakenly euthanizes family pet

Worker misread card on kennel where dog was being held in quarantine

VIENNA TOWNSHIP, Michigan - The nearly 2-year-old black lab escaped from home and bit a woman.

But Junior's punishment wasn't supposed to be a death sentence.

Animal Control officials in Michigan have apologized to Anette Hetzer for accidentally euthanizing her dog last week. The dog had been quarantined at the county's animal shelter to observe for signs of rabies after he escaped from Hetzer's home north of Flint on June 9 and bit the woman. Hetzer's husband received a ticket for a leash law violation.

"He was the sweetest dog," Hetzer told The Flint Journal for a story published Wednesday. "It doesn't seem right. This was a family dog — almost like a family member. ... He shouldn't have died like that."

Animal Control interim director Mary Conaton said the dog's death was caused when a worker misread a card on Junior's cage and took the wrong animal for the lethal injection.

The county's Board of Commissioners is working on recommendations for changes at the shelter, which include updating the animal tracking system.

Hetzer said the hardest part is explaining the loss to her 2-year-old son.

"He is really heartbroken," she said. "He wants his dog to come home."

Oh my God

There are no words...

I would goto jail i am sure, dont mess with my family (including my dogs)

Although I find it deplorable that this worker made such an error, the responsibilty lies with the owner of the dog since th dog was out and bit someone.

my american mastiff is 8 years old and i am crazy overly cautious about her because people tend to think she is a pit....... down here if you have a pit and animal control picks it up...... it is an automatic death sentence...... you cannot reclaim your pit......

if this happened to me yeah..... i would snap....... my dog is the sweetest dog ever and it truly would be like losing a child

i dont know if they have grounds to sue or not but i think it would be appropriate...... just to make an example......... and i dont believe in silly lawsuits.....

sad story....

I'm surprised the dog wasn't up for euthanization anyway. This woman's so called "sweetest dog" bit someone. I don't really see the problem.

I'm surprised the dog wasn't up for euthanization anyway. This woman's so called "sweetest dog" bit someone. I don't really see the problem.

Seriously?

Who knows what happened, maybe the woman did something to piss the dog off. Its a dog, they make mistakes--they can be trained.

You have no heart.

Um, am I missing something? The dog escaped and bit someone right?

I'm surprised the dog wasn't shot on the spot when it happened. Hey, I'm a dog lover and have had dogs as pets (in my case, family) my whole life. I understand the attachment. But a persons life is more important than a dog's life.

Um, am I missing something? The dog escaped and bit someone right?

I'm surprised the dog wasn't shot on the spot when it happened. Hey, I'm a dog lover and have had dogs as pets (in my case, family) my whole life. I understand the attachment. But a persons life is more important than a dog's life.

He bit her, he didn't maul her.

One of my neighbor's dogs was put down for nipping a kid who was hitting it.

Its a bunch of bull****.

But a persons life is more important than a dog's life.

I don't know--have you ever seen a dog committ genocide? I haven't. I think that's a pretty goddamn good selling point for any species.

He bit her, he didn't maul her.

One of my neighbor's dogs was put down for nipping a kid who was hitting it.

Its a bunch of bull****.

I understand where you're coming from.

I've had one of my own pets bite a girl. It was a chow, who was in our fenced in yard and was barking furiously at a her. I'm talkin' the blind rage-bite your own master kind of barking, yet she still approached my dog. Despite those signs and my verbal warnings, she proceeded and was thus bit in the thigh. Even with her arguable trespassing, we still had to fight to keep our dog from being put down.

Apparently my dog didn't like dumb girls.

I don't know--have you ever seen a dog committ genocide? I haven't. I think that's a pretty goddamn good selling point for any species.

That's out of context regarding the topic. A dog attacks a person, the animal would be put down. The human would be defended before the dog would.

That's out of context regarding the topic. A dog attacks a person, the animal would be put down. The human would be defended before the dog would.

No, you said a human's life is worth more than a dog's and I just think the jury is still out on that one.

I understand where you're coming from.

I've had one of my own pets bite a girl. It was a chow, who was in our fenced in yard and was barking furiously at a her. I'm talkin' the blind rage-bite your own master kind of barking, yet she still approached my dog. Despite those signs and my verbal warnings, she proceeded and was thus bit in the thigh. Even with her arguable trespassing, we still had to fight to keep our dog from being put down.

Apparently my dog didn't like dumb girls.

Smart dog.

Yeah the fact is, dogs are domesticated animals and they're gonna make mistakes. Some of them will bite people, doesn't make it a bad dog, could have been having a bad day who knows-I think unless the dog really attacks someone they shouldn't be put down.

Look at Vick's dogs, all of them are adopted and have families now...they can change.

But a persons life is more important than a dog's life.

I'm not too sure about that sometimes. I would save my dog before I would save certain individuals.

Smart dog.

Yeah the fact is, dogs are domesticated animals and they're gonna make mistakes. Some of them will bite people, doesn't make it a bad dog, could have been having a bad day who knows-I think unless the dog really attacks someone they shouldn't be put down.

Look at Vick's dogs, all of them are adopted and have families now...they can change.

ok wow i dont know where to begin....... im a dog lover..... primarily pits and mastiffs... however you could offer me millions to take a pit like vicks and i wont even consider putting that dog within eyesight of my kids.

im not down on pits.... when my baby girl took to a toddler bed she had her own security in having a pit sleeping on the bed at her feet all night long..... but one that has been trained.... <abused> .... to fight....... uh huh .... no way.....

i didnt even know those dogs were adopted......... they shoulda been euthanized right away..... thats the practice in this part of the world and i agree with it. no its not the dogs fault but that doesnt change the fact that they present a clear and present danger ......

No, you said a human's life is worth more than a dog's and I just think the jury is still out on that one.

I don't understand what you mean. Yes I said a human's life is worth more, maybe I should have said "in my opinion". I'm not being sarcastic in any way, I know the love people have for animals.

If a dog attacked you and attempted to bite you, are you not going to do anything about it? I don't know if a random dog has rabies or not, and I'm not going to let a dog bite me or my own dog just to find out if it does. That's just silly.

I'm not too sure about that sometimes. I would save my dog before I would save certain individuals.

without a doubt

ok wow i dont know where to begin....... im a dog lover..... primarily pits and mastiffs... however you could offer me millions to take a pit like vicks and i wont even consider putting that dog within eyesight of my kids.

im not down on pits.... when my baby girl took to a toddler bed she had her own security in having a pit sleeping on the bed at her feet all night long..... but one that has been trained.... <abused> .... to fight....... uh huh .... no way.....

i didnt even know those dogs were adopted......... they shoulda been euthanized right away..... thats the practice in this part of the world and i agree with it. no its not the dogs fault but that doesnt change the fact that they present a clear and present danger ......

Well they were all judged to be fit for adoption and believe me if they attacked someone it would hit the news.

I'm not too sure about that sometimes. I would save my dog before I would save certain individuals.

Right...but then you're comparing your favored pet to a particular person. I dunno, my mom does treat her dog better than she's ever treated me or my brother...

Well they were all judged to be fit for adoption and believe me if they attacked someone it would hit the news.

i understand what you are saying.... believe me......but with a pit and a child.... there is no room for error...... i wont put that dog in my home unless i train it from a pup because in disagreement with an earlier statement...... dogs dont change..... they are what they are and they are an instinctive animal and if those instincts are honed to attacking and killing...... not in my home.....

there is someones sig here that quotes mark twain in saying "heaven does not go by favor..... if it did your dog would get in and you would stay out"

i agree my dog is so much more faithful than any human has ever been to me.....

but adopt an ex pit fighter? ..... not on your life.......

i understand what you are saying.... believe me......but with a pit and a child.... there is no room for error...... i wont put that dog in my home unless i train it from a pup because in disagreement with an earlier statement...... dogs dont change..... they are what they are and they are an instinctive animal and if those instincts are honed to attacking and killing...... not in my home.....

I hear you.

I think Pits get a bad name but I understand where you're coming from.

I'm a Lab guy myself.

It has been suggested that the Pitbulls from the Michael Vick incident were adopted. I am going to need to see a link for that. I know the beagles they were using for practice fights were given homes (Great Job Huly!), but the Pitbulls were farmed somewhere if they were not destroyed, not given up for adoption if I rememeber correctly.

It has been suggested that the Pitbulls from the Michael Vick incident were adopted. I am going to need to see a link for that. I know the beagles they were using for practice fights were given homes (Great Job Huly!), but the Pitbulls were farmed somewhere if they were not destroyed, not given up for adoption if I rememeber correctly.

http://hamptonroads.com/node/426821

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/01/26/BA1CUM7M3.DTL

http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/10/adopt_a_michael_vick_pit_bull.html

I swear I thought I read an article on MSNBC that said they were all up for adoption but this at least shows that some of them were.