OKEECHOBEE COUNTY, Fla. — A canine surrendered to the Okeechobee County Sheriffs Office Animal Control is lifeless.
The state of affairs prompted an outcry on the web after it bit a workers member and was placed in quarantine. Staff on the sheriff’s workplace admitted to an error by making an aggressive canine available for adoption.
According to the Sheriff’s Office, the 2 Jack Russell combine dogs, Batman, and Robin, have been surrendered in Okeechobee County. During the switch course of, Robin aggressively bit a workers member.
Sheriff’s workplace spokesman Jack Nash stated the dealing with of that canine main as much as the switch might’ve been dealt with in a different way.
The State Health Department requires that after a canine chew, homeowners have to quarantine it for 10 days. After that course of the sheriff’s workplace confirmed they’re a kill shelter.
“The resolution to euthanize an animal is among the hardest choices a pet guardian could make,” the sheriff’s workplace posted on Facebook. “Veterinarians and animal management professionals extra generally broach this subject with progressive decline in bodily well being, extreme harm, and related high quality of life.
“Behavioral euthanasia, or the choice to euthanize because of behavioral issues, happens when the severity of a canine’s conduct negatively impacts their high quality of life, and the protection of the pet guardians, or poses an excessive amount of danger to the general public.”
People like Melissa Rogers stated the case might’ve been dealt with higher.
Chris Gilmore/WPTV
“Nobody desires to be bit however it was her fault for dealing with that canine incorrectly she ought to have by no means dealt with that canine with no muzzle by no means so it was her fault,” Rogers stated.
The state of affairs took off on social media and Oasis Pet Rescue’s Facebook page the place the account of the incident was shared greater than 600 instances and sparked a petition with greater than 1,200 signatures in an try to save lots of Robin.
WPTV tried reaching out Oasis to a number of instances and have not heard again. The organization needed to undertake each surrendered dogs. The Sheriff’s Office did affirm they’ve acquired lots of of calls on account of the social media outcry.
“I would be saddened by that because that dog could have a life somewhere with somebody that could control him,” Rogers said.
The sheriff’s office confirmed the dog was euthanized, adding they “can’t allow a dog with a history of biting or aggression to be adopted due to risk of future attacks.”
The case prompted an update to sheriff’s office procedures including documenting signs of aggression of animals at the shelter and displaying it on kennels.
The staffer who was bit received counseling on proper securing and transfer of animals. Rogers agreed with that move, saying: “They do need to be retrained yes but so does the dog the dog needs a chance to.”
Over the previous two years, Okeechobee Animal Control has taken in 2,359 dogs because of varied causes and has discovered greater than 2,100 of them properties via adoption or returned to their rightful homeowners.
