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Pinal County Employee Wrongly Euthanized War Hero Dog

FLORENCE AZ– A Pinal County Animal Care & Control employee has been placed on administrative leave for failing to follow procedures and euthanizing the wrong dog.  The employee is accused of not following proper procedure in the euthanasia process.

On Friday, November 12, Animal Care and Control received a call about a stray female shepherd-mix dog in the San Tan Valley area.  The dog was picked up by an officer and brought to the Pinal County Animal Care and Control Shelter where it stayed over the weekend.  The dog was not microchipped or licensed with the county.

This morning, the employee mistakenly took the dog out of its pen and euthanized it.  The dog was not scheduled for euthanasia at the time it was put down.

“I am heartsick over this.  I had to personally deliver the news to the dog’s owner and he and his family are understandably distraught,” said Animal Care and Control Director Ruth Stalter.  “We work hard get to strays reunited with their owners.  When it comes to euthanizing an animal, there are some clear-cut procedures to follow.  Based on my preliminary investigation, our employee did not follow those procedures.”

“An investigation in underway and we will cooperate fully.  We will also thoroughly review procedures to ensure that something like this does not happen again,” Stalter said.  “This is unacceptable and no family should be deprived of their companion because procedures were not followed.”

The dog was recently brought over from Afghanistan by a soldier who had returned from his tour of duty there.  “Target” has been featured by local media and Oprah Winfrey for heroism after saving soldiers from a suicide bomber.

2 Comments

  1. Darlene Rausch says:

    this is a heartbreaking story

  2. Joe Pyritz, Pinal County Supervisor says:

    A Pinal County Animal Care & Control employee was terminated today following an investigation into the accidental euthanasia of a dog on Monday. Pinal County launched an investigation on Monday, on the same day that the dog was euthanized. The dog in question was “Target,” a street dog from Afghanistan who became a lifesaving hero when she thwarted an attack by a suicide bomber. She was later brought to the US by volunteers and private donors to live in San Tan Valley with a soldier’s family.

    Monday’s press release announcing the launch of the investigation is at http://bit.ly/9WlKka.

    “We are continuing to look into management practices and procedures at Animal Care & Control to ensure that something like this cannot happen again,” said Lisa Garcia, Assistant County Manager for Health & Human Services.

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