I'd really like to know how shit like this happens...

[joeybee12]

Ft. Bend animal shelter tells rescuer dogs were euthanized by accident

http://www.chron.com/neighborhood/fortbend/article/Ft-Bend-animal-shelter-tells-rescuer-dogs-were-5224582.php

The Fort Bend County Animal Shelter said it was 'a mistake' that a pair of dogs was euthanized Monday after being there for only hours and even as somebody was signing papers to rescue the animals.

Rene Vasquez, assistant director at the Fort Bend County Animal Shelter, said the animals should have been kept for three working days before a decision was made on their fate.

"There was a mistake made and protocol was not followed, obviously," said Vasquez.

Courtney Pearce, president of Short Mugs Rescue, said a male French bulldog and an American pit bull mix were both euthanized while a volunteer with her rescue group was on site to pick up the dogs.

The volunteer told Pearce that the director of the shelter broke the news to her as she was signing papers to take custody of the dogs.

Pearce said the dogs were just a couple of years old, judging by the pictures, and looked well taken care of, not like cast-offs or strays.

------------------------

There are photos at the link...cute animals that would have made great pets.

[get the red out]

1. That makes me SICK!

This crap needs to stop!!! Whoever killed those poor dogs needs to be fired immediately along with shelter management. Clean house with these people, they are very poor employees.

[joeybee12]

2. Shitty employees indeed...anyone who cares about animals would

have gone to great lengths to ensure they ahd the right ones...county shelters often get people who don't give a rat's ass.

[Sunlei]

3. If not for the small rescue who spoke up! & wanted to pull these dogs-no one would even know.

I hope this horrid event, is not a pattern of 'mistakes' for this 'animal shelter'. Their '3 day hold' is NOT long enough either!

[joeybee12]

4. You're right...3 days is ridiculously short...

And sadly I'm willing to bet this isn't the first time.

[TBF]

5. Sadly typical down here -

Fort Bend County is a neighbor to mine. I have done a little work with Lab Rescue and have pulled from my county's shelter. They take in strays and the like and wait a certain period of time before euthanizing. There is NO adoption ability - you are either the owner and pick up the animal, you are a rescue group & are able to get in and pick up the animal, or it is euthanized.

Even worse - up until just recently there were still 29 shelters in Texas using gas to kill cats and dogs. That was finally eliminated with a new law that went into effect January 1, 2014:

New law requires Texas animal shelters to eliminate gas chambers

By BRITTNEY MARTIN

Published: 22 June 2013 10:39 PM

Updated: 22 June 2013 10:51 PM

AUSTIN — Animal shelters in 29 Texas cities must explore ways and costs of dismantling their gas chambers under a new state law.

In the past, city and county animal shelters were trained to euthanize animals by either administering carbon monoxide gas or injecting sodium pentobarbital. Now, injection is the only option for cats and dogs.

Shelters have until January to make the switch. The closest affected city to Dallas is Greenville, in Hunt County, where officials said the law may pose a budget problem.

“We’ve got one person at the shelter at all times, and that person would be by themselves trying to do all the shelter work and the euthanasia, too,” said Brandon Krodle, Greenville’s animal control supervisor. “I anticipate that we’re probably going to need to hire another person or two, but I don’t know if budgetwise that’s going to be a possibility.”

More - http://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/headlines/20130622-texas-animal-shelters-must-eliminate-gas-chambers-under-new-law.ece (not for the faint of heart though - the article describes the process of killing with gas)

[Sunlei]

8. I live not far at all from FB shelter and I agree with all your assessment. always a budget problem

Always a 'budget problem' to be basically humane to animals! And humane to us humans who have to observe this cruelty go on and on, for years. Some of these local small Govs are so inhumane to animals and people!

[Capn Sunshine]

11. Do they get paid to kill dogs?

just curious why they are in such an all fired hurry

[TBF]

16. I think it is space -

the shelters they have are run down buildings and they aren't going to spend $$$ to build a decent facility (which could be used for adoptions or keeping animals longer).

[La Lioness Priyanka]

6. honestly i would say that these shelters are usually underfunded, overcrowded

and generally poorly managed because of said underfunding/overcrowding.

we get what we pay for and we cut funding for these things all the time leading to diseases/commotion/generally unhealthy conditions at shelters

[polly7]

7. What a sad, sad story.

I couldn't look at the pictures.

I was heading to North Battleford for Thanksgiving a few years ago on a freezing cold, windy night .... very dark, and lots of traffic. I saw something in the middle of the highway a bit ahead I thought was a coyote. Then another joined it. They were darting in and out of cars that were trying to slow down at the last minute, and seemed confused, so I stopped and saw they were two dogs. This was in a lone stretch of prairie with no farms or towns nearby - the dogs would run into the ditch, then back out onto the highway - nearly getting hit numerous times. After chasing them on foot for about 5 minutes I finally got them in the car and to my sister's, where we unloaded them and had a good look - both had a face full of porcupine quills, were very thin, cold and scared.

I couldn't keep them for various reasons, as much as I wanted to, my sister couldn't either as both she and her husband traveled away for work for days and weeks at a time. So .... after removing the quills and cleaning them up and feeding them turkey and trimmings for three days, these two had stolen everyone's hearts. I asked about the 'no-kill' shelter there, called it, and went in to talk to them, because there was no way I was leaving them if there was even a possibility they'd be euthanized. Both people at the desk assured me that no, they never got rid of animals and promised they'd eventually both go to homes. So, I bought 2 big bags of dog food, loaded 'Bert' and 'Elaine' back up into my car and took them to the shelter. I told them probably half a dozen times to call me if there was a problem with them - including any medical issue, I'd run up and get them. They promised they absolutely would, so I left my phone number, gave both dogs a last hug and walked out bawling.

First thing the morning after getting back home, I called to see how they were - "Great!!"

Well, the next day my sister phoned, .... telling me they'd both been put down. As well as most of the other animals there. I've rarely been so angry and sick over anything in my life. The shelter told me they'd found 'signs of distemper' among one of the dogs there (not Bert or Elaine, they'd never even been checked by a vet yet), 'and that they had to do that occasionally'. I don't think she'd been screamed at anything like she got that day - this was the person who made all the promises to call. It still makes my stomach sick thinking about it. Never, ever trust that any shelter is 'no-kill' - I was so damned stupid.

[joeybee12]

9. That's so sad...

What assholes...you really need to invetsigate some rescue groups, although in your case you tried to do what was best...poor babies.

[polly7]

10. Yes, you really do.

I just took them at their word at the shelter, it was a holiday weekend with only two people there to talk to, my sister knew nothing about the shelter, I had about an 8 hour drive to get back home to work, and wasn't really thinking much beyond how sad I was to be leaving them and that I had to hurry home. My work meant I had to spend 4-7 shifts at a time in a different town, and I couldn't see how I could keep them. Looking back ... I certainly could have had them seen by a vet here and found them a home somehow. It's just the complete senselessness of the whole thing that still kills me. Those dogs were so trusting, and look what I, and those assholes, went and did.

[joeybee12]

12. You alos hear about those grpups that start out with good intentions...

And the person running that rescue group gets overwhelmed because he/she can't say no and takes on too much and the animals end up neglected...Poor babies...and please don't think you did anything wrong...it as the assholes at the shelter who are to blame.

[polly7]

13. Thanks joeybee12, but this was a city shelter ... I think I'd have felt better if it

had been some private, well-meaning individuals. You do always think, what if. My last dog, I got from the Regina Humane Society who, when I asked if they ever euthanized animals for anything but obvious medical needs, looked at me like I had three eyes. There definitely are good ones out there. So sad that terrible mistakes like in the OP happen even in the best of them, though. Poor animals.

[TBF]

17. The group I have helped out

just does Labs and will not take dogs from individuals. They pull from various city/county shelters in the wider Houston area. They wait until time up, evaluate the dog's personalities (these are volunteers who have done this for years) and take as many as they can into the group. I have adopted a couple times from them and hope to possibly foster in the future when we have more space. They take in as many as they can given financial and foster constraints (they don't have a facility - just volunteers). The sad part is how many are put down on a daily basis at the local shelters - they only can save a fraction of these.

[joeybee12]

18. I know...it's even worse for cats here...the county shelter only adopts out

10-15% of the cats they take in...it's too awful...dogs fare better, but it's only about 30%...oh, and good on you!

[dorkzilla]

14. This shit goes on EVERY FUCKING DAY at the NYC ACC

It kills me to even hear about it, so much so that I had to scale back my involvement in rescue via Death Row Dogs. I was crying every day, and not just for one pooch. Its horrible.

I got my dog 2 hours before she was scheduled to be killed and I had to hustle because they moved her into the holding room where they give the puppies their shots. There are a multitude of stories of this happening there. If I told you even a 10th of the stories, you'd cry, and I'm starting to well up with tears so…I'll leave it there.

[BodieTown]

15. How? They Take In 7200/year, Adopt Out 750/year

So that leaves about 6450 animals in a shelter that has probably had its funding operations cut back.

"There was a mistake made and protocol was not followed, obviously," said Vasquez.

I believe her/him.