RIP Target..

[tammymacb]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/11/16/target-afghanistan-war-do_n_784189.html

FLORENCE, Ariz. — A dog named Target that lived through explosions in war-torn Afghanistan couldn't survive a brief stay at an Arizona animal shelter.

An unidentified employee at the Pinal County facility was placed on administrative leave after euthanizing the female shepherd mix by mistake, county Animal Care and Control officials said Monday.

"When it comes to euthanizing an animal, there are some clear-cut procedures to follow," Ruth Stalter, the county animal control director, said in a statement. "Based on my preliminary investigation, our employee did not follow those procedures."

Sgt. Terry Young, the owner of the dog, told The Arizona Republic, "I just can't believe that something like this would happen to such a good dog."

Target frightened a suicide bomber inside a military base and potentially saved dozens of soldiers' lives, Young said.

He said the dog was treated like royalty from then on at the base at Dand Patan, near the Pakistan border.

Young brought Target to the San Tan Valley area southeast of Phoenix in August, when he returned home from his tour of duty.

The dog escaped from the family's back yard Friday. Young put out online notices and contacted TV stations that did reports on the missing hero dog.

A neighbor found Target wandering later Friday, put her in his back yard and called the pound. The dog did not have a microchip or tag.



On Friday night, Young found Target's picture on a website used by Pinal County's dog catchers to help owners track lost pets. Young figured the shelter was closed for the night and weekend.

He showed up at the shelter in Casa Grande to claim his dog on Monday, only to find out she was dead.

County officials say the employee mistakenly took the dog out of its pen Monday morning and euthanized it.

The Republic said Young and his family will get Target's cremated remains.




I am just sick over this.....

 

[happygirl]

when I saw the title I thought Target was going our of businesss

 

[ckay87]

when I saw the title I thought Target was going our of businesss

Me too

Little could be sadder than that, but this story sure is.

 

[sjs314]

This is just the worse story I have heard , I can not stop crying. I can not believe something like this happened to such a wonderful dog and family who lost him. another link

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1330088/Afghanistan-dog-hero-mistake-Arizona-animal-shelter.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Well, the owner of the dog should have taken better care of the animal.I feel sick about the dog however the dog should have been microchipped and the guy should have went to the pound. That was pretty stupid of him not to immediately rush to his dog when he KNEW he was in the shelter. I mean who the hell does that?

 

[Jennasis]

The shelter scrwed up royally and I am so sad for the owner...BUT (usn't there always one?) he should have put a tag on the dog! My dogs never leave my yard and they are both tagged and chipped. It's basic pet ownership responsibility folks, just like giving them food and water. Collar ON, tag ON.

Also, if I knew my dog was at the pound, I would have called and left a dozen messages, emails and camped out on their doorstep all weekend until I got my dog back.

 

[chisnpeke]

I posted a thread about this earlier. It's so sad. It makes me sick to think about how devastating that would be to find out your pet had been put to sleep after a weekend at the pound.

 

[BriarfoxinWA]

I was sick over this too but the dog should have been microchipped at least! My dogs don't wear their collars all the time but both are chipped in case they get lost.

 

[holycow]

That is SAD!

 

[beaucoup]

Really sad, but if I found my animal after if went missing, I would have been on the phone to them no matter what time or day it was.

If they were closed, there might have been an answering machine to leave a message or the hours they were open. I wouldn't be assuming they were closed.

Poor dog.

 

[si-am]

I just don't understand people who don't put collars/tags on their dogs. Our neighbors have a greyhound with no collar or tag that CONSTANTLY gets out of their backyard. It even got picked up by a greyhound rescue group a few months ago after it was found wandering the neighborhood.... it took my neighbors weeks to track it down, and when they got it back, guess what? Still outside with no collar!

I put ID tags on my indoor cats, just on the off chance they get out one day.

 

[Mickeyluver37]

One of the comments in the link mentions that all military dogs are tatooed inside the ear. I wonder if that is accurate. If that is the case, I can see why the owner didn't feel it necessary to microchip. I agree that he should have tried a little harder to get the dog before Monday morning, though.

The shelter isn't telling us the whole story. You don't accidentally take a dog out of its pen and euthanize it. I'm disgusted to hear that it happens that quickly regardless of who the dog belongs to. How was anyone supposed to adopt the dog that fast even if it didn't have an owner?

 

[tammymacb]

I must be fragile today because I've cried on and off about Target all morning..

Let me say as a dog owner, I agree. I don't understand why she didn't have tags on...

BUT, what make me FURIOUS is if this is the best our *Humane* Society's can do....what does that say about us? A dog survives life on the street in a country that basically thinks of them as vermin, is shot, and starved and then is flown to the US where we promptly dispatch her in a weekend. Just sickening.

 

[Jennasis]

One of the comments in the link mentions that all military dogs are tatooed inside the ear. I wonder if that is accurate. If that is the case, I can see why the owner didn't feel it necessary to microchip. I agree that he should have tried a little harder to get the dog before Monday morning, though.

The shelter isn't telling us the whole story. You don't accidentally take a dog out of its pen and euthanize it. I'm disgusted to hear that it happens that quickly regardless of who the dog belongs to. How was anyone supposed to adopt the dog that fast even if it didn't have an owner?

She was NOT a military service dog. She was a stray found by a serviceman.

 

[WDSearcher]

I must be fragile today because I've cried on and off about Target all morning..

Let me say as a dog owner, I agree. I don't understand why she didn't have tags on...

BUT, what make me FURIOUS is if this is the best our *Humane* Society's can do....what does that say about us? A dog survives life on the street in a country that basically thinks of them as vermin, is shot, and starved and then is flown to the US where we promptly dispatch her in a weekend. Just sickening.

But the folks at the shelter don't know that. It's not like the dog showed up with a resume. And if it truly was an error on the shelter worker's part -- not following protocol -- it could have happened regardless.

The dog should have had a microchip or a tag (soldiers wear "dog tags" for a reason!), and the guy who knew the dog was in a shelter should have at least CHECKED on the shelter's hours before assuming they were closed on the weekend. (Virtually every shelter is open on weekends because that's when people are actually able to come in and look at animals. That's just logic!)

And sorry, but where does it say that the dog was shot and starved?

 

[tammymacb]

But the folks at the shelter don't know that. It's not like the dog showed up with a resume. And if it truly was an error on the shelter worker's part -- not following protocol -- it could have happened regardless.

The dog should have had a microchip or a tag (soldiers wear "dog tags" for a reason!), and the guy who knew the dog was in a shelter should have at least CHECKED on the shelter's hours before assuming they were closed on the weekend. (Virtually every shelter is open on weekends because that's when people are actually able to come in and look at animals. That's just logic!)

And sorry, but where does it say that the dog was shot and starved?

The dog, Target, was recently brought over from Afghanistan by a soldier who had returned from his tour of duty. Target was featured by CNN for heroism after saving dozens of soldiers from a suicide bomber on February 11.

"She got her name because the Afghans we lived with were constantly trying to off her. She's been shot in the leg. ... The Afghans actually ran over her," Sgt. Christopher Duke said, who helped care for Target in Afghanistan and has adopted her packmate Rufus. "There's no killing this dog for sure. She's pretty much been through it all, " he said upon their reunion in July in Georgia.

Target's new owner, Army Sgt. Terry Young whose life was saved by the stray, helped bring the 2-ish-year-old from Afghanistan to her new home in Arizona. She disappeared from Young's home on Friday. Facebook postings requested help in finding her.


Target saved U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan
Animal Care and Control received a call about a stray female shepherd-mix dog in the San Tan Valley area on Friday. An animal control officer picked up the dog and brought her to the shelter where the dog stayed over the weekend. The dog was not microchipped or licensed with the county, shelter officials said.

On Monday morning, the employee mistakenly took the dog out of its pen and euthanized it. The dog was not scheduled for euthanasia.

“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.”

In an e-mail, Young told CNN affiliate KPHO, "I'm an absolute wreck today, and it's everything in my power to hold it together for me and my family. My 4-year-old son just can't understand what is going on with Target and keeps asking me to get the poison out of her and bring her home. They don't want her to go be with God yet."

“An investigation is under way, 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.”

Target was pregnant when she helped thwart the suicide bomber by attacking him. She had her litter of puppies in Afghanistan. Target's puppies have since been brought to the United States.

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

From CNN- and REALLY?? Yes, I would have called the shelter during the weekend. But, if you job is to kill things. AT LEAST, follow the protocol and kill them they way you're paid to do. But again, that's exactly what I mean about our so called humanity.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

From CNN- and REALLY?? Yes, I would have called the shelter during the weekend. But, if you job is to kill things. AT LEAST, follow the protocol and kill them they way you're paid to do. But again, that's exactly what I mean about our so called humanity.

Yep, you are right. People are lazy and leave an animal in a kill shelter because they can't be bothered.

I mean no way in hell I am not pounding on the door, leaving messages or taping stuff to their door to make sure I get my dog back.

 

[WDSearcher]

The dog, Target, was recently brought over from Afghanistan by a soldier who had returned from his tour of duty. Target was featured by CNN for heroism after saving dozens of soldiers from a suicide bomber on February 11.

"She got her name because the Afghans we lived with were constantly trying to off her. She's been shot in the leg. ... The Afghans actually ran over her," Sgt. Christopher Duke said, who helped care for Target in Afghanistan and has adopted her packmate Rufus. "There's no killing this dog for sure. She's pretty much been through it all, " he said upon their reunion in July in Georgia.

Target's new owner, Army Sgt. Terry Young whose life was saved by the stray, helped bring the 2-ish-year-old from Afghanistan to her new home in Arizona. She disappeared from Young's home on Friday. Facebook postings requested help in finding her.


Target saved U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan
Animal Care and Control received a call about a stray female shepherd-mix dog in the San Tan Valley area on Friday. An animal control officer picked up the dog and brought her to the shelter where the dog stayed over the weekend. The dog was not microchipped or licensed with the county, shelter officials said.

On Monday morning, the employee mistakenly took the dog out of its pen and euthanized it. The dog was not scheduled for euthanasia.

“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.”

In an e-mail, Young told CNN affiliate KPHO, "I'm an absolute wreck today, and it's everything in my power to hold it together for me and my family. My 4-year-old son just can't understand what is going on with Target and keeps asking me to get the poison out of her and bring her home. They don't want her to go be with God yet."

“An investigation is under way, 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.”

Target was pregnant when she helped thwart the suicide bomber by attacking him. She had her litter of puppies in Afghanistan. Target's puppies have since been brought to the United States.

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

From CNN- and REALLY?? Yes, I would have called the shelter during the weekend. But, if you job is to kill things. AT LEAST, follow the protocol and kill them they way you're paid to do. But again, that's exactly what I mean about our so called humanity.

Thanks ... I hadn't seen that info in the original link.

And clearly you have never worked in an animal shelter, because their job is not to "kill things." It is a huge disservice to people who spend long hours and limited funds dealing with animals that others just throw away or leave to their own defenses to call them people who are paid to kill things.

Let's at least toss just a smidge of blame on the people who (a) didn't chip the dog and (b) decided to wait until after the weekend to go pick the dog up without even checking to see if the place was open first.

And while we have all of this information about the dog now, as I said, the dog certainly didn't show up at the shelter with that information. Nor did the dog even show up with ID. So yes ... the person at the shelter mismanaged the situation -- euthanized a dog that was not to be euthanized. But there is no indication that the person did this on purpose.

It would have been just as much of a lapse of protocol if the dog had NOT had this particular story. Except that no one would have likely heard about it and the protocol lapse might have never been caught. So from that standpoint, Target is STILL saving lives. The fact that it was caught will probably save many more canine and feline lives at that shelter and others.

 

[tammymacb]

No, I've never worked in an animal shelter, though I've done a lot of volunteer for animal rescues. I used to be the adoption coordinator for our local greyhound rescue. I currently live with 3 senior greyhounds, a spaniel I got from our local SPCA and a puppy that a man was giving away at a chicken place in east nowhere. Said puppy was kept safely in the trunk of his car while he looked for someone to take her and it was September in coastal SC.

So, I am very interested and invested in animal welfare.

I agree that at this point, because of the idea that animals are "throw away" and expendable that euthanasia has to be used in certain situations. However, I used the terms "kill things" because in the case of this employee of the shelter, he or she obviously did not care too much about the magnitude of their position. And it makes me sick.

Yes, of course the dog should have been chipped. There is actually a lot of debate about keeping collars and tags on animals full time with regards to getting the collar caught on things/strangulation standards. And * I * certainly would have called the shelter about a dozen times over the weekend. But, in the end, the shelter employee did not follow protocols and this dog died needlessly.

And I am beyond angry and sad about it.

 

[cyrix]

Does anyone know what specific website posted Target's photo? Terry Young said he saw the photo, but "just figured" the shelter was closed weekends. I'm curious because operating hours and phone numbers should have been listed. But regardless, Terry could have easily found this info on Pinal County's AC website. If that was my dog, I would hustle to get her home as soon as possible.

Damn, if Target just had an ID tag on her she would have been returned by the neighbor, and living happily with her family.

I still can't believe Terry Young didn't do the bare minimum to help ensure Target's safety. She was a special dog. Lots of folks helped to get her stateside so she could live with Mr. Young. I hate to say it, but maybe he doesn't care for Target as much as he said. The press seems to have given his irresponsibility a complete pass.