Here is a breakdown of the info contained in this sad story:
- In July 2009, the owner of a dog called “Angel” in Carson, CA received a citation for failing to feed her dog.
- A follow-up visit was conducted a week later. The AC officer advised the owner to take Angel to the Vet. No follow-up was done.
- Phone records show that the owner “had made telephone calls in an effort to get medical attention for Angel” – no further details reported.
- The owner then called AC for help but no one responded for 3 days. When AC did show up, the owner asked them to take the dog to the shelter because she didn’t want her 9 year old to find Angel dead.
- AC took Angel to the Carson Animal Shelter and left her to languish in a cage for 10 days without treatment.
- A rescue group got the dog out at that point and took her to a Vet for care. Angel was so emaciated, neither her age nor her breed could be determined. She died a few weeks later.
- The owner was charged with felony animal cruelty but prosecutors decided to drop the charge in light of the circumstances of the case.
It is presumed the owner could not afford veterinary care and that’s why she was reaching out for assistance. I can’t help but wonder if someone, anyone involved with Angel prior to the rescue would have stepped up, followed up or done something besides let the dog deteriorate and suffer for all that time, maybe Angel’s life could have been saved. Even if her medical problems were too overwhelming by the time the call for help went out, at least she could have been made comfortable in her final days. And if there was no way to bring her comfort, she could have been euthanized to relieve her of her suffering. All opportunities lost. We are now a world with one less Angel.
*Title quote from Milton’s “Paradise Lost“