Animal Control for the city of Manchester, GA falls under the police department. There was apparently a dog fight which occurred on or prior to March 21 in Manchester. While it’s unclear to me which dogs might have been involved in the fight, this article makes clear what happened to a dog named Ella on March 21. She was shot to death while inside her own fenced yard.
The Manchester ACO apparently decided that Ella was the attacker in the dog fight and that she was rabid – a diagnosis normally determined in a lab after testing an animal’s head. The ACO called police and told them to shoot the dog to death while she sat inside her fenced yard. Ella’s owner, Robin Garrett, was not home at the time. A neighbor attempted to advocate for Ella’s life but police ordered him to return to his home. He heard the shotgun when it was used to kill Ella. Ms. Garrett is devastated:
Garrett said Ella loved to sit on her lap and play with the grandkids. She said the 2-year-old beagle-boxer mix was current on her vaccinations and had no history of aggression.
If Ella was current on her rabies vaccine, she was not rabid. If the city of Manchester cares. When a local reporter attempted to speak with the ACO, he got in his truck and drove away. Probably to provide “services” to some other unlucky family in the area.
Police are investigating themselves in the incident and have never interviewed the neighbor who tried to prevent the killing through peaceful means. It is now May. No action has been taken against anyone involved in Ella’s killing.
If you can’t own it, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it.
(Thank you Clarice for the link.)
Surely they have rules about discharging a firearm in a residential area? Something about human lives being in immediate danger, perhaps?
I’m curious as to how a dog in a fenced yard poses any threat to the ACO or anyone else? But I’m sure that their “investigation” will clear him just fine.
She had da raybeez. It was a mercy killing. Just like Old Yeller. Exactly like that.
On Sun, May 12, 2013 at 11:56 AM, YesBiscuit!
Oh, so he killed her for her sake? Ok, got it. I was concerned that maybe he killed her because da raybeez makes dogs able to fly and she would be swooping down on unwary children and infecting them, too.
Thank goodness it wasn’t just a “shoot a dog because I can and I’m a yahoo with a badge, whee” thing. Because that would be really depressing.
“She had da raybeez”? First of all, what kind of english is this, and when did you become such an expert on whether or not a dog safely behind a fence in his own home where he lives, is ill ? Are you a vet ? You can’t even speak or write proper english, please, get a high school diploma first and open up a veterninary office if you would like to make idiotic comments like this. Your ignorance is astounding.
Christine, either your sarcasm sensor is running on empty, or mine is.
ha, my sarcasm font – it fails me.
On Mon, May 13, 2013 at 11:16 AM, YesBiscuit!
Why is this happening again and again? I read about this daily in the news. The people that are doing this SHOULD BE held accountable, and should be dealt with accordingly. I feel sorry for this Lady and RIP little Ella.
Why on earth did anyone think this dog had rabies? How easy would it have been, considering this “vicious” dog was confined to her own yard, to contact the owner and find out if she was vaccinated? This was either a power killing (ie ego – I can so I will) or stupid x infinity). My sympathy to the owner. I hope that there will be a law suit, cause you know the police won’t find that they did a thing wrong. And the ACO ought to be fired and charged, too.
GEEZ . . . why the hurry to kill?
I am sick and tired of reading about cops who shoot dogs, be they big or small.
Here is a link you may be interested in: http://www.petsadviser.com/news/dogs-shot-by-police/
It is part of a series and well worth your time.
WTF. How stupid are these people? Nothing about this story even makes sense. On an unrelated note, I saw a TN state issued license plate today that said “Tennessee is animal friendly” with a picture of a cat and dog hugging each other. I laughed then threw up in my mouth a little bit.
Was the name of the ACO made public?
I am assuming he’s the only ACO for the city, although I don’t know for certain. (I’m guessing you are asking b/c you want to write a letter of complaint on behalf of Ella.)
actually Yes. and for a couple reasons. I went to their web site (can’t tell the last time anyone has updated it) I came across this.. read the story about the second dog and then look at the last picture. THAT collar has not been cut.
http://members.petfinder.org/~GA208/gonebutnotforgotten.htm..
I don’t see evidence of the collar having been cut either. He makes himself out to be a hero while photographing the dog in a filthy kennel and then saying he killed him.
I have a few words for him too.
I follow this FB page:
https://www.facebook.com/DogsShotbyPolice?fref=ts
The number of dogs across this country that are shot in their own homes and yards is astounding – it’s a soapbox that I can get on any day. It’s beyond me how officers of the law that are sworn to protect the public can be so intimidated by dogs – UPS, FedEx, USPS and meter readers across this great country manage to do their jobs day after day without dispatching dogs in their tracks. As a citizen I’d much rather take my chance of getting bit than being caught in the crossfire, ricochet or shrapnel of an officer shooting wildly at a moving dog; it seems they never think of that in the heat of the moment.
The animal friendly plate that Andrea saw is made available to individuals that pay $35 extra for the plate and those dollars go toward the Animal Population Control Endowment Fund. I’ve paid the extra money for them in the past. I’d rather donate the money straight to my local shelter now, but just because someone doesn’t doesn’t know the difference and is trying to help don’t throw them under the bus…
I truly believe the person with the plate had the best of intentions. But in light of everything that has happened at MAS and across the state I do not believe TN is pet friendly. I was not calling the person out, I was calling TN out.
Tennessee’s republican Senators & Congressmen have voted negatively against animals in every issue that has come up in the legislature. TN is not animal friendly, and Memphis is definitely not pet friendly as MAS is testament to.