A second dog owner has filed a $1 million lawsuit against the Fort Worth vet accused of keeping pets alive for medical experiments after their owners signed euthanasia forms. The dog, a chihuahua named Hercules, was found at the clinic at the time of the police raid, months after the owner had requested euthanasia to end the dog’s suffering. After the raid, two other vets recommended euthanasia for Hercules and the owners consented. (Thanks Arlene for the link.)
The long troubled Humane Society of Fremont County in CO is looking for a new executive director which hopefully signifies meaningful reform at the facility. (Thanks Davyd for the link.)
A TN woman who operated a business training dogs as service animals has been charged with 12 cruelty related counts after police found starving dogs living in cages inside a filthy barn. 40 living dogs were seized and 37 bags containing decomposed dog carcasses were found as well. (Thanks Arlene.)
The kind of thing we like to read: Denver police officer stops traffic, issues a radio bulletin to other officers and gives owner a ride in his patrol car to save loose dog. (Thanks Davyd.)
Another tool in the toolbox: The No Kill Advocacy Center has posted a 20 page document on The Myth of Pet Overpopulation. Share it online or print it out for sharing with your local officials and anyone else you think might benefit from the information.
Photo of the week: Fox lines up at an ATM in England, nobody bats an eye.
Just want to share another “good guy” story. I was picking one of my cats up this morning after being hospitalized at MSU for a few days. An older woman was coming in with a tiny orange kitten with a huge cast on his front leg. He was a pathetic looking little boy, but the woman told me he had been tossed out of a car and her son rescued him. She is now having him treated and he’s going to be just fine. She also mentioned that he has put her rottie in his place, too. So, there are good folks out there. I suspect they just go about doing what they do quietly without anyone noticing. I say God Bless to all of those, and to you, Shirley.
I think I too would be put in my place by a tiny ginger cat with a huge cast sticking out of him. Sounds scary plus I bet that cat is cranky.
I really wish more vet hospitals were proactive about this sort of thing. At my hospital, the person who brought in a stray was responsible for all costs (or an employee could step forward and assume responsibility, in which case that employee had to pay all fees.) It worked well enough in that numerous strays were cared for, but it was a big strain on the paycheck of the employee. Why not welcome injured strays and post their stories in the waiting room? Give the public a chance to donate. I bet they would. Not just a ‘stray fund’ without a face, but collect for each individual animal.
My local animal hospital has a Good Samaritan Fund for situations like that, but I’m unsure where the money comes from…
Today is the third annual Just One Day event! https://www.facebook.com/Just1Day?fref=ts
the right person can turn the Fremont County Humane Society around, it will take a lot of work. But it has the potential to be a great shelter with the right leadership as it has a caring community fighting for the homeless pets there. here is a news story that just came out last night showing the challenges a new director has in changing the culture of the organization. http://kdvr.com/2014/06/11/fremont-county-humane-society-investigated-after-volunteers-claim-animal-abuse/ If you think you can run a shelter without killing or neglecting animals, apply!