The Humane Society of Northeast Texas is no stranger to violence against the animals in its care. But an incident of an ACO dragging a dog around the pound by a leash was caught on video last month, forcing the city to take action. Prepare to be underwhelmed.
The little dog can be seen on multiple camera views being dragged like a sack of potatoes by Saylor Knox, the ACO paid to protect him from harm:
Knox’s boss, Environmental Health Supervisor Buck Farrar, says there is no excuse for the behavior, but here are some excuses:
Farrar said that while nothing excuses the behavior, the office was short-handed that day, Knox was hurrying, and the dog was behaving in an unruly manner.
“There is nothing that can condone taking action that can be perceived as abusive toward the animal. Do I believe that there was any ill intent on his part, that he was deliberately doing that? Absolutely not,” Farrar said.
“It’s the perception.”
Short-handed. In a hurry. Bad dog. He wasn’t deliberately dragging the dog. That’s just the perception of anyone who watched the video. It’s all in your mind.
As part of the city’s discipline, Knox was forced to write a letter to the HS regarding the incident. It looks like he copied one out of the Shelter Pet Abusers Handbook:
“I apologize for the way it appeared and for anything I did that implied I intended to harm the animal in any way,” Knox wrote.
Sorry for your stupid perceptions, people.
“I was attempting to expedite the call quickly being that the dog was being extremely unruly and vocal in the eyes of the public. I did the best I could in the circumstance, taking ample time both on the truck as well as once I had the dog secured in the animal control officer run, trying to get the dog to warm up to me.”
We’re doing the best we can, yay. Also, have we mentioned lately that the little dog was B-A-D? Because he was.
Apparently the wheel has not yet made it to Longview because if it had, the pound could keep a cart handy to move cages containing dogs too frightened to walk.
Knox refused to be interviewed by local media, as did the pound’s director. There is no mention in the article of whether the dog survived the pound or was killed. As far as the remainder of Knox’s disciplinary action, he was suspended for two days. A city employee in another department was also suspended for two days in August “after administrators discovered she incorrectly filed paperwork for several months”. So I PERCEIVE that the pet mistreating ACO who gets paid to issue citations to citizens who mistreat pets is exactly the same as the paperwork messer-upper. Got it.
(Thanks Clarice for the link.)
Maybe he didn’t intend to harm the dog, but he certainly didn’t seem to care if he did. Why didn’t he just pick the little dog up and carry him? I mean obviously biting is a risk when picking up an unfamiliar dog, but surely they have muzzles at the dog pound?
While intent is often considered in legal proceedings, it means nothing to the victims. In this case, the dog was physically dragged and I think it’s reasonable to believe he was emotionally harmed as well. Intent, whatever.
Assuming Longview has no muzzles (since they have no wheel), I would offer that a towel placed over the dog’s head would likely allow him to be carried safely to a cage.
Yeah, I don’t care whether or not he intended to harm the dog, because he did, and it wasn’t an accident. It was a deliberate lack of effort to actively keep the dog safe, which as far as I’m concerned is kind of his job. A towel? A blanket? A t-shirt? But if they don’t have wheels or muzzles, and they’re clearly out of compassion and common sense, maybe they don’t have any of those things either.
Plus not to brag (totally about to brag), but I am an untrained member of the irresponsible public and I picked up a 45 pound, broken Pitbull and carried her around for weeks. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Well that would be that “compassion” stuff that the folks at this pound don’t seem to have.
they have no regard for any thing let alone a lil dog,,BULLY
And gloves.
Wow, not even “retraining” alluded to. Just, hey, sorry you think that you saw abuse.
You know I have heard countless times where you can damage a dogs trachea by dragging it. This person should know better as well. I rescued a small dog years ago and he lived out the remaining years with us. The vet said his constant hacking and wheezing was caused by most likely someone dragging him around at some point in his life on a collar and leash. The only thing to fix it was to do surgery and insert a tube in his throat to keep if from collapsing in on itself periodically. The vet said it is hard on the dogs to have that done and suggested we just leave him be. How he died when his time came… He suffocated one night when his throat collapsed and would not return to normal causing the dog to lose air for to long and he passed out then suffocated to death. All this trauma the dog had to live with its entire life because someone dragged it around.
Does anyone know if they ended up killing that dog, or did he/she survive and get away from those apathetic fools?
I noticed someone holding the door for the guy as he was dragging the poor dog, did they get in trouble too (like maybe a 1 day suspension/vacation and they had to write on the chalk board 100 times “I will not be an enabler, I will not be an enabler, I will not…….”?)
According to a post on facebook, the other employee is Sonya, the kennel manager
“(like maybe a 1 day suspension/vacation and they had to write on the chalk board 100 times “I will not be an enabler, I will not be an enabler, I will not…….”?)”
YesBiscuit likes this.
So if I hit Knox and Farrar in the head with a large, solid object that I just happen to be carrying because I’m in a hurry to get my point across that what Knox did was horrendous… Is that wrong?
Works for me!
What a bunch of bull!. This person is just a creep who doesn’t care about anything but himself.
Does anyone know what’s happened to this pup?
The only humans that hurt animals are sick twisted parasites and should not be allowed near any animal whatsoever! I hate these people with every fiber of my being!
Someone please put a leash around that son of a bitch and take him for a walk !!
instead of commenting … what can we do to stop this from happening again. You people in charge of care and well-being of these animals BEWARE … WE ARE WATCHING. Get a different job.
One thing you can do is to let them know personally that you are aware of what they are doing, and let their supervisors know, too. If it’s a public-facility, let the council, mayor, manager, whatever know. Make it public . . . and get like minded people together and see what action can be taken. We need to organize and act!!!
Well on a scale of one to ten- he at least dragged the to scared to walk pup.
In Putnam County Fl AC they kill them in the truck if they are too scared to get out with a happy face.
Oh and without sedation- just heartstick.