On New Year’s Eve, a 10 year old chocolate Lab called Mocha got lost in York Co, SC. Her family searched for her for 2 days, calling AC numerous times and posting fliers in the area. A York Co pound worker finally told owner Mike Cunningham that Mocha had been brought in on December 31 and killed due to severe injury. The county says Mocha had been hit by a car, “was barely breathing and was euthanized on the recommendation of a veterinarian.”
The Good Sam who found Mocha on New Year’s Eve painted a rather different picture, telling the owner Mocha did not appear to be seriously hurt and just had a “spot” on her hip:
“To listen to a story of a man that I don’t know tell me that he picked my dog up and he pet my dog and my dog was moving her head and was responsive. And then to be told that she was squashed like a grape. I find it hard to believe that there could be that big of an inconsistency in stories,” Cunningham said.
Even if we were to set aside the differing stories and the failure of the pound to tell the owner what they had done with his dog the first several times he called, Mr. Cunningham says Mocha was wearing a collar with identification and was microchipped. So why didn’t York Co AC contact him? On top of all this, Mr. Cunningham requested Mocha’s remains and was given a cardboard box filled with ashes of all the dogs the pound had killed and cremated at the same time they did Mocha.
Had the county done its job and contacted the owner off the ID tag or the microchip when she was brought in, the owner could have taken Mocha for veterinary treatment. Had the county at least contacted the owner immediately after killing Mocha, the owner could have gotten the dog’s remains back and seen the extent of the injuries himself or had a necropsy performed by a vet. Failing both of these, had the county admitted to Mr. Cunningham they had killed Mocha when he first called, it’s still possible he could have obtained his pet’s remains.
Now I’m wondering about the other ashes in that cardboard box. Were any of those pets owned and loved, wearing ID and microchipped when York Co killed them? Are their owners still searching for them? How long has this been going on in York Co?
York Co says it will investigate itself in the matter. The owner says he plans to sue. I hope he does. There is no excuse.
(Thanks Clarice and Arlene for sending me this story.)
Fits with yesterday’ story about horrible incident with Elgin, OK animal control. These abuses are not going to stop until they start having unpleasant legal consequences. Hoping very hard that this family will get legal help immediately.
Disgusting, inexcusable and deserves investigation and charges
I really hope the owner sues! I don’t have much faith in their investigations as they never prove anything!
I’m glad he’s suing – that’s the ONLY way that they’re going to get this place’s attention. All of the records in this place need to be made public. Are they even scanning for chips? Do they even have a chip scanner? Which vet saw the dog? What were the vet’s observations?
This place needs a serious dose of sunshine…if not fire.
I’m so sorry for the family.
I sure hope the family sues!