West Virginia – On April 21, Tamara Curry’s dogs Max and Tyson accidentally escaped the family’s fenced yard and were roaming the neighborhood. Someone called Greenbrier Co ACO Robert McClung about the dogs. ACO McClung loaded Tyson into his vehicle but says Max was growling, showing his teeth and coming towards him so he shot the dog 5 times. The wounded pet went to his bed on his porch to lay down. ACO McClung says he then dragged Max off the porch.
Ms. Curry, who had been asleep inside the house with her children but was awakened by the gun shots, heard ACO McClung tell Max, “That’s what you get for being stupid.” She then heard more gunshots and the sound of a vehicle driving away. Curry, who had not come outside during the incident because she did not know who the lunatic with the gun was or what he might do next, found a note slipped under her door by ACO McClung which read “We have removed 2 dogs from your property.”
Ms. Curry is heartbroken because Max was family. She says he was never aggressive and was a good dog. She doesn’t believe McClung should stay employed as an ACO because he’s not doing his job:
“I feel that there should have been some other step done first. I don’t feel he’s compassionate. I will quote his business card. It says serving and protecting man’s best friend. I don’t feel he did that. I don’t feel he did the steps to protect my dog.”
I would agree that an ACO whose one and only tool in the toolbox for dealing with growling dogs is GUN should not be on the job.
McClung tells WVVA that there was nothing he could have done differently, especially with Max coming at him. While some outraged citizens worry he isn’t trained, McClung says he is only one of 100 people nationwide that has the level of training he does from the National Animal Control Association.
What special NACA training is he referring to? And where are the other 99 bozos we have to protect our pets from?
Greenbrier Co has fined the Curry family for having dogs off leash and for expired licenses and rabies tags. There are still blood stains on their porch.
Concerned citizens are expected to attend tonight’s county commissioners’ meeting to demand that McClung be fired. McClung is confident that won’t happen and in fact, isn’t even bothering to attend the meeting.
(Thanks Julie and Clarice for sending me this story.)