FOX 23 in Oklahoma reports that the pound in Bristow shoots pets for convenience and that the mayor is aware of the method being used to kill the animals. Local animal advocates told The Daily Beast that a city employee digs a large hole behind the water treatment facility (where the pound is located) and the ACO drags dogs from the pound, throws them into the hole then shoots them with a small caliber pistol. When the pit gets filled with dogs, the worker covers it over and digs a new one. The ACO reportedly has sole discretion on which dogs he chooses to kill and how long they get to live before he does. The mayor says that shooting dogs is legal under OK law and he is utterly baffled as to why anyone cares:
When reached by phone Wednesday, Bristow’s mayor Leonard Washington admitted the city—some 33 miles southwest of Tulsa—was dragging poor pooches to the back of the water treatment plant and shooting them.
“This is something that’s been a practice for 40 years,” Washington told The Daily Beast. “I don’t know why it’s a controversy … why such outrage now?”
Well gee, if it’s been going on for 40 years, it must be ok. Because no wrong thing has ever happened for any length of time and finally had to be changed because it was so obviously despicable. That’s what they taught us in American history class – everything was swell since ever and that’s why our textbooks are blank.
Animal advocates further allege that before the dogs are shot in the head, they suffer at the pound due to neglect and poor conditions. They also claim the ACO hates pitbulls. I wonder how many small caliber bullets the ACO puts into the fat heads of pitbulls before he jumps into the pit and verifies death via stethoscope, corneal reflex and other standard methods clocks out for lunch.
The mayor stressed that the main objective is to find homes for pets[.]
The Bristow pound is closed to the public. Locals offering to volunteer or donate say they have been turned away. I was unable to find any online listings for pets at the pound. I guess the main objective of finding homes is something the ACO does during the drag to the hole before shooting the dogs. Maybe a city employee who got lost might happen to see a dog on the way to the pit and run over there and want to adopt him on the spot or something. I’m fuzzy on the details there.
Anyway it’s all legal and it’s been going on for 40 years so don’t get huffy.
(Thank you Clarice for sending me this story.)
Holy shit.
How horrifying! I guess none are lost pets that people are trying to locate…
If you or I did this we would be in jail
So go start digging things up, if they’re in holes you can recover bodies. There’s even a forensic animal training course that you can take to process scenes just like this.
Time for the good citizens of Bristow OK to come into the 21st century.
This is just crazy, Put em all in the hole shooting one by one as the others see and hear the horror. REALLY, Another story with a “not good outcome”
How about finding a new MAYOR to start, one with a heart…………
SHAME on you.
If this was me, I would be castigated and jailed.
What is wrong with you folks! You have no heart and are evil!
“The mayor stressed that the main objective is to find homes for pets” I think this is a typo. The m in homes should be an L…. The mayor stressed that the main objective is to find holes for pets.
All kidding aside, this is horrible! I wonder if the locals know this is going on?
I wonder when this mayor is up for re election? Because anyone wishing to run against them would do well to broadcast this horror far and wide. I am always surprised it doesn’t seem to come up in political ads, how the incumbent runs ac, or fails to run ac.
If I saw a billboard, heard or saw an ad that gave me this kind of information it would definitely influence my vote.
I don’t know what is most upsetting here ~ but my first reaction was like mikken’s. HOLY SHIT
“the mayor said on Thursday the practice is rare but would be stopped while the shelter is investigated.”
http://www.reuters.com/article/oklahoma-dogs-idUSL2N15J2T2
Sounds like the mayor has changed his story. I hope things will change – a lot – for the animals of this little town.
“The city and the animal control officer have an excess of euthanasia solutions on hand to use, but the animal control officer chooses to use a bullet over the solutions because …’it’s cheaper’,” said resident Beth Roberts, who is fighting state laws that can allow animal control officers to euthanize strays with guns.
Hey, it’s also more fun to shoot them, right? I mean, the job has so few perks to begin with, getting to toss dogs in a hole (oops, your legs broke there when I tossed you in? That’s okay, I’ll shoot you last so you can enjoy all the pain. Watch as I kill all the others – whee!) is one of the few highlights of their day!
And the mayor can’t imagine what all the fuss is about. Apparently, he can’t imagine much at all.
MAYBE if some one would shoot this idiot in the nuts he might know how the poor dogs feel When they play toss in the hole…The Mayor’s a real IDIOT. This is something for TV not real life.
Absolutely un-freakin-believable!
This can be real! Does some body know how to protect this animals?
I am totally disturbed!
As a neighbor to Bristow, this makes me sad!!! For God’s sake, please find a better way to contain animals!! This is an abomination!! I get the feeling the AOC gets a “thrill’ of killing these poor animals in a pit!! It’s about time the city of Bristow to step up the task of animal control in a responsible manner! THIS IS INHUMANE!!
Too close to home for me. I am the hired worker at a place not much different than this. I was told this week the same exact thing about how it is been done for the past 40 years. I was spaying and neutering everything on my own but now I am not supposed to wait to adopt a pet out regardless of repro status. Because maybe the people want the cats or dogs to have babies. The cops are now doing adoptions. Anyone can walk into the pound and pick out a cat. The results are just hilarious. Just not for the cats and dogs. Oh, and the dogs were taken to the city dump and shot. Not buried at the waste water plant where this pound is located, too.
Totally disgusting and inhumane
I think some OK representatives need to be contacted and some news media needs to be out there to document! Then get a lot of protesters from there and all over with the media!
This despicable and so wrong….Going on for 40 years?? Why hasn’t this been brought to light before now AND why aren’t they letting the public adopt them and Rescue groups rescue them??? Too much work? Easier to not feed them, care for them and cheaper to just shoot them……Where is your compassion? Or do you not have any Mr. Mayor Leonard Washington????? How about some caring, some humane treatment and letting these dogs and probably cats too, be adopted or fostered or let Rescue Groups take them…….You don’t deserve to be called Mr., much less be a Mayor……I have NO respect for you….I hope you rot!
This is absolutely disgusting and should be closed immediate. Someone should be charged or thrown in the hole with the LAST BATCH OF DOGS!!!
Reblogged this on AmandaPandaDUH and commented:
Ashamed this is happening in my state.
Mama’s, DON’T let your babies grow up to be rednecks…(Not a general statement against Oklahomans, only meant for scum who hurt/murder animals)
Wow! We’re usually the winners here in Florida for stupid statements by politicians but I think we just got bumped to Number 2.