Of all the mistakes one could make with a dog, this one is the most unforgivable. A Los Angeles County animal shelter euthanized a puppy – allegedly, by accident.
Euthanized by Accident
According to a motion filed by Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn of the LA. County Board of Supervisors, a worker from the Department of Animal Care and Control (DACC) allegedly “erroneously authorized the euthanasia of a 3-month-old puppy named Bowie at the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center,” CBS Los Angeles 3 reported.
“His death sparked outrage among community members who reasonably contacted the county about the puppy’s death,” Solis and Hahn stated in the filing.
According to Solis, this isn’t the first time such a tragedy has happened.
“It’s really heartbreaking to hear that this had occurred, and we found more and more cases where this has happened before,” Solis said during a board meeting.
A Broken System
The center appears to be investigating the incident.
“All of the circumstances surrounding Bowie’s euthanasia is being looked at very carefully. The department takes its life-saving mission very seriously. It’s not taken lightly at all,” Maria Rosales, a manager at Baldwin Park Animal Care Center, told KTLA.
The supervisors considered the fur baby’s accidental euthanization proof that “many animals are not being successfully placed with viable adopters or rescues.” They also urged county officials to “rethink its animal care strategy” and emphasize adoption over euthanasia. Between July 1 and Nov. 30, the DACC euthanized approximately 30 percent of the animals in its care. That’s more than twice as many as other shelters in the county.
“It’s one thing if there was like a behavioral issue, and I understand the concept of euthanasia. Do I agree with it? I never will agree with it,” Shoshi Gamliel of Underdog Heroes Animal Rescue told CBS Los Angeles. “The reality is that the shelters are overpopulated because of irresponsible dog owners, yes I understand, there has to be concrete reasons and they have to have done their due diligence.”
Hahn suggested in the motion that animals with behavioral issues should participate in the Paws for Life training program in which young inmates work with shelter dogs.
Bowie’s death, while tragic, has undeniably raised awareness about practices in the animal shelter industry. As a result of the public outcry over his death, supervisors unanimously approved a motion to euthanize fewer animals at the Animal Care and Control centers. It won’t bring Bowie back, but it will save the lives of countless other pups.
