I Could Spit Fire

This was on our local news a few months ago:

(Columbia) March 29, 2005 - A Columbia woman says she thought she was doing the right thing when she found an injured dog, but now she feels responsible for its death.

Michelle McFadden took her dog Wimper in after she found her wandering in the middle of a busy road, "I could never find her owners and I took it as she was meant to be mine."

It's the tale of another dog that crossed her path that's hitting Michelle really hard, "I know now that I messed up by calling Animal Control."

Michelle was driving on a road in Orangeburg Easter Sunday when she saw a dog hit by a car, but alive. After a number of phone calls, and miscommunication she says Animal Control picked the dog up seven hours later and put it to sleep that night it was indeed.

Officer Eddie Haigler says that's policy for injured animals, "Yes it was. Any injured animal we get is euthanized."

If it's hurt at all, Animal Control doesn't consider getting it treated or healed, they just automatically put it to sleep.

Last year, Orangburg Animal Control took in 7,000 strays and 90 percent of them were put down, injured or not, "Just because we do euthanize animals, don't think it doesn't get to us. That's a high stress level."

With only 30-odd kennels and a limited budget, Officer Haigler says it's the only way, "We try to do the best we can with what we got, and what we have to work with what we have, unfortunately."

Michelle says, when she found out they were going to kill it, "I said I'd get in the car and come right now."

But Animal Control says they only release animals to owners, with no exceptions.

It's a lesson Michelle says she learned the hard way, and one she won't forget, "I learned don't call Animal Control and I learned to make sure your dog has some kind of ID."

I hate it! I hate that they won't try and find homes for these animals. To kill a dog after one night of being there? I understand there is money and budgets, etc....but this next part is what has me spitting fire!

As I was watching the news tonight, there was a woman that was wanting to take 2 dogs from Animal Control to keep them from being euthanized. She already had 1 dog, had a huge yard for them to play in, no kids. They told her they only release dogs to their owners. And after 5 days, the dog is euthanized.

WTF? You are telling me you will kill a dog before letting it be adopted? What's the harm in letting someone take the dog. They are the ones bitching they don't have enough money to support these stray dogs and they don't have enough room to house them. So.....LET THEM GO HOME WITH A FAMILY!

I can't think of any reason for this. No reason at all! Supposedly this law is being questioned with our mayor. What do I need to do? Who do I need to write to? Who do I need to bitch at to get such a stupid law changed?

I'm going to my mom's this weekend. All I want to do is hold Kiki and let her know she is loved. She was a stray and the thought that animal control could have just killed her because she was a stray just makes me want to throw up!

It's just sick!