I Need Your Voices, Friends

[Sparrow]

If you know me at all, you'll know how important my pack is to me. I've always had dogs and while they aren't my "children," they are my protectors, companions, comfort, and joy. Our household has supported local shelters both with money and by adopting our best friends. We're also tax payers and business/land owners in the county. So, I write this with a heavy heart and mountains of righteous anger.

Seymour Puppyfeets is dead. He was less than a year old and under 15 pounds. A little guy. Saturday about noon, he slipped out through the front door before I could attach his leash to the harness. We started worrying when it got dark and he hadn't hop, hop, hopped along home. Trying to conduct business on a Sunday is fruitless in our Bible belt, so we waited until 9:30 Monday morning to call the shelter: Seymour had been missing for less than 48 hours. We were told he had been put down. Not only had he been put down, they put him down immediately on Saturday because he had a cold.

Standard protocol with a sick dog is to house in isolation and provide medical care from a licensed vet until either reasonable measures are taken to locate the owners or it's well and put up for adoption at which point there's a set time they can stay in the facility. Their facility /has no/ isolation areas. They took cursory measures to find us and euthanized our animal within a couple of hours. The diagnosis was made by and the deed carried out by an /unlicensed/ vet tech, no papers were drawn or signed off on by a licensed vet, the shelter manager, or the executive director of the organization. They did not wait for us to make efforts to find him.

The shelter manager refused to give me copies of the paperwork (that was sitting directly in front of him) when I went in this morning to inquire and told me to submit a request in writing to the county. They threw away the collar and harness we had purchased for Seymour that he was wearing when turned in clearly indicative of a home and family who cared for his safety. We have nothing of him to bury. I asked them if they would just make it right with our family, a family that has supported their endeavor and rescued several of their dogs; I was met with a blank face.

Our family, our animal, and our property were treated with calloused disregard so I'm asking for help in giving Seymour a voice. Chances are he isn't the first.

If you'd like to share in our displeasure, share his story far and wide on social media, call the facility, send a letter, email their manager. There's a lot of shady happening and I need my communities to help bring some light. (if you're going to call/email, please be human beings. sharp, but please be respectful to what we're trying to do for Seymour)

Manager: Eddie Harris
eharris@lumpkincounty.gov
1363 Red Oak Flats Road
Dahlonega GA 30533
706 867 7297

Thank you for always having our backs. This community means the world to me and the support you've already shown over the last day has been overwhelmingly comforting to Bear and myself. We lost a good and dear little friend.

[Adamus]

I am so very sorry, Sparrow. My heart aches for you.

What they did is horrible and inexcusable. I will gladly write to them expressing my feelings about this.

If there's anything else we can do to help you, please let us know.

Regards,
Adam

[StereoKill]

Wow. What a piece of shit.

Sorry for the loss Sparrow. Angry words will be written immediately!

[Sparrow]

thanks guys. also, if you need to mention me by name, it's Birdie.

[Sparrow]

was called by the atlanta news.

[Adamus]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

was called by the atlanta news.

Nice! Get word out about those bastards!

[DWarrior]

Sorry about Puppyfeets. If you want some proper justice, tell 4chan. Your boobs will certainly launch a thousand ships.

[lizsquiz]

My heart goes out to you, Birdie. And Bear.

Will do whatever I can to get some justice for you and your lost pup.

xx

[Sparrow]

Originally Posted by DWarrior

Sorry about Puppyfeets. If you want some proper justice, tell 4chan. Your boobs will certainly launch a thousand ships.

no doubt worlds would fuck up, but justice for puppyfeets lies more in sussing out the reasons our situation was so grossly mishandled and assuring they don't happen again. I'd like responsible parties held accountable or existing policies revised and the facilities better outfitted to service the needs of our community. no one's lost friend need be brought to the proper care and face quick unceremonious death.

there wasn't a licensed professional on staff or isolation areas present to accommodate any manner of health or behavioral issues. any number of the things that happened could have been issues of funding or lacks government oversight and i would have been settled in my soul had any responsibility been admitted or concern given to the obvious fuck uppery that had to've happened to lead to the immediate disposal of a wanted and wandering pup, but as it is i'm going to stick my nose all up ins the local doings.

and, hell, there's not much more fun to have in a small town than a heated letter to the editor. i'm sure my papa would be proud.

[campy]

Sparrow :-(
I posted your story on my Facebook status update because I have a load of dog lovers on Facebook.

I will also write an email directly to the shelter.

It is stuff like this that gives animal shelters a bad rep and people choose not to support them financially and opt for pet store purchases (better known as puppy mill purchases).

My cat died in 2007 from the tainted food scandal and ever since then I have a deep sympathy for people who lose their pets before their time