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Two Dogs Accidentally Euthanized In Florida, Vet Releases Demeaning Response
Opposing Views ^
| 08/23/2013
| By Jonathan Wolfe
Posted on 08/23/2013 2:09:56 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
Florida resident Shawntae Rosetta and her family owned two dogs – sisters Hershey and Roxy.
When the Rosetta family decided they were going to move, they realized they wouldn’t be able to bring the dogs with them. The Rosetta’s tried to give the dogs away to friends, but when no one offered to take them in, the Rosetta’s did what hundreds of people do every day – they donated them to the local animal shelter to be adopted.
Their plan seemed like it was going to work. After a few days in the shelter, Hershey was scheduled to be adopted by a new family. But one day Shawntae’s mother called and said she saw Hershey featured in a news story.
“My mom called and she said, 'Hershey was on the news.' I was like, 'Oh did someone adopt him?' and she was like, dead (silent) for a moment," Rosetta said.
Rosetta then learned that Hershey had been euthanized at the Orange County Animal Services (OCAS) shelter.
She rushed to the shelter to pick up Roxy to prevent her from being euthanized as well, but she was too late. Roxy had been put down as well.
The shelter called the euthanasias a procedural error.
As if the killing of the dogs wasn’t bad enough, veterinarian Dr. Ridgeway from OCAS responded to questions about the killings in an email that was less than apologetic, to say the least.
"It was not until I got your email that I realized why I came back to OCAS. Besides being stupid, I wanted to get dumb emails from people like you that make my day," Ridgway wrote. "Emails like yours are so stimulating it makes hard working people want to butter up to you to make you happy -- believe me they will.
“I suggest that you attempt to go to veterinary college and when you graduate, if you can, you come take my job.”
Click here to see the full email from Dr. Ridgeway.
Dil Luther, a division manager from OCAS, released a more empathetic statement on the euthanasias.
“We are terribly sorry for this mistake and our hearts go out to the adopting family," Luther said. “An occurrence such as this is extremely rare. However, it happened and it's an error we do not take lightly. We have already reinforced our procedures to ensure this does not happen again."
Sources: WFTV, WESH
TOPICS: Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: peteuthanisia
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To: vetvetdoug
Yes, they were total lack-wits but there was no excuse for the tone of the reply.
None.
Let the vet take out the frustration of his lousy days by punching a door.
Also, the person to whom he was replying was apparently someone involved in ongoing, very successful rescue efforts involving his own clinic, *not* the stupid “owners”.
You don’t treat rescuers like that ever.
41
posted on
08/23/2013 10:13:55 PM PDT
by
Salamander
(Can't sleep...the clowns will eat me.)
To: vetvetdoug
“My interest in this is peaked because of recent changes eliminating rescue partners and its direct effect on the number of animal saved. I would also like to know the “euthanized” numbers since the changes have been in effect, versus “saved” numbers.
This effects me in that, I am part of a larger on-line community that works tirelessly to get your animals in front of as many eyes as possible for rescue or adoption.
It is very disturbing in that before the policy changes, I participated in transports of at least 20 dogs to rescues that would otherwise have died at your shelter and after these changes, I have not received one single transport request.”
42
posted on
08/23/2013 10:16:58 PM PDT
by
Salamander
(Can't sleep...the clowns will eat me.)
To: tioga
If I dumped my dogs at a shelter and then find they’ve been killed, I wouldn’t have the gall to act shocked.
As usual, dogs suffer for the sins of their “owners”.
And good for you!
:)
43
posted on
08/23/2013 10:18:38 PM PDT
by
Salamander
(Can't sleep...the clowns will eat me.)
To: Responsibility2nd
I’m with you - once you take a pet, you accept responsibility for it. We rescued a puppy while stationed in S. Italy. looked very fox-like and was bright as all get out. When it came time to come back to the States, I made arrangements with a friend to take care of her and to get her on a plane once I had a household set back up. Dog flew from Italy to NY, then to OK. Was a 3-striper at the time and had a wife and kid so it was a big bite out of the budget, but she was a faithful companion for 14 years.
44
posted on
08/24/2013 5:11:24 AM PDT
by
trebb
(Where in the the hell has my country gone?)
To: green pastures
thanks, for the clarification.
45
posted on
08/24/2013 5:36:09 AM PDT
by
skinkinthegrass
(who'll take tomorrow,$pend it all today;who can take your income & tax it all away..0'Blowfly can :-)
To: skinkinthegrass
You're welcome... I'm sorry that the author or editor didn't make the effort to clarify things.
I see a lot these days where the writers become so familiar with the material that I think _they_ may actually _think_ the wrote the pertinent details into the story. (Not just journalistically speaking, but even work related policy e-mails, for example.)
I'm guilty of that, too. And pay no attention to the grammar behind the curtain (or the use of ellipses and stream of conscious/run-on writing). ;-) But it wouldn't hurt for them to have someone who hasn't attained familiarity with the story do a read through before publication. Have a good day...
46
posted on
08/24/2013 7:27:38 AM PDT
by
green pastures
(Cynicism-- it's not just for breakfast anymore...)
To: Responsibility2nd
OK, first I’ll defend the owner. You don’t know what the circumstances are that led to this exactly, and sorry, but if she can’t take the dogs and cannot find arrangements, that’s the way it is. Leaving them at the shelter after some effort is not despicable.
But the sarcastic e-mail from the vet including the phrase “get e-mails from people like you” makes me wonder what was in the OTHER e-mails apparently made to this vet. Of course, they are not transcribed here for us o judge.
47
posted on
08/24/2013 8:39:59 AM PDT
by
the OlLine Rebel
(Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
Shouldn’t we see the email from Shawn-tae that the vet was responding too before getting too up in arms?
48
posted on
08/24/2013 5:32:26 PM PDT
by
KneelBeforeZod
(I have five dollars for each of you)
If you look at her facebook page, Shawntae has pictures of one of the dogs—she did try to give them away, as the pictures are captioned.
Personally, I’m not too crazy about the “we are all Trayvon” hoodie icon she has as her facebook photo though.
49
posted on
08/24/2013 5:36:10 PM PDT
by
KneelBeforeZod
(I have five dollars for each of you)
To: Responsibility2nd
Tragic.
A breed-specific rescue would have been a much better choice for a “donation”.
50
posted on
08/24/2013 9:00:14 PM PDT
by
Altariel
("Curse your sudden but inevitable betrayal!")
To: KneelBeforeZod; the OlLine Rebel
Please see my post at #36. The article is misleading. It was not the prior owner to whom the vet was responding, but rather someone involved in dog rescue in the area.
51
posted on
08/24/2013 9:01:42 PM PDT
by
green pastures
(Cynicism-- it's not just for breakfast anymore...)
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