Target, Afghan Hero Dog, Is Euthanized by Mistake in U.S.

This article appeared in the New York Times on Friday, Nov. 19th. It's heartbreaking that a service dog (Army) that helped servicemen in Afghanistan and was retired and brought to the U.S. to live out her life, was euthanized (murdered) by an irresponsible Animal Shelter!

**PEOPLE NEED TO BLOCK THESE SHELTERS FROM KILLING ANIMALS and HELP WITH ADOPTIONS, AND SPAYING AND NEUTERING ANIMALS. Even if an animal isn't yours, HELP pay to have it neutered. HELP to FEED animals in shelters. HELP by FOSTERING. Fostering is providing Temporary homes when shelters are over-run.

 



Target, right, and Rufus were brought to the United States in July after the dogs thwarted a suicide bomber's plan in Afghanistan.



 

 Target, Afghan Hero Dog, Is Euthanized by Mistake in U.S.

By MARC LACEY (NYT)

  The dog, Target, survived a suicide bombing, but after she escaped from her adoptive family, a shelter mistakenly administered a lethal injection.

  To say that Target was a celebrated mutt would be an understatement. Beyond caresses from Oprah, the shepherd mix had appeared on all the major television news channels upon her move to the United States and had won a local Hero Award as dog of the year.
  Target, not used to being confined, escaped Friday afternoon from Sergeant Young’s home in the San Tan Valley area in central Arizona. After being spotted on the loose, she was reported to Pinal County’s animal control. Target was brought to the county animal shelter in Florence, where she was held just like any other run-of-the-mill stray. Because she had no tag, microchip or license with the county, her photo went up on the shelter’s Web site on Friday in hopes that her owner might respond.
  Sergeant Young spotted Target’s photo online on Friday and paid the fee by computer to recover her. He mistakenly thought the shelter was closed for the weekend.
  By the time Sergeant Young arrived at the pound on Monday, the shelter employee in charge of euthanizing animals that day had apparently picked the wrong dog out of the pen and administered a lethal injection, performing what the shelter referred to as “P.T.S.,” or put to sleep.

   “My 4-year-old keeps saying: ‘Daddy, bring Target home. Daddy, get the poison out,’ ” Sergeant Young, a father of three, said in a telephone interview, his voice choking with emotion. “Obviously, at first there was extreme anger and horror. Now that a couple of days have passed, the anger has been replaced by sorrow.”

  ***Tom and I give to many animal charities- and ONLY dog and cat charities. There are TOO many animals needlessly killed every day.

**CHRISTMAS GIFT SUGGESTION- Give money to your local animal shelter in someone's name. THAT is the perfect gift.