Phoenix man learns cat was euthanized over money

[n2doc]

Recovering addict's beloved cat taken to Humane Society for care was euthanized
by Robert Anglen - Dec. 27, 2011 08:39 PM
The Arizona Republic

A cat that helped a Phoenix man overcome his heroin addiction was euthanized just hours after he brought it to an Arizona Humane Society for treatment of a laceration.

Humane Society officials confirmed Tuesday that the 9-month-old cat, named Scruffy, was put down not because of its wounds, but because its owner could not immediately pay for its care.

Scruffy's owner, Daniel Dockery, who had been searching for the cat since taking it to the Humane Society's Campus for Compassion on West Dobbins Road three weeks ago, said he was devastated.

"Now I've got to think about how I failed that beautiful animal," Dockery, 49, said. "I failed her. ... That's so wrong. There was no reason for her not to be treated."



Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2011/12/27/20111227phoenix-scruffy-cat-euthanized.html

[wakemewhenitsover]

1. The Humane Society should be humane, dammit. n/t

[hifiguy]

2. That is horrible and inexcusable.

[csziggy]

3. His mother tried to pay but they wouldn't work with the family

"Dockery said he surrendered ownership of Scruffy on Dec. 8 after clinic officials declined to take a credit card from his mother over the phone or wait 24 hours for cash. He said staff told him Scruffy would be treated only if he signed over ownership."

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/business/consumer/articles/2011/12/27/20111227phoenix-scruffy-cat-euthanized.html#ixzz1hqNZF5FK


That place needs to change their name - they have NO compassion!

[joeybee12]

4. Assholes...

This was someone's pet, not an abandoned animal...assholes...

[Mac1949]

5. Absolutely inexcusable.

Gandhi said "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated." This is just another example of how we don't measure up.

[EC]

6. His first mistake was taking the cat to the Humane Society

They have never been humane. He should have taken the cat to a vet, they would have given him a payment plan or waited for payment.

[hamsterjill]

7. Donors threatening to pull donations.

Another version of the story that I read indicates that people are so outraged by this that they are threatening to pull donations from this particular shelter.

Since this shelter obviously puts a high priority on money, then perhaps this will incentivize them not to ever let something like this happen again.

In other words, the knife cuts both ways.

It is heartwarming that so many people ARE outraged. There is no excuse for this happening to an animal in a place where they are supposed to be safe!

[sandyd921]

8. Too many animal shelters provide anything but shelter

to the unfortunate pets who end up there and too many owners mistakenly believe that they will treat the pets or adopt them out to loving homes.

The ACC in NYC is infamous for a high kill rate:

http://www.bhrescue.com/?p=2293

http://saveshelterpets.wordpress.com/2011/06/01/the-s-has-hit-the-fan-for-nycs-acc/

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.320985547919439.80710.220724831278845&type=1

But it's not just Phoenix and NYC but shelters all across the US. The unfortunate fact is that too often people think they're doing the best they can for their pet but in fact it's just the opposite.

[firstcoyote]

9. This kind of thing happens all the time

I live in St. Louis, Missouri. A year ago my eleven month old male kitten Coyote completely blocked. He could not urinate. I called around to vets in the area and when I described his condition no one wanted to see or treat him. I took him in to the local Humane Society, but before I did I explained that I had some money to cover his care (150) and asked for a payment plan. Instead I was told to phone a call center and apply for a credit card which would cover his care. I did, and I found out later on that the code the CSR gave me meant that my credit was bad and I was rejected for the card. I took him in to the HS, gave the code to the front desk personnel, who must have informed the vet on duty. Coyote was euthanized. One of my friends, who is a vet tech, explained to me that my poor little boy had a birth defect, and the prognosis was grim. Untreatable was the word she used. Usually male cats don't block until they are at least two years old. I appreciated the information but I still didn't/don't feel any better. As a matter of fact my friend's support and advice during that time was the only reason I didn't go back to that Humane Society and start some big time workplace violence. And this poor kitten was put down for a simple laceration? A cut that was not life-threatening? Shame on you, Humane Society! Money is the bottom line.

[Liberal_in_LA]

10. damn.

[BreweryYardRat]

11. To keep people from vomiting...

...I will refrain from describing in detail what I'd like to do to the hominids (they certainly aren't people) running that branch of the Humane Society.

Bastards.

[Mac1949]

12. There's now a petition for this on Change.org.

Petition for Scruffy