by Michael
He had raised her from the time she was a few days old. He loved her. He named her Scruffy. He found companionship in his cat that had helped him stay clean for more than a year. He felt he was a recovering drug user.
Scruffy got caught in a barbed wire fence. She got a gash on her belly and leg. He was concerned and knew she needed professional treatment but struggled with money problems. He took Scruffy to the local Humane Society. They could help, they said, but asked for $400, which he did not have.
His mom offered to help and talked to the animal shelter requesting that they accept her payment by credit card. They declined to accept that form of payment on the phone. The staff said he could sign over Scruffy and they would take care of her and find her a new home.
He accepted with a heavy heart. He thought he was doing the right thing for his Scruffy. But she was dead several hours later; euthanised by the people who had said they would help. The injury was not life threatening. It was just of case of finding the easy route out. Killing is too easy, too routine, too accepted in some animal shelters.
He was devastated. He has to live with that for the rest of his life – how he failed his Scruffy.
You may have read this story. If not you should know that it is a true story. The shelter was the Arizona Humane Society and the man is Mr. Daniel Dockery.
Michael
