A small white Shih Tzu was picked up by the Rainbow District Animal Shelter on July 31 in Nairn-Hyman Township, west of Sudbury. The dog was held, pending its owner coming to claim it, at the shelter in Azilda, until Tuesday, when it was put down.
The dog was elderly, and according to Rainbow District Animal Shelter manager Richard Paquette, was "deaf, blind, sick and dumped out on the streets."
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| RIP Queenie |
During the time when the dog was kept in the shelter, waiting to see if its owner would come to claim it, a resident of Greater Sudbury who maintains a lost and found web page on Facebook for pets, posted the photo and information from the RDAS website regarding the dog, referred to by shelter staff as Queenie.
The information was also posted on the Facebook page of local animal rescue group, Pet Save.
Once the word got out, people began to enquire what would become of the dog if it's owner didn't come forward, and a number of people showed interest in adopting the dog.
Local resident Tracy Baker called the shelter on Aug. 1 to ask about Queenie's health.
"I was told the dog couldn't be released until the 5th," she explained.
She had been asked by another member of the Facebook group if she could call the shelter to ask about the dog.
"I called back on Friday (Aug. 2)," Baker said. "And I was told she was partially blind. She couldn't see if you were far away, but she could see up close, because they said she would follow if someone walked by her cage from one end to the other."
Baker was also told Queenie had "really bad teeth."
At that time, she was told if no one came forward to claim the dog, she would be up for adoption.
"They said I would only have to pay for the cost of a licence."
About six weeks ago, Baker adopted another dog from the shelter named Zoe, an older dog as well. She said she had no problem adopting another senior dog, and was prepared to accept any costs associated with veterinary bills. "I would have kept the dog as a pet."
On Tuesday, after the time period had elapsed, she called again to ask if she could adopt Queenie, and was told the dog was going to be put down.
"I was told she has no teeth, she's blind and she's being put down, like the owner should have done."
Paquette said the shelter's first choice is always to adopt out animals.
"The dog was suffering. We didn't feel it would be appropriate to adopt out the dog," he said. "We have to do what we feel in our hearts is the right thing for the pet."
According to the shelter's website, the shelter is considered a no-kill shelter for dogs. Despite the name, a no-kill status actually means fewer than 10% of dogs are put down.
"We are generally able to reach our goal of less than 10% of all stray dogs coming into our shelter being euthanized. Queenie falls into that 10% number that are deemed unadoptable and are euthanized," Paquette explained in a follow-up email to The Star.
"This was a 15-plus year-old dog that was deaf, blind, and the quality of life was poor," he said.
A statement issued by the shelter on Wednesday says : "This poor pet was abandoned by her owner when she became old, sickly, blind, deaf, had developed a serious skin condition and lost all her teeth."
Despite Queenie's condition, however, Paquette told The Star the dog never saw a vet. "Someone wanted to take the dog to a vet," he said.
Sudbury resident and animal lover, Michelle Delibasic, also called to see about finding a home for Queenie, but was turned down.
She spoke with Paquette on Tuesday, and was told Queenie would not be released.
"He said he felt the dog was too old, and he said he didn't want anybody to put $1,000 into it," she said.
So, she offered to take Queenie to the vet to see if there was anything that could be done. "I was willing to take the dog to my vet, pay for it, and if he said she needed to be put down, I was willing to put her down. But at least to get her checked out. I asked Richard if I could come in and at least see the dog, but he said it would be put down that morning, and for sure I couldn't have her."
Paquette claims the issue with this dog was not whether she needed to be put down. " The dog was abandoned, rather than being surrendered for euthanasia at a veterinarian's office or at an animal shelter," he says in the release.
However, those who wanted to help Queenie spend the last portion of her life in a safe and caring environment are still perplexed as to why Paquette refused to release the dog.
"If the dog was that badly off in the first place, why [wasn't he euthanized the day he arrived at the shelter] ?" asked Delibasic. "If it was suffering, you don't leave it in a cage over a long weekend. Why not let someone foster it?
"He was telling people the dog was scared, but wouldn't let anyone foster it," the animal lover continued.
"There's no rhyme or reason why he couldn't release the dog."
(Sudbury Star - Aug 8 2013)
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