Authorities go on shooting spree and shoot 27 dogs

ARKANSAS -- An Arkansas woman, who was hoarding nearly 50 dogs, was partially eaten by some of those dogs when they began starving.

The woman had been in trouble before for hoarding dogs. 

The county says it made a controversial decision to control the animals after finding out the woman suffered from the disease.

“When the deputies arrived on the scene to get in to her, the dogs were vicious. You couldn’t even get into the trailer to check on her to see what needed to be done,” Van Buren County Sheriff Scott Bradley told KARK.

 

At the time, officers were forced to kill nine dogs just to reach the woman’s body.

However, they became concerned when they realized the woman died from Hepatitis C and didn’t know how that would affect the animals.

“We didn’t know if those diseases, or that disease, would be spread by the dogs in the community,” Bradley said.

Next thing you know, they'll say that a dog belonging to someone with AIDS needs to be killed because "it may be spread by the dog to the community"

“That’s when the real threat began. When they started to roam into the neighbors’ yards,” said Reta Tharp, an animal control officer.

For weeks, veterinarians tried to save the dogs, but 27 were shot after one bit the vet.

"It was the only resource we had. We had tried everything else, and it just failed," Tharp said.

Tharp says it was a controversial decision, one the county didn't take lightly.

 "I did what I felt like had to be done," Tharp said.

Van Buren County consulted with the Arkansas State Health Department veterinarian.  The Arkansas State Health Department says it does not believe animals could spread Hepatitis C.

These people in Van Buren County are complete morons. First of all, the Health Department says dogs CANNOT spread Hepatitis C. 

Second, there is NO mention of using humane traps to catch them. If there is no food source available to them, they will go into the traps to get to the food. 

Third, there is NO mention of using tranquilizer guns. 

Most, if not all, of the dogs probably needed to be euthanized because of behavioral issues, but using them for target practice and shooting them is not humane. How many animals were shot in the sides, stomach, legs, etc. and ran off to suffer a horrific, painful death? 

(KFOR - Nov 27, 2015)