Special needs Beagle put down shortly after escaping yard

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Lefty the Beagle
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Shortly after a special needs Beagle escaped from his yard in Polk County, Florida, he was put down at an area animal control agency, reported Monday’s ABC Action News. The heartbreaking situation was the result of the perfect storm of problems…including the dog’s physical impairments, mixed up digits on his microchip phone number information, and an outdated owner address.

The dog, a rescued Beagle named “Lefty,” was both hearing and sight impaired and because of a prior head injury, he would spin in circles. His owner, Kristi Durham, told ABC Action News, of her hope to get her beloved dog back after he escaped from her yard in Auburndale during a storm on Thursday afternoon, “I’ve rescued several strays over the years, and I just prayed I’d be fortunate enough to get back some of that goodwill and get my baby back.”

Lefty’s owner used social media, posting to a Facebook lost and found group, to try and find her missing dog – last week she wrote, “Pls help. My little special needs dog got out during the storm a little bit ago in Auburndale. Was seen picked up at the intersection of Bennett St and Hwy 92 by someone in a big trk, not sure if pickup or semi. His name is Lefty and he’s about 15lbs. He spins in circles to the left all the time.”

Tragically, though the Beagle was picked up after getting loose, he was not held for long at the Polk County Animal Control. After the escaped Beagle disappeared, his family began calling area shelters, but the combination of his physical impairments, and a microchip with out-of-date information, resulted in the sheriff-run facility putting Lefty down just hours after he was picked up as a stray.

A public information officer for the Sheriff’s Office has expressed remorse for Lefty’s family’s devastating loss and the agency is offering to let them adopt a pet for free if they would like to.

The heartbreaking situation, which resulted in a special Beagle’s death, is a reminder to ensure that all microchip information is up to date and that there are no typos (for address or phone information) in the contact information.

 

 


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17 COMMENTS

  1. For Christ SAKE !!! Mere HOURS after he was picked up… That say’s a HELL of a LOT about the STATE of Florida and their Lack of anything close to professionalism, compassion, for the Shelter Dogs in that state from HELL!!! A shelter or rescue dog doesn’t have the chance of a snowball surviving in that state!!! Well HUSUS why don’t YOUR NONPROFIT (HA HA) people take some of the Korean Dogs you hauled over here to Florida so even more dogs can be euthanized at the Shelters to make room to save the Korean Dogs….

  2. They have to put it down the same day it is picked up? What kind of show are they running down there? Hope this woman raises holy hell.

  3. WTF? A special needs dog and chipped only gets a few hours before he’s killed??? Who the fuck made this decision? The hell a mixup with his microchip led to confusion! Stupid humans did this, so cut the crap.

  4. Maybe this could also serve as yet another reminder to owners ….. please stop leaving your beloved pets outside unattended.

    • Seriously?! You’re going going to blame the owner? This was not an outdoor dog. I frequently let my dogs out into our backyard when they want to go outside. What am I supposed to do, sit outside and watch them roll in the grass for 30 minutes?

    • Are you fn kidding me! You’re just as ignorant and stupid as the assholes that put that poor defenseless little sweet dog, “WITH SPECIAL NEEDS” down! He was in his owners yard…in a storm which i’m sure frightened him into his getting out of and lost!! God!! People like you nd those idiots that call themselves “cops”? That are supposed to “Protect”! Y’all make me sick! Shame on you! Have some kind of compassion for that poor family and what they are going through! I can not imagine their pain?!! I’ve lost fur-babies and it tore my heart out…but not in the way they lost theirs. My heart goes out to Durham family. I am so sorry for your tragic loss of Lefty. I hope he is at peace now. For the assholes that did what they did…i hope you spend the rest of your sorry ass lives, TORTURED with the guilt of what you did. Karma will work her magic on you, just you wait and see!! You can’t make it all go away for yourselves or the Durham’s by so “GRACIOUSLY” trying to replace Lefty with another dog from the shelter! Oh wait..let’s not forget your generosity for not making them pay the “adoption fee”!! You’re the ones that should be put down!! Animals are not disposable objects! They breathe the same air as us, they bleed like us and yes, they have nerves which feel the same things as us!! Imagine how poor, scared and confused Lefty felt…i’m going to go hug my friends dogs now and give them special treats..for “just because”! Because that’s how you treat furbabies! With lots of love and respect and patience…thats all they want from us, love.
      R.I.P Lefty
      P.S. I know i got a little carried away but I’m really pissed off!!

  5. The fact that the dog had a micro chip at all should insure at least a couple of days to make sure someone isn’t looking for their pet! This is disgraceful and offering another pet is an insult after you have needlessly killed a person’s dog! Dogs aren’t replaceable that easy! If the owners had been calling shelters then why didn’t this ring a bell with someone and why doesn’t someone at least go on the lost and found sites and look to see if someone is looking for their dog! This is heartbreaking and disgusting!

  6. Two problems here. Microchip information wasn’t correct. Secondly, the animal control didn’t bother to hold him for a reasonable amount of time. This makes me very sad, as I had my own special needs hound girl and it’s been hard enough losing her to a medical issue (she had an autoimmune disorder). I can’t even imagine losing her in this way.

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