Despite E-Mails, 87-Year-Old's Dog Euthanized

An 87-year-old woman's dog was euthanized despite calls to Animal Control that she wanted the dog back.

KMBC's Jere Gish reported that Animal Control did not find out in time that Cora Ammons was planning to come get Buddy.

"He was a cutup, I tell you. And I miss him. I miss him. I miss him," Ammons said.

Ammons said Buddy ran away a few weeks ago when she let him outside. Ammons said she fell asleep before she could let him inside.

"I went to sleep, made him mad and he left," Ammons said.

Ammons said she started calling around to try to find Buddy. One call put her in touch with April Rosenthal, who volunteers to help find lost dogs. Rosenthal put Buddy on several lost-dog registries.

"About two days later, I got an e-mail from someone with a picture about this dog that had been picked by Animal Control," Rosenthal said.

"(April) said, 'I think we found your puppy.' I was so glad," Ammons said.

Rosenthal said she sent two e-mails to Animal Control, telling them Buddy's owner would pick him up.

"I even left a voice mail. I called the action center. They directed me to the voice mail and I left voice mail, saying 'We were going to pick up the dog the following day,'" Rosenthal said.

Rosenthal drove Ammons to Animal Control to pick up Buddy.

"I was so glad to be there. I had his little collar and everything. I said, 'Where's Buddy?'" Ammons said. "He said, 'Lady, I'm sorry. They put him to sleep yesterday at 2 p.m.' And I just broke down and cried."

Gish reported the e-mails and voicemail were left before Buddy was put down. But no one got the messages until it was too late.

"The Animal Control people are harder to contact than the Kremlin," Rosenthal said. "There's no communication between the public and Animal Control. We need to work together."

"I'll tell you that it hurt me so bad, just to think that he died all by himself. Oh, I was so upset," Ammons said.

The director of Animal Control said she was saddened by what happened, calling it a tragedy. She noted that Buddy was held the mandatory five days before he was euthanized and he was injured. Buddy appeared to have been hit by a car after he ran away.

But Ammons said she would have taken him to the vet immediately. As for the communication, the e-mail address to which Rosenthal sent is checked about once a day and the voice mail was checked too late.

Ammons has been told she can go to the shelter and pick out any dog she wants. She said she plans to do that but would like more time to get over Buddy's death.

Category:

Pets & Animals

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• KMBC
• Kansas
• City
• dog
• killed