Healthy Dalmatian Euthanized

This sweet 2-year-old healthy stray Dalmatian, nicknamed 'Dustin'  (Impound #A3778489), was brought to the Lancaster, California County Shelter on January 29, 2008, and allowed to be EUTHANIZED on February 20, 2008 by shelter employees, despite the efforts of at least half a dozen rescuers to adopt him from the shelter and save his life.

Rescuers were told by various shelter employees that Dustin had already been spoken for by other rescuers and that the dog was not available during the entire three and a half weeks he was held there.  Video circulated through the rescue community showing the dog scared and shivering in the cold, inhumane conditions at Lancaster Shelter, and even though I personally talked on the phone with a shelter employee the night of Tuesday February 21, 2008, and promised her I was coming first thing in the morning to pick up the dog, when I called the next morning, I was told the dog had been put to sleep with no explanation given. 

This is not the first needless killing at Lancaster Shelter of a healthy animal that had a home waiting for him, and it won't be the last.  The six shelters in the Los Angeles County Shelter system each have countless  complaint reports like this one, documented by dozens of voluntary rescuers who are trying to save these animals' lives, but who are regularly dismissed and treated with indifference by incompetent shelter staff.   

It is time for the County Board of Supervisors to step up, do their jobs and fire County Shelter Director Marcia Mayeda!  She has done nothing to improve shelter conditions in more than six years as director.   These are supposed to be shelters, not death camps.  Please sign this petition, and send it far and wide to every animal lover you know.  Tell the L.A. County Board of Supervisors and Marcia Mayeda that their indifference to their animals and to the rescuers trying to save them will not be tolerated one day more.   PLEASE SIGN YOUR NAME, NOT  'ANONYMOUS' SO SIGNATURE IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY.  Thank you!!  

This sweet 2-year-old healthy stray Dalmatian, nicknamed 'Dustin'  (Impound #A3778489), was brought to the Lancaster, California County Shelter on January 29, 2008, and allowed to be EUTHANIZED on February 20, 2008 by shelter employees, despite the efforts of at least half a dozen rescuers to adopt him from the shelter and save his life.

Rescuers were told by various shelter employees that Dustin had already been spoken for by other rescuers and that the dog was not available during the entire three and a half weeks he was held there.  Video circulated through the rescue community showing the dog scared and shivering in the cold, inhumane conditions at Lancaster Shelter, and even though I personally talked on the phone with a shelter employee the night of Tuesday February 21, 2008, and promised her I was coming first thing in the morning to pick up the dog, when I called the next morning, I was told the dog had been put to sleep with no explanation given. 

This is not the first needless killing at Lancaster Shelter of a healthy animal that had a home waiting for him, and it won't be the last.  The six shelters in the Los Angeles County Shelter system each have countless  complaint reports like this one, documented by dozens of voluntary rescuers who are trying to save these animals' lives, but who are regularly dismissed and treated with indifference by incompetent shelter staff.   

It is time for the County Board of Supervisors to step up, do their jobs and fire County Shelter Director Marcia Mayeda!  She has done nothing to improve shelter conditions in more than six years as director.   These are supposed to be shelters, not death camps.  Please sign this petition, and send it far and wide to every animal lover you know.  Tell the L.A. County Board of Supervisors and Marcia Mayeda that their indifference to their animals and to the rescuers trying to save them will not be tolerated one day more.   PLEASE SIGN YOUR NAME, NOT  'ANONYMOUS' SO SIGNATURE IS TAKEN SERIOUSLY.  Thank you!!  

We, the undersigned petitioners, are appalled by the euthenization of this healthy Dalmatian 'Dustin', who had several homes waiting for him through rescuers' efforts -- efforts that were clearly ignored by the Lancaster, CA Shelter employees.   We encourage you to stop ignoring the problems at all of L.A. County shelters and hire more competent, caring shelter staff so that healthy animals who have rescuers waiting to adopt them are allowed to be saved, not euthenized.   Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.