Neglect at Chicago Animal Care and Control: Tatum's Suffering could have been avoided

TATUM WAS BROUGHT IN AS A STRAY TO CHICAGO ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL ON SEPTEMBER 24TH AND HELD ON A 6-DAY STRAY HOLD UNTIL SEPTEMBER 29TH. WHEN SHE CAME IN HER 4.6 POUND MAMMARY TUMOR HAD ALREADY RUPTURED AND THERE WAS A LARGE HOLE THROUGH THE CENTER OF IT THAT ALLOWED YOU TO SEE STRAIGHT THROUGH IT. TATUM WAS THEN KEPT IN CACC’S “UNLOADING” AREA UNTIL SEPTEMBER 29TH.

AT THAT TIME, TAF WAS ALLOWED TO PICK HER UP AFTER 6:15PM. IT WAS THEN THAT WE REALIZED THE TRUE SEVERITY OF TATUM’S MEDICAL CONDITION AND WERE MORTIFIED THAT SHE WASN’T IMMEDIATELY HUMANELY EUTHANIZED ON THE 24TH, OR TRANSFERRED TO A FACILITY THAT WAS EQUIPPED TO PROPERLY HANDLE HER MEDICAL CONDITION. INSTEAD, CACC CHOSE TO PUT TATUM ON AN ORAL ANTIBIOTIC/PAIN KILLER AND SHE SPENT THE NEXT SIX DAYS WAITING FOR EITHER THE OWNER THAT HAD NEGLECTED AND ABUSED HER TO COME COLLECT HER, OR FOR THE NEEDLE… NO MATTER WHAT, HER FATE WAS DOOMED.

BECAUSE SHE WAS TOO WEAK TO WALK ON HER OWN, WE HAD TO WRAP A TOWEL AROUND TATUM’S WAIST TO GET HER UP OFF OF THE FLOOR AND THEN USED IT TO HELP HER WALK TO THE CAR.

WE WENT STRAIGHT TO OUR VET WHERE SHE WAS X-RAYED, PUT ON IV PAIN MEDICATION, IV ANTIBIOTICS, AND IV FLUIDS. AFTER TAKING BLOOD SAMPLES, IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT SHE WAS SEPTIC (HAD BLOOD POISONING) AND THAT SHE NEEDED TO BE STABILIZED BEFORE SURGERY COULD BE PERFORMED.

BY THE NEXT MORNING HER FEVER WAS ALREADY GOING DOWN AND HER RADIOLOGIST, PRIMARY DOCTOR AND SURGEON ALL AGREED THAT THE TUMOR NEEDED TO BE IMMEDIATELY REMOVED IF TATUM WAS TO BE GIVEN ANY CHANCE OF RECOVERY. WE KNEW THAT IT WAS A LONG SHOT BUT WE ALL AGREED THAT SHE DESERVED A CHANCE.

IN THE END, TATUM CODED AND PASSED AWAY HOURS AFTER HER SURGERY… HER BODY WAS JUST TOO WEAK TO SURVIVE.

WHEN ASKED ABOUT TATUM’S TREATMENT AT CACC, THEIR ASSISTANT TO THE DIRECTOR SAID THAT TATUM, “WAS KEPT IN THE LARGEST AND DRIEST CAGE IN THE ENTIRE FACILITY,” AND THAT “ONE OF OUR VETS EVEN FED THE ANIMAL A STEAK DINNER”.

WHEN WE FIRST TOLD TATUM’S STORY WE WERE TRYING TO BE MORE PROACTIVE AND HIGHLIGHT A MAJOR FLAW IN THE SYSTEM AND THAT THE CITY/STATE NEEDED TO REFORM PROTOCOLS FOR THE STRAY ANIMALS AT CACC AS WELL AS OTHER OPEN ACCESS FACILTIES IN ILLINOIS. NOW, AFTER HEARING THAT CACC IS PUBLICLY DENOUNCING TAF’S CLAIMS AND SPINNING IT, INSINUATING THAT OUR AGGRESSIVE MEDICAL CARE ULTIMATELY TOOK HER LIFE, WELL, WE WILL NOT STAND FOR THAT. TATUM SPENT THE LAST 6 DAYS OF HER LIFE FEARFUL AND IN PAIN ON A CONCRETE FLOOR WITH A BLANKET ON IT. THE MEDICATION THAT SHE WAS ON WAS A JOKE AND HER FATE WAS SEALED THE MOMENT THAT CACC CHOSE NOT TO GIVE HER THE PROPER MEDICAL CARE NEEDED.

TATUM’S STORY NEEDS TO BE SHARED SO THAT REFORM CAN HAPPEN AND NO OTHER ANIMAL SUFFERS THE SAME FATE. THESE HOMELESS ANIMALS HAVE NOBODY TO DEFEND THEM… IT IS JUST US ON FACEBOOK THAT CAN DEMAND A CHANGE FROM THE POWERS THAT BE. TAF WILL NOT BACK DOWN AND WE HOPE THAT WE CAN COUNT ON OUR FOLLOWERS TO HELP MAKE A CHANGE.

IF YOU ARE COMPELLED TO SPEAK OUT ON BEHALF OF TATUM AND ANIMALS LIKE HER, PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION SO WE CAN GET THE ATTENTION OF THE MAYOR OF CHICAGO. WE WOULD LIKE THE STRAY HOLD ORDINANCES CHANGED SO ANIMALS WHO ARE BROUGHT IN AS STRAYS ARE ABLE TO RECEIVE IMMEDIATE, LIFE CHANGING MEDICAL ATTENTION OUTSIDE OF THE SHELTER. THERE IS NO REASON ANIMALS SHOULD HAVE TO SIT AND SUFFER WHEN THERE ARE PLENTY OF GROUPS WHO WOULD TAKE THE ANIMAL AND PROVIDE THE IMMEDIATE CARE NEEDED.