Humane Society Takes One on the Chin Over Cat Death
The Human Society is reeling from a blow to the chin since last weekend, when the Arizona Republic ran a story about Scruffy, a cat that had been euthanized after its owner, Daniel Dockery, was unable to come up with enough money in time to essentially free the animal from them.
According to Associated Press reports, Dockery, 49, took his cat to the Humane Society because it had sustained a cut on some barbed wire fencing, an injury Dockery described as non-life threatening in nature. Because Dockery is undergoing a recovery phase from Heroin addiction, he was unable to afford the $400 the Humane Society said it would take to care for Scruffy’s injury.
Distraught over the possible loss of his friend, Dockery began calling family. Dockery’s mother tried to pay Scruffy’s expenses via credit card over the phone, but Humane Society rules didn’t allow it.
According to Dockery, he was persuaded by the Humane Society to sign a release for the cat, essentially giving it up for foster care. Only after doing this, said Dockery, the Humane Society would perform the necessary treatment.
Rather than perform said treatment, Dockery said he soon discovered that his companion had been euthanized by the very agency he turned to for help. You know, the one with “Humane” in its name...
Dockery has since told the Arizona Republic that he “is devastated” over the loss, attributing to Scruffy’s companionship his being able to stay off of Heroin for over a year - his longest streak of drug-free living. “Now I’ve got to think about how I failed that beautiful animal,” said Dockery.
Continued on the next page
Follow Technorati