News

Actions

Dog euthanized despite volunteer’s desire to save him

Posted at 11:32 PM, Feb 06, 2014
and last updated 2014-02-07 17:40:48-05

Update: The woman who wanted Ozzy has started  a petition on Facebook to have the management of the Chesapeake Animal Services overhauled.

Click here to read more about the petition.

Chesapeake, Va. - Left for dead, Ozzy was found with his jaw frozen to the road. He had a broken leg and pelvis after being hit by a car near the Gilmerton Bridge Friday night.

Lauren Sanders has adopted two pit bulls and was ready to make Ozzy her third until Chesapeake Animal Services euthanized the dog Thursday.

"I saw him yesterday and he had scooted himself across the floor, gobbled up treats, tail wagging; that leads me to believe he wasn't dead," Sanders, a volunteer with Chesapeake Animal Services said. "He still had fight in him."

Chesapeake officials tell NewsChannel 3 the dog had made a turn for the worse and surgery wouldn't have helped.

Sanders takes photos of dogs for Chesapeake Animal Services, cute photos of the dogs spur adoptions.

Ozzy went viral on Facebook, his story leading people to want to take action.

"The next day, I went into the shelter and they told me I absolutely should not have posted his picture at all because no one wants a broken dog," Sanders said.

A donation fund for Ozzy's surgery was being set up, and Sanders says a vet in Pungo was ready to perform it at a discounted rate.

Ozzy never got that chance. He was killed less than a week after being rescued.

"Technically, his stray hold wasn't up until tomorrow. So if his owner was out there, they could have come in today and asked to see their dog and their dog would have been in a black trash bag in the back," Sanders said.

Chesapeake Police say nothing could have helped the dog. With Sanders so ready to do whatever she could to rehabilitate Ozzy, she wishes she would have been given the opportunity.