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 Mr. McDonald,

I am writing to you to plead for the life of a very special dog. His name is Buddy,and he was brought to the Humane Society,by myself and my brother,on the evening of November 28. He was found in my front yard on the morning of November 25. I provided him with food and shelter for four days,while trying to find his owners. In that time,Buddy proved to be a very loving and affectionate dog. He knows how to sit,and he also gives kisses. He’ll roll onto his back for belly rubs as well. In the time that he spent with myself and my family,not once did he exhibit any aggression towards any of us. Initially,he was quite frightened and timid. He was very hungry and cold. By the evening of the 25th,Buddy was playful and happy. The following few days proved Buddy to be a very loving and affectionate friend. His tail constantly wagged and he loved getting belly rubs and giving kisses. By the evening the 28th,Buddy’s owners did not come forward,despite my going through every channel possible to find his owners. Several places recommended that I take him to Animal Services,which I immediately declined,as I did not want this dog being euthanized. My friend called the Humane Society earlier in the evening in order to discuss my fear of euthanasia. She was told that there was a form that I could sign that would ensure that he would not be euthanized. Taking him to the Humane Society was extremely difficult for me,as Buddy and I had developed a loving bond. I needed the assistance of my brother in order to bring him to the Humane Society,as I was so distraught that I could not drive. On the ride to the Humane Society,Buddy curled up in the backseat with me and fell asleep with his head on my lap. When we arrived at the Humane Society,through a lot of tears,I again reiterated the fact that I did not want this dog to be euthanized under any circumstances. The girl at the intake desk stated that if I signed the “do not euthanize form”he would not be euthanized. I could not keep my composure while I was there,and I signed the form without reading it,as I trusted what your staff member told me. Your staff members could clearly see how upset I was. I was told that Buddy would be held for five days,then would have a trainer work with him for two weeks before undergoing an assessment. While waiting by the front desk,a little girl,not more than two years old,walked right up to Buddy’s face,and then patted him…he tried to give her a kiss. A staff member witnessed this. We took Buddy into a room,where a volunteer stayed with us. The whole time I was in this room,I cried and Buddy sat beside me,giving me the odd kiss on the face. The volunteer stated that she thought she was going to cry. Another staff member came into the room and stated that she was going to vaccinate Buddy. I again stated that I was hesitant to bring him there,and would not have,except that I was reassured numerous times that he would not be euthanized. In tears,I said goodbye to Buddy,and he rolled onto his back for a belly rub,and I left the room sobbing to the point where I could barely see where I was going through my tears. My brother was with Buddy and I the whole time,and bore witness to the numerous times that I was reassured that he would not be euthanized. We would not have left him there otherwise.

I received a phone call the afternoon of December 13,from the shelter supervisor,Claire. She stated that they had deemed Buddy unadoptable and stated that he would be euthanized. I almost vomited. I told her that I had signed a form stating that I did not want him euthanized and that I was reassured by staff members that he would not be euthanized. After tears,begging and pleading,all the while stating that I had been told that Buddy WOULD NOT BE EUTHANIZED by your staff members over and over again,Claire then coldly stated that she was “just calling me as a courtesy”. I begged her to let me pick Buddy up and bring him to my home. She stated that they would not allow it due to liability. I repeated over and over that I was told by staff

members that he would not be euthanized and I pleaded to be able to come and get him. I stated that I would assume all liability and that I would never have brought him there if I hadn’t been told that he would not be euthanized under any circumstances. I received a cold “No”from Claire. I was so upset that I hung up on her,then called my friend,Sherri,who had also been told that evening that Buddy would not be euthanized. She told me that she was going to call Claire. She then later told me to call Claire back in order to determine who exactly deemed Buddy “unadoptable”and to request a meeting with these people. I called at approximately 4:00 pm and left a voice mail asking Claire to call me back immediately. I then called the lost/found department,requesting to speak with Claire. I was put on hold,then the girl on the phone stated that Claire was in a meeting and would call me back in approximately half an hour. It is currently 9:00 pm and I have not heard back from Claire.

I am writing to you because I was lied to by your staff members. When I signed the forms for Buddy,I was extremely distraught and could not even see through my tears. That was why I ensured several times that by signing the form,Buddy would not be euthanized. Each time,staff members stated that by signing the form BUDDY WOULD NOT BE EUTHANIZED.

I cannot do anymore that to explain the above circumstances to you. This is a living,breathing creature,who has proved himself to be very loving and affectionate to both myself,my family,and the people that we met during those four days that I had him,including patrons at the veterinary clinic that I took him to to be scanned for a microchip. The reason that I brought him to your facility is because I was ENSURED that he would not be euthanized. I even stated to staff members that if there was ANY CHANCE of him being euthanized,I would not leave him there,and would attempt to find a foster home for him instead. I trusted your facility and your staff members with Buddy’s life. As our request for a second opinion of Buddy,at our own expense,was denied by Claire,I am now asking you to allow us at least this much.

Please help me.

Sincerely,

Lee-Anne

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