Dog mistakenly euthanized

Humane Society of Yuma officials are investigating the case of an animal euthanized because of an illness after it was mistakenly thought to be a stray.

The dog arrived at the shelter on Sept. 8 and was euthanized on Friday.

“This animal had an owner who came to the shelter Thursday, Sept. 13, looking for their pet,” said HSOY officials. “The owners did identify their pet and stated they would be back later that night to reclaim their animal.

“Unfortunately, the owner did not return that night; however, they did return the following afternoon to reclaim their pet. Unbeknownst to the kennel staff that this pet had an owner, this animal had been chosen for euthanasia because it was ill.”

HSOY officials said they are accepting full responsibility for the incident and are working to ensure that this mistake does not happen in the future.

“Unfortunately, the Humane Society of Yuma failed this animal and this animal's owner. Though we cannot bring this cherished pet back to this family, we want the family and our community to know that we are actively investigating this tragedy to determine if our processes, staff or both failed this pet.”

Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.