Last Thursday evening, a young family returned home to find their two dogs Bruce and Narla missing, and a card from the local ranger on their door.
They phoned that same evening to claim their pets. Narla, the older dog, was microchipped and registered. However as Bruce the pup was not, the ranger advised that there would be a $210 registration/microchipping charge, plus pound fees, before the dogs could be claimed.
On a limited budget, the family advised they would not be able to afford the charges immediately, but that they would bring the money on the 23rd, or 7 days later. Under NSW legislation an identified animal must be held for 14 days, which should have easily been enough time for the owners to claim them.
Leading up to the collection, the family kept in touch with Council, who reassured them that there was no issue with having Bruce chipped and the two dogs released. However, on the day of collection the dogs were nowhere to be found.
Garbage bags of dead pets wait for disposal outside Leeton Council pound
The ranger had killed these two beloved family pets on the previous day. Oops.
The family have lodged a complaint with Council. Just like the owner of Buddy, who was oopsie killed at the same facility just three months ago.
One oopsie kill could maybe be considered a mistake. This Council is now three and counting. Two of which were microchipped, and all of which were killed illegally, ignoring state mandated holding periods.
I am so sorry for the suffering of this family. I feel even more sorry that this likely won’t be the last family pet who loses his life to this unscrupulous, unethical pound. Leeton Shire community members, it’s time to fight back.
Note: Anyone who attempts to come on the blog and blame the owners for the death of Bruce and Narla will have their comment emphatically binned. These dogs were loved and their family did everything in their power to get them back. The pound is supposed to be there to protect pets when they are in need. Instead of offering these dogs protection, Leeton Council killed them.
Disgusting, appalling and inexcusable actions by the council and it’s employees. They need to get some perspective, the only reason a council exists is to serve the people of the local community. It sounds like the people of this community would be better off with no council at all. Tyranny prevails in Leeton Shire, where those employed to serve the public do what they like with no fear of consequences because they can.
I cannot believe the cruelty and arrogance, why do we even pay rates, the owners of these poor beloved pets need to take this council and it disgusting ranger to court, there are some lawyers who advocate for pets that are treated this way so I hope the owners seek them out. The Ranger clearly hates animals and needs an evaluation and profiling or he needs to be dismissed!! this is so disgusting my thought are with the owners….
This is a very sad incident, my sympathy to the Ingram Family.
The dog that was referred to in the first incident as Buddy is actually called INDIE, thank you for protecting her identity but we longer need to do this.
We do not know the outcome, we have not been advised. Our beautiful Indie was shot 3 months ago.
Indie was shot at the tip, she was never impounded the ranger took her there and shot her in the head. We were not notified, only because of my insistence I found out she was dead!! Picked up and killed all under 1 HOUR!
To the Ingram family I feel for you, your dogs were impounded and the system failed you too, do these rangers realise how important these pets are to us, that our children cry at night because they miss there pets?? do they realise as parents the pain we feel too? My daughter has images of her beloved dog Indie being held down with a noose pole and rifle being held to her head. She cries because she could not save her and thinks that she let her down, but I tell her the ranger let her down, this man should have been helping her . Yes animals do get out, but that’s why we have a ranger and a pound!
Thx again for your support
Such a sad thing to happen… this is unforgiveable! Such a horrific thing for your poor daughter to imagine :'( It makes me sick to imagine either of my dogs in that situation. How can a ranger justify taking dogs to the tip & shooting them? He should have been instantly dismissed & charged with animal cruelty. Why was he allowed remain in the job after this incident? If he had been sacked after that incident maybe this other poor family would have been spared the grief of losing their 2 babies. :'(
The council actions are disgraceful. They need to totally revamp their policies and procedures and people need to be sacked if cockups like this happen for a 2nd time. Sorry for the family and the poor dogs :(
This is exactly what happened with my Zoe. I paid the money required and went to collect my dog only to be told they accidently put her down!!
What a disgusting thing to do to 2 very much loved dogs, you had no right to put them down. You failed miserably to do the job you had been trusted to do accurately and should be stood down, someone in your position needs to have compassion and honesty, 2 things you are sadly lacking.
This is unreal it was 3 yrs ago my two dogs were shot both were chipped, I complained on deaf ears , let’s sack Peter Skarlis and get someone who can do their job obviously this prick can’t, I’m so sick of hearing pets being taken for no legitimate reason. We the people pay his wages why isn’t he being held to account . We need a ranger that has a bit of heart, not this scumbag.
Disgusting murderer.
Disgusting !!!!!
This should never have happened, what sort of compensation will the council offer to this family?
Obviously from the other comments this council has far more than three pet deaths on their hands!! This ranger needs to be sacked Immediately!! All families need to be compensated for their losses (however, it will never replace their pets or ease their losses). Finally I think that a major news outlet needs to be notified in order to shine some light on these events. Obviously reporting by the local papers and outcries from residents have had no effect whatsoever.
Oh no, that’s quite horrifyingly awful. I can barely imagine how they must be feeling. Awful, disgusting and quite inexcusable. yeah, one mistake, possibly. But another two killed a bare few months latera. Whatever system they have in place, it’s deeply flawed and not working.
I am appalled!!
What is wrong with this incompetent disgraceful Council ? Is this how you “care for the community ? God help those you have no regard for, I’d hate to see what you do to them. Murderers.
Where is the accountability? Disgusting!!
This is an appalling situation. The Ranger has not only cruelly disposed of 2 innocent animals, he (she?) has lied through his teeth about the dogs being safe and well when they had already been MURDERED. Yes, murdered is the only appropriate word. This person MUST be severely disciplined and not be allowed to work with animals at all in the future.
This is just so wrong. An official investigation needs to be made with penalties given to the ranger involved. The ranger has abused his powers and needs to be stopped. (minimum penalty: dismissal.
If a owner has not paid the council fine after 14 days,the dog/s should be returned to owner,and the fine sent to the state debt recovery office like any council parking fine.At least then their would be no more senseless deaths of loved animals.
Don’t put up with this. It seems the ranger considers himself above the legal requirements. I know that here in the US, his ass would be sued off by now.
This is an absolute disgrace and inexcusable. My deepest condolences to the
family.
This would never happen in our shire, our ranger loves dogs and does everything possible to help owners in these situations. I can not believe it.
This is a terrible thing to have happened and I totally understand your loss, we lost one of ours earlier this year to snake bite, they love us unconditionally, so very sad. Before we lost our big man he was about to become a father, we still have one left, she is microchipped, vaccinated and wormed, with very similar markings as the one you lost. You can have her if you are ready to have another so soon after your loss. Big Hugs xox
Pretty typical of leeton shire council
Highest rates in nsw.
And so backwards they make WA look futuristic:-)
I am so saddened for the loss of such innocent lives of dog’s at the choice of some uneducated idiot who obviously works on a budget or percentage ratio! What a sad world we have come to live in when the life of man’s best friend means nothing to people who have control over euthanasia and loving pet’s are destroyed so easily because theycan be! The RSPCA destroy pets who have the tiniest issue once surrendered and I know this is True : (
what sort of operation are you running…the extermination of beloved family pets….you need investigating NOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
sounds like the law firm Slater and Gordern may be interested in a class action case if so any dogs have been killed by this one ranger?
absolutely disgusting. To think the family kept in touch but someone took it upon themselves to do the unthinkable. That person should be named and shamed. This should not happen in our day never alone in Australia. I feel for the famlily my boys love their dog and god forbid if this was to happen to our best mate.
There is a related story in the Leeton newspaper, the Irrigator, this week. http://www.irrigator.com.au/story/2239151/rangers-future-remains-unknown-external-report-into-dogs-death-discussed/?cs=1524. An opportunity for online comments and a letter to the editor, so they know the rest of the country is watching.
when will this stop to many dogs have been put down in such a short time and oops seems to be all we get
I have a communications degree, yet i am lost for words over this heartbreakingly tragic tale (& I’m NEVER lost for words). Seriously, for AT LEAST 5minutes after reading this I sat silently, alone, mouth wide open, shaking my head. What has upset me also, to a lesser degree of course, is the fact that this site’s had to tell people that they won’t print letters blaming the owners-I am not having a go at the site, rather the oh so sad state of affairs that there are lowlifes out there who would try & blame this innocent, heartboken, dog-loving family for something SOOOOO not their fault. Unfortunately the people who stereotype dogs based on breed are probably pthe same people who stereotype people based on their socio-economic power.(or lack thereof).