Remember Jade?

 

She was the little staffy girl with the striking eye injury (warning graphic pic), who according to Greater Shepparton City Council animal management officers, was treated with “the best possible care”.

In fact, when questioned by animal advocates, they couldn’t even see what the big deal was as according to them, Jade had seen a vet and the vet assured them the eye did not require treatment.

The Rangers are committed to providing the best possible care of animals while they are housed in the Shelter, and undertake an immediate health and welfare assessment of any animal which is admitted to the Shelter.

“The GSCC Rangers are extremely experienced in assessing the health and wellbeing of animals that make their way to the Animal Shelter”, explains Dr Rob Bonnano from the Shepparton Veterinary Clinic. “While we conduct a weekly visit to the Shelter, the Rangers will call us immediately if during their assessment they identify that an animal may be suffering from injury or illness”.

Greater Shepparton City Council Facebook statement (4th Jan)

 

Now, no matter how experienced a ranger in the field is, they are not a vet. A dog with an injury as extreme as Jade’s should absolutely have seen a vet for a formal assessment. Which is exactly what Shepparton says they did;

In the case of Jade, the Rangers identified a potential issue with her right eye. In doing so the Rangers organised for a veterinary assessment to be conducted on two occasions.

“Jade’s eye condition is a result of an injury that occurred a long time ago. It is past being painful, there is no tenderness, therefore there was no need for any pain management or on-going treatment as the dog is not suffering,” explained Dr Bonnano. “We at the Shepparton Veterinary Clinic conducted two health assessments and came to the same conclusion on both occasions.

It’s not a healthy eye but it’s not painful. The health and well being of a pet is the responsibility of the owner. This includes ensuring animals such as dogs and cats are vaccinated, micro-chipped, de-sexed, registered and contained in their yard”, suggests Dr Bonnano.

Greater Shepparton City Council Facebook statement (4th Jan)

 

Two vet assessments – indicating that one happened soon after Jade was admitted, and one again later that confirmed the original diagnosis.

Obtained under FOI, the intake and veterinary records for Jade show a very different story.

Fri 21/12/12
Picked up at 11:28am
Ranger comment “Has a crook eye. Maybe blind in one eye”
Left message on the owners phone

Sat 22/12/12
in pound

Sun 23/12/12
in pound

Mon 24/12/12
in pound

Tues (Christmas Day hol) 25/12/12
in pound

Wed (Boxing Day hol) 26/12/12
in pound

Thu 27/12/13
in pound

Fri 28/12/12
in pound

Sat 29/12/12
in pound

Sun 30/12/12
in pound

Mon 31/12/12
in pound

Tue (New Years Day hol) 01/12/13
in pound

Wed 02/01/13
in pound

Thu 03/01/13
in pound

Fri 04/01/13
Vet checked eye.
“Refer to Vets visit register”
“Check eye – chronic eye condition (not painful)”
Prescribed RX Tricin antibiotic ointment.

There is also an associated veterinary statement (dated 14th February 2013)

On 4th January, I examined an approximately 4 year old, female, Staffordshire Bull Terrier at the Shepparton Animal Shelter identified as Dog D12/1125.
…
She had a chronic eye condition affecting her RIGHT eye which looked as if it had been of at least many weeks, if not months duration. The eye, despite its appearance was not found to be painful, through there was a degree of conjunctivitis most likely due to the inability of the dog to maintain a tear film on the very swollen and chronically inflamed eye, the surface of which was extensively neovascularised, dry and abraded.

On the day I examined Dog D12/1125 at the Shepparton Animal Shelter, I advised the attendants that the time for actively medicating this eye had long passed. My advice was to manage the conjunctivitis using Tricin pint, and antibiotic and to bathe the eye as required to remove the tenacious pseudo membrane and purulent discharge from the cornea and conjunctiva.

 

Jade was returned to her owner after her vet check on the 4th.

According to the pound’s records, Jade sat for 14 days before seeing a vet. Luckily, for Jade it seems to be that her eye was likely not causing her too much pain – but that assessment should have indesputably been made by a vet, not the impounding ranger. According to the pound’s records, she did not see a vet twice, as claimed, but once, just before she was returned home.

While Council clucked at animal advocates on Facebook, they were at the same time misleading the public about the level of care she was receiving.

 

Has anything changed?

Figures released by council at the time that Jade was a news story indicated of the 687 unclaimed dogs, 145 were rehoused and 542 were killed (a kill rate of nearly 80% for unclaimed dogs) and of the 1056 unclaimed cats, 65 were rehoused and 991 were killed (a kill rate of 94% for unclaimed cats).

Greater Shepparton City Council sustainability and environment manager Greg McKenzie said the decision to euthanise an animal was “not made lightly”.

To date no rescue groups to my knowledge, have been allowed to access pets.

Today, Council have three dogs and three cats available for adoption.

Shepparton – this is not good enough.

 

 

See also: Killing pets in the face of alternatives – Greater Shepparton edition

Greater Shepparton City Council is surprised you care