A dog housed at the animal shelter in Idabel, Okla., was filmed eating the dog that died beside her, according to the Tulsa World daily newspaper.
The video was posted on Facebook by Abe Thomas after he went to the shelter this week hoping to adopt a dog, according to the Tulsa World.
From the Tulsa World:
Cecil Richards, the town’s animal control officer, said he has worked at the shelter for 24 years and called the incident an accident.
“I played with the dog at 10:30 (that morning,)” he said. “I went to lunch at (noon), and when I came back from lunch, I met with a guy who said he wanted to adopt a dog. That’s when we both seen it.”
Foshee (Mayor of Idabel, Tina Foshee) said Wednesday that town officials had not discussed the matter but that it would be investigated.
“Something will be done,” she said. “It just hasn’t had time to happen yet.”
Thomas said he adopted the dog seen in the video, out of fear that it would be killed if he didn’t. Richards said the town generally waits 10 days before taking dogs to a veterinarian to be euthanized.
Thomas said in the article that he named the adopted dog Joy.
“Because she looked so joyful to be out of there.”
The Idabel Animal Shelter is a municipal shelter.
A Facebook page has been created asking for shelter reform at the Idabel shelter and to fire Richards.
Image from the Tulsa World. I decided not to post or link to the video.
Kat
Wednesday 21st of January 2015
I am happy to hear the pit bull lived. If a dog is starving and emaciated then it's only normal that they find some means of food. I wonder if the shelter wasn't feeding them? I am curious as to why if there were two dogs eating a puppy that they focus on only the pit bull. Pit bulls already get such a bad rap from the media. Very kind of the man to adopt her. She is a dog but she's also an animal just following survival instincts.
Elizabeth
Friday 16th of January 2015
We had a small town mayor in Alaska tell its police officer to go out and shoot the animals at the shelter because there was no money for the shelter and the volunteers that tried to help run it were having a difficult time. The sad thing is the animals(there was not a lot, maybe 10 or 12 cats and dogs) were shot, and not transported to the larger municipal shelter about 45 mins away. The cop lost his job and I am not sure of the mayor but it was a big hulabaloo a couple years ago. Its not just nasty puppy mills and dog rings that have animal cruelty happening. So glad that someone gave this dog a better place. I hope it lasts for the rest of the dogs life and that she lives a long one...
Lindsay Stordahl
Friday 16th of January 2015
I like to think most shelters are not so bad, but unfortunately that doesn't seem to be so :( I had not heard about the incident in Alaska. Sounds terrible.
Anna
Thursday 15th of January 2015
Oddly, dog eating dog doesn't disturb me, it's a matter of survival. What makes me angry is the "shelter" management that made this happen. Why don't they feed their animals? Disgusting. Great man for adopting this poor pit bull. I bet it would be executed otherwise.
Lindsay Stordahl
Thursday 15th of January 2015
Guaranteed the poor dog would've been killed otherwise. So sad all around, but I'm thankful she is safe now.
I'm hoping some major changes will take place at this shelter, or even small improvements.
Jen Gabbard
Thursday 15th of January 2015
It's so depressing to hear about the conditions in some shelters. I do commend the man for adopting her and getting her out of that place - I don't know what I would have done if I'd witnessed it myself.
Lindsay Stordahl
Thursday 15th of January 2015
I know, I can't even imagine.
Jessicavy
Thursday 15th of January 2015
That is some kind of disturbing. The man who adopted that dog is a better person than me. I don't think I could take home a dog I just saw eating a puppy. It would just be burned into my brain, but I'm really glad someone got the poor dog out of there.
Lindsay Stordahl
Thursday 15th of January 2015
Yeah, I'm not really sure what I would've done because I can't imagine it.. Hopefully I would've at least taken a picture or video as he did.