A devastated dog lover criticizes police and local services after her rescue dog was put down for safety reasons
Stoke-on-Trent: An animal lover named Stephanie Fletcher is heartbroken after a stray Staffordshire Bull Terrier she tried to help was put down. The dog was found wandering the streets on New Year’s Eve, and Stephanie took him in, hoping to find his owner.
Things took a turn when the dog nipped her after acting scared. She reached out to local animal services, but they were all full or refused to help. Sadly, the dog was euthanized the next day due to concerns about public safety.
Stephanie described how she and a neighbor managed to get the dog inside her home. She thought the owner would come forward quickly, but that didn’t happen. After a couple of hours, she took him to a vet, but they wouldn’t help because he seemed aggressive.
She was then directed to another vet, but they also turned her away. Feeling desperate, she kept the dog separate from her own pets, hoping to find a solution. Unfortunately, the situation escalated when her dog got excited, causing the stray to nip her gently.
After calling the dog warden again, she was told the dog was considered dangerous and that she needed to contact the police. Initially, the police were helpful, but later, they said they couldn’t assist as they weren’t a kennel service.
In a last-ditch effort, she called the vet again, pleading for them not to put the dog down. She insisted he wasn’t aggressive, just scared. But despite her efforts, the decision was made to euthanize him for safety reasons.
Stephanie expressed her frustration, saying she felt let down by everyone she turned to for help. She’s a huge animal lover, and this whole experience has been incredibly upsetting for her.
A spokesperson from Vets Now explained that they have to consider the safety of their staff and the public. They decided to euthanize the dog after consulting with local authorities.
Stephanie had contacted the police earlier that day, and they confirmed they had received a report about the dog. They attempted to reach the registered owner but were unsuccessful. After assessing the situation, the vet made the difficult decision to put the dog down.
StokeonTrentLive has reached out to the local council for a statement regarding this unfortunate case.
