The following article appeared in the June 8 Courier-Journal: Clerical error at shelter in Evansville leads to dogs' being euthanized by mistake City offers to replace huskies for owner Associated Press EVANSVILLE, Ind. — The city has offered to purchase two new dogs for a man whose two Siberian huskies were euthanized at an animal shelter because of a clerical error. Eric Byrum's dogs were quarantined for 10 days beginning May 26 for killing two dachshunds. The huskies had escaped from Byrum's yard when a storm knocked down his fence. The quarantine ended Monday, and Byrum had arranged to pick up his dogs that afternoon. When he arrived, he was stunned to learn that they had been euthanized that morning because of a staff member's error. "The thing that bothers me is that the situation before, with my dogs getting out, was uncontrollable," Byrum said. "This situation was controllable." Stacey Wybiral, a spokeswoman for Mayor Jonathan Weinzapfel, said yesterday that a shelter worker failed to make a notation on the card kept on the dogs' pen indicating that Byrum had contacted the shelter and intended to get the animals. She said officials are reviewing what disciplinary actions will be taken against the worker. She called the error "extremely unfortunate and extremely sad." Wybiral said the city has offered to purchase two new purebred Siberian huskies for Byrum. "We acknowledge that the purchase of two new dogs could never take the place of this gentleman's pets, but we have made that offer," she said. ******************************************************************************** I'm fully aware that mistakes happen, but this is way too much. The term animal "shelter" is nothing but a cover-up for what these places really are: Animal death camps. Saying "shelter" is in the same league as when the hunters say they're "harvesting" when they're really killing. I'm also painfully aware of the gross animal overpopulation problem; if society spayed and neutered pets routinely, there wouldn't be an overpopulation problem. The only true animal shelters are the "no kill" kind, where unwanted animals are kept until they're adopted. The standard "shelter", better known as a pound, carries with it an accepted culture of death, and frightening legal power, as well, as illustrated by what happened to Mr. Byrum and his unfortunate dogs. The situation with his dogs running loose originated by an Act of God; this man is a responsible pet owner who had fenced in his dogs. The storm that took down his pets' fence, and the fence coming down, was totally beyond Byrum's control. I know fences can fail during a violent storm or a flooding situation. I live in front a creek, and a few years ago, the creek flooded after a massive amount of rain. Unknown to me, the force of the floodwaters washed down one side of my fence. I didn't know it, but Floyd, my beagle, did. Night was approaching, and as I looked out across the rain-sodden acres, I spotted an animal, and to my horror, I recognized the critter as Floyd! I rushed out and tried very hard to catch Floyd, but he was faster than me and easily outdistanced me, disappearing into the darkness. In my county, there is no animal control, or as I consider it, Department of Animal Gestapo, so I wasn't worried about Floyd falling into the hands of the animal Nazis, but I was terrified he'd fall into the badly flooded creek and drown. I rushed in the house and called out an APB to every neighbor I knew, begging them to help me watch for Floyd, and I prayed like crazy. My God is second to none, and so are my neighbors... In two hours, a truck came up the driveway, and out popped the neighbor who lives behind me. In the back of the truck in a dog pen sat my muddy wet dog. Floyd had went to visit the neighbor's hounds. I was never so glad to see that bratty dog in all my life, and I hugged him, mud and all. Had the incident with Floyd happened in town, Floyd might have suffered the same fate as Mr. Byrum's dogs. I have no idea whether Mr. Byrum will ever read this, but if he does, I offer him my deepest sympathy. I also hope Mr. Byrum contacts a really good lawyer. He needs to sue. The money isn't so important, but maybe legal action will bring a policy change at this so-called shelter, so this never happens again. Good luck to you, Mr. Byrum.