heads are going to roll on this one..............
Dog featured on Oprah accidentally euthanized
Posted: Nov 15, 2010 9:30 PM
Updated: Nov 15, 2010 10:09 PM
CASA GRANDE, AZ (KOLD) - A Pinal County Animal Control worker is on leave for euthanizing the wrong dog. But not just any dog, this dog saved 50 soldiers' lives in Afghanistan.
"Dogs were just a huge pick me up, they were our babies," Sergeant Terry Young said during a previous interview on Oprah.
Sgt. Young was deployed to Afghanistan in July of 2009, shortly after getting there he discovered a stray dog, he named Target.
Young explained, "It was February 11th 2010. It was nine o'clock at night and an individual with a suicide vest made his way onto the campground."
The suicide bomber was heading toward the barracks, where Sgt. Young and 50 other soldiers were living. Target and two other dogs attacked him before he could get inside.
In an interview, Young remembered, "Target and Rufus latched onto him. He was able to get the door open, but that was as far as he got and so he detonated himself at that point."
The soldiers were safe, but one dog died and Target and Rufus were badly injured.
"They were in a bad shape, the dogs had basically earned our respect. They earned the right to be treated like soldiers and 50 that's exactly how we treated them."
Once nursed back to health, Target was brought back here to the U.S. to live with Sgt. Young in Pinal County.
Recently, Target went missing and was picked up by Pinal County Animal Care and Control.
Target was taken to Pinal County Animal Care and Control Friday night. We're told the dog was not micro-chipped or licensed with the county.
When its owner came to pick up Target, the Animal Care officials discovered the sad mistake.
"This morning, an employee mistakenly took the dog out of its pen and euthanized it," Pinal County Public Information Officer Joe Pyritz told KOLD News 13 over the phone.
We're told that employee did not follow proper euthanasia procedures and ended up putting down Target instead of the dog it that was in the same pen.
Pyritz said, "They have been placed on administrative leave, pending the outcome of the investigation."
Target may be gone too soon, but will always be remembered a hero.
Young said, "The dogs were definitely heroes that day and I cannot stress enough how many lives they saved that night."
KOLD News 13 tried to contact Sergeant Young today, but we were told he wasn't ready to talk about Target.
We're told the euthanasia procedures in Pinal County are now under investigation.