The dog will have one of it’s hind legs amputated next week
KOCHVILLE TWP., MI (WJRT) – Questions tonight over the care of two injured dogs at the Saginaw County animal shelter.
One dog has a broken leg and will have it amputated next week.
But volunteers at the shelter believe the limb could have been saved if surgery was done sooner.
There is also some confusion about who performed surgery on another dog.
The animal control director says she believed an employee’s relative performed the surgery on a dog named Zamboni, but the shelter’s former veterinarian says he did it.
And then there is the case of Tahoe.
The pit bull mix was brought into the Saginaw County Animal Care and Control Center in mid-November.
He has a broken leg, you can see him favor the hind leg a bit, and shelter director Rachel Horton says at around the same time Tahoe was brought here, three other dogs also had serious injuries.
“Who is life and death, who is a matter of priority, and with him being as happy and as comfortable as he was, we pushed him out a little further,” says Horton about Tahoe.
She says animal doctors she spoke with recommended amputating the leg.
“We really did advocate to save his leg, we didn’t want to have to amputate it, “she says.
“He’s sufrering and people don’t seem to care,” says shelter volunteer Sue Persinger.
She says former shelter veterinarian Joseph Kline offered to perform the surgery at little cost in November.
“They won’t even allow him to try,’ says Persinger.
It was last summer when Kline made allegations that Horton allowed unqualified staff to perform euthanasia on dogs at the shelter.
A short time later, Horton informed Kline his contract with the shelter had expired and his services weren’t need.
An investigation did show there was one violation in euthansia procedures, and Horton received a counseling memorandum from Saginaw County Administrator Mary Catherine Hannah.
Horton denies claims her past with Kline slowed Tahoe’s care.
“I would never delay an animal getting care because of personal feelings for someone,’ says Horton.
“Sorry I don’t believe it,’ says Persinger.
Horton and Hannah both say Kline never contacted them to offer his services, but Persinger believes employees made Horton aware of the offer.
Kline tells us he did surgery for little cost in December on a dog named Zamboni, who also had a bad leg.
The dog was adopted by a shelter employee. Horton was not aware Kline had done the surgery, thinking the employee’s relative did the work. Despite complaints, Hannah stands by Horton’s leadership of the shelter.
“One hundred percent yes, myself and the board of commissioners have full confidence in Rachel and in her team and how things are operating here,” says Hannah.
Sue Persinger says she and others, don’t have that confidence.
“If we don’t stand up, Rachel is going to continue to neglect and animals are going to be abused, and I am not going to stand for that,” says Persinger.
Rachel Horton says the shelter has raised a little more than two thousand dollars for Tahoe’s surgery, which is scheduled for February 20th.
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