Saddest story of the day: Service dog’s final resting place
By Gina Spadafori
August 21, 2007
Gentle reader alert because of graphic nature …
The body of a missing service dog was taken directly to a rendering plant instead of to a shelter for possible ID, in violation of policy by California’s state department of transportation — better known as CalTrans:
Brigetta Smith, public information officer for Caltrans confirmed that the dog was taken there even though it violated the department’s procedure. Road crews are supposed to take the body of a dog or cat to an animal shelter so it can be scanned for an ID chip – and the owner can be notified, she said.
In this case, [owner Richard] Gambord and others searched for a week for the dog that was wearing a collar and a purple cape with the logo for Assistance Dog Institute.
Based in Santa Rosa, the institute places nine to 15 assistance dogs each year and there is always a waiting list. Quinn was placed with Gambord, who has multiple sclerosis, three weeks ago, and the dog already had helped Gambord take a few steps without fear of falling.
“We certainly didn’t want it to end this way,” said Jorjan Powers, community and public relations director for the institute. “It’s just an unhappy ending no matter how you look at it.”
Here’s the rest, from the San Jose Mecury News. You’ve been warned.
Rest in peace, Quinn.
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Comment by Lis — August 21, 2007 @ 9:49 am
How sad so now he has been rendered to go into —-what—?petfood?
Comment by thomas — August 21, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
It was a Login required, but I don’t think I could have read the story.. Rendered?? into petfood! didn’t the pet food companies all swear not to long ago that they do not render pets into pet food. Shouldn’t be animal feed of any kind.
Unhappy ending! a service dog becomes rendered. That is a truly horrible thing to have happened.
Katie
Comment by Katie — August 21, 2007 @ 7:41 pm
ACK. The very fact that the dog was taken to a place called “San Jose Tallow” makes me so very glad that I am vegetarian. That sounds so very wrong. My heart goes out to both Mr. Gambord and to those who worked so hard to train this dear service dog.
Moving slightly up the “food chain” - I work Animal Control in WI - DOA hit by car animals are the duty of the street and highway departments, no one checks for micro-chips, so many owners may never have a clue what may have happened to “Fluffy”. At least we have room to move forward and improve -
story without membership or log-in:
http://origin.mercurynews.com/.....ck_check=1
Comment by Terri — August 22, 2007 @ 12:42 am
I’m curious what happened to the dog that caused him his early demise. I cannot get into the site to read the story.
Comment by Deanna — August 22, 2007 @ 10:02 am
He and his owner were in an auto accident, and the dog got loose on the highway. He ran off, and was hit and killed. (But his owner didn’t know, and kept looking.)
Comment by Gina Spadafori — August 22, 2007 @ 10:44 am
When I first heard about the rendering of euthanized dogs and cats winding up in pet food, I thought it couldn’t be. I thought that maybe someone was putting out a lot of hype to sell a book, or something.
To my horror and disgust, I have found it to be true now.
I just wonder how many others out there are oblivious to the fact that they may be feeding dogs and cats (among other things)to their dogs and cats? And how many are aware that these same rendered dogs and cats are being fed to our cows (who are vegetarians by nature)?
If that’s not disgusting enough, the chemicals used for euthanasia, as well as flea collars and metal tags and collars, etc. are also going into this mix.
Our food industry (both pet and human) has truly become disgusting and not worthy of our trust.
Comment by Marcy — August 23, 2007 @ 3:32 pm