Investigation underway after 3-month-old puppy mistakenly euthanized at shelter

LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has ordered an investigation after a shelter accidentally euthanized a young dog.

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In a motion introduced by Supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, an employee of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control “erroneously authorized the euthanasia of a 3-month-old puppy named Bowie at the Baldwin Park Animal Care Center.”

“All of the circumstances surrounding Bowie’s euthanasia is being looked at very carefully,” Maria Rosales, manager of the shelter, told KTLA. Rosales told the station that the shelter deeply regrets the puppy’s death and said, “The department takes its life saving mission very seriously. It’s not taken lightly at all.”

Bowie had been surrendered to the shelter by an owner because their landlord didn’t want him in the house, KTTV reported.

“It’s really heartbreaking to hear that this had occurred, and we found more and more cases where this has happened before,” Solis told KCBS.

The motion filed with the Board of Supervisors argues that despite policies in place to care for shelter animals, Bowie’s death showed “many animals are not being successfully placed with viable adopters or rescues. It is time for the county to rethink its animal care strategy to maximize the number of animals that find their forever homes.”

According to the motion, DACC euthanized 3,741 of the 12,547 animals in its care between July 1 and Nov. 30. Those numbers translate to approximately 30% of the animals being put down.

Animal Care and Control officials have 90 days to report back to the Board of Supervisors with a five-year plan to decrease the number of animals being euthanized, KTLA reported.

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