In Case You Missed It ...
May 18, 2008 3:41 pm US/Central
Behavior Test Used To Cull Shelter Dogs
SAN LEON, Texas (AP) ―
Former workers and volunteers at a Galveston County pet shelter say hundreds of dogs and cats have been euthanized because they failed to pass a new temperament test imposed by the manager.
Jennifer Rowan, manager of the Bay Area Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, wouldn't say how many animals the shelter has euthanized since it began temperament testing. She said she never claimed the shelter didn't kill animals.
A former shelter employee, Deborah Dean, told The Daily News in Galveston County that the facility used to be a no-kill shelter where animals were euthanized only if they were severely ill or vicious. Dean said she quit after seeing animals euthanized without explanation.
"I've seen her euthanize a dog because she didn't like it," Dean said. "If there's a dog she doesn't like, she tests it until it fails."
Rowan said animals are tested by seeing if they walk toward or away from people. Then the tester puts a hand on the animal's mouth and lifts up the lips to see how it reacts.
"I had a dog that tried to bite me," Rowan said. "That's not the kind of dog we need on the adoption floor."
Rowan said some animals are tested more than once because they can become hostile after spending time in the shelter.
Pamela Reid, the vice president of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals' behavior center, said the accuracy of the tests is uncertain.
James Bias, president of the society's branch in Dallas, where the shelter also uses temperament tests, called them "a gut check at best. It will say if this dog or this cat is friendly or not friendly."
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
RAW VIDEO: 100-Mile Police Chase
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
