05/27/2025
Today broke my heart.
After careful evaluation and multiple opinions from experienced professionals, it became painfully clear that the German Shepherd posed a serious danger to the public. Even under pain and anxiety medication, his aggression was extreme and unpredictable.
This wasn’t just behavioral. He had an embedded collar, Lyme disease, and likely more internal injuries than we could see. He was failed long before I ever met him.
I’ve taken a lot of heat for sharing his story online, but I refuse to carry the emotional weight of these situations alone anymore. Why should I be the only one haunted by what happens in our area?
People need to understand what’s going on in our communities — the lack of resources, the lack of support, the lack of education, and the consequences of neglect.
Would this dog being shot in a farmers field have been a better option? Because it happens around here more than people would like to believe, and it’s completely legal. (Please note-I do not support this, but I also do not make the laws.)
To the person who owned this dog: I hope your heart is even more broken than mine. You didn’t provide basic veterinary care. You let him roam, get hit by a car, and spend two terrifying days running loose, scaring neighbors and endangering others. Multiple people tried to contain him, and frankly, I’m relieved they couldn’t. Someone could have been seriously hurt.
Let me be clear: responsible pet ownership could have prevented this entirely. Contain your dogs. Spay and neuter them. Keep them healthy, safe, and supervised. This should never have happened — and it wouldn’t have, if the bare minimum had been done for him. These animals rely on us, and when we fail them, the consequences ripple far beyond the individual dog.
I don’t understand how this is being blamed on animal control. I did my job. I protected the public — from a dog that you failed. And yet, I’m still the one being attacked for it.
Thankfully, I have medication that helps me manage the toll this work takes on my mental health. But don’t be mistaken — I still feel the weight of every decision, every life, every loss.
To those criticizing from behind keyboards: You made me question myself. You made me feel like a monster. But I know the truth — I did what needed to be done, with compassion, and with every available resource.
Every animal professional who saw this dog today supported the decision. This was not taken lightly.
Public safety must come first — for both people and animals.
I wish it didn’t have to end this way. But this wasn’t the dog’s fault. This was human failure — and he paid the ultimate price for it.
Unless this was your dog, please refrain from messaging or calling me regarding him. I get over 50-75 messages a day. I don’t have time for hate mail. 🙄
