Andrea Rosebrock 
What a damn shame, to put it mildly! Shreveport Police Officer Ron DeBello rescued this tiny beagle mix puppy from under a house on Henderson Avenue. He fell in love with the little guy and when he showed a picture of the puppy to his wife and children, so did they. They decided to adopt him if no one claimed him and even named him K-9.
Officer DeBello took the puppy to Caddo Animal Shelter to be checked out and told them that is no one claimed the puppy after the week waiting period he wanted to adopt him.
The week goes by and no one claims the puppy. Officer Debello goes to Caddo Animal Shelter to pick up his furry new family member that he and is family have been excitedly waiting for…. but where’s the puppy??
DeBello and shelter workers looked all over, in all the cages but when they found the little guy, it was too late. His body was found in the freezer, he’d been killed. “Lost in the system” is the excuse that a perfectly healthy, practically adopted puppy lost his life.
Caddo Animal Shelter has been under fire in the recent past for killing large numbers of perfectly adoptable pets but there was hope that things had changed.
Director Matt Pepper says as unfortunate as it sounds, the puppy somehow got lost in the system. Pepper says it’s one of many regrettable issues he’s addressed since he’s taken over. He says he’s already implemented new practices that will hopefully keep this from happening again. (KTBS)
Sadly, these changes are too little and too late for this little puppy and the family that so looked forward to sharing their home with him. Hopefully the DeBello family will save some other puppy from Caddo that was lucky enough not to be ‘accidently’ euthanized.
I get so angry when I hear stories like this and so many others that showcase problems at shelters. Most of the animals that unfortunately wound up in these places of last resort are already so down on their luck and have been through hell, is it really so difficult to take the time to care for them properly and humane?? I know that many shelters are overcrowded and shorthanded but there have to be some safeguards in place and people need to be accountable and responsible so things like this and man other horror stories I have heard about some shelters do not happen!
Why is it that some shelters just can’t wait to put unwanted pets to death?? I don’t care what they say everyone had to know about this puppy and it’s story with it being on the news….. I’m finding that many people are just mean and don’t care about life … and more are coming up thru the pike of life and getting worse…. Shame on this shelter they need to be brought down and cleaned out of everyone…. I just don’t understand they get people in that just don’t care about animals and the leave the ones that do care and want to help save lives and bring love to people in the form of animal they won’t give us a chance at running a shelter… some thingk you need a degree inthis and that but you know I have something much better then a degree it’s love and understanding of animals… you have conect with thier hearts their feels and thier minds you have place yourself inside of their mind and way of thinking ….. Shame on these people and hope they pay … Yes I would love to run a shelter!!! and willing to relocate to do so …
you know “getting lost in the system” is a piss poor excuse for that shelter, it doesnt bring the dog back to life..mistakes like that are too big and someone should not still b working there whoever made the so called “mistake”..to begin with a week isnt even time to find a dog a home…specially a puppy being put down after only one week?? it seems to me there needs to b some MAJOR changes at that shelter!!!!!!! these are living creatures and there is no room for mistakes when it comes to taking a life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This makes me so mad and of course makes this shelter look horrible to the public!!!!!!!! gosh this pisses me off!!!!!!!!!!!!!
karenkrs99@yahoo.com
Damn!!Caddo…You would think, that with the large number they have killed recently, the opportunity to save one would mean something and someone would have paid attention!!WTF!What is going on in that place??
I have had several problems with shelters. 1) a huge white german shepard/malamute/wolf mix showed up, dug under the fence and got my dog pregnant. I kept him for a week but then had to call the animal control as I could not find his owners on my own. I told them if the owners did not come, I would take the dog myself. I went to the shelter 3 days later to see if his owners had come and the dog had been put down that morning. 2) I had a blind old dog that was let out of the yard by workers. I called the shelter looking for my blonde colored dog but they told me all they had was a dog that was brought in that said black and white. I went there anyway and there he was in the cage, no food, could not reach the water and as soon as he smelled me started whining and trying to get out of the cage. They would not let him out until I paid the “fee” for what I don’t know as they didn’t give him food or water and someone had found him and dropped him off. His paperwork said he was BL colored and thats why the person I talked to when i called said he was black and white but that BL meant blonde. So since these two situations, I have made sure that none of my animals ever get lost because no one cares about the animals but their owners…hopefully…but sometimes not even then. Thats sad.