Family reeling after lost dog euthanized without warning

For many of us, pets are simply part of the family. They comfort and love us just as much as we love them, making their deaths just painful. So when Annie McGuinness of Central Valley told the board of the tragic circumstances that took the life of her beloved bloodhound McGruff, they listened.

At a recent Woodbury Town Board meeting, McGuinness relayed the circumstances that led up to McGruff’s death, in the hopes that something could be done to prevent such an unfortunate outcome in the future.

McGruff was a 16-year old bloodhound, the spitting image of his namesake, who suffered from Cushing’s disease. Dogs with Cushing’s disease can appear weak, with hair loss, and thinning skin. They may have an enlarged abdomen and act lethargic, thirsty.

But on October 8, he managed to wander off. McGuinness said that while he had a collar, his tag must have fallen off. Later she found out that he was picked up and taken to Flannery Animal Hospital in New Windsor.

Meanwhile, McGuinness’ family was scouring the neighborhood, searching for their lost pet. She said they spent about six hours that first night looking for him, fearing that he had wandered off to die. They searched social media posts, trying to see if someone had spotted him, but none came up.

McGuinness noted that, due to McGruff’s disease, people may have assumed he was in worse shape than he actually was. But she said he still performed all the typical dog duties that day, like eating and drinking, and snatching snacks.

October 9 happened to be Columbus Day, so while they attempted to contact the animal shelter, they received no response.

“We didn’t know that McGruff had been captured or that it was an emergency situation because there was simply nothing said about it. The shelter is usually very good at communication about and reuniting people with lost pets,” McGuinness shared.

On October 10, they tried the shelter again, but again received no response. They then tried the local police, who also said no dogs had been found. But about 15 minutes after speaking with the police, an animal control officer called McGuinness to tell her the bad news: McGruff had indeed been euthanized.

McGuinness admitted that McGruff should have been wearing a tag. And she said that while animal control may still have had to euthanize McGruff due to his condition, her family would have at least been able to say goodbye. “It was our wish to have him die peacefully at home in the loving arms of his family.”

“We would like to encourage the [animal control officers] in the future to use the power of social media or actually enact an investigation before euthanizing found pets, so that local families will not have to experience the insurmountable amount of grief that this incident has put us all through,” she told the board. “Not every found stray is abandoned or a dumped pet. Some are just old and dealing with a terminal illness and stroll off while our backs are turned.”

Ultimately, she wanted to stress the importance of community in these moments, of reaching out and connecting, while also spreading the word of a potentially lost pet. She hopes that this event brings the community closer together, and more willing to help.

In a statement to The Photo News, McGuinness said, “I can only assume that the people that found him believed they were doing the best thing for him. I don’t know why things happened the way they did, mistakes happen, but if we don’t learn from them, then we are doing our own community a great disservice.”

For their part, the board members expressed deep sympathy for McGuinness’s loss and promised to look into to what could be done to prevent this in the future. Prior to McGruff’s passing, the board has also posted a position for a part-time animal control officer.