Peaceful rally at Rowan County, NC outside commissioner meeting in honor of the life of family dog

Feb. 11, 2014 - PRLog -- February 12, 2014 - Residents who care about the welfare of animals will be holding a third rally on Monday, February 17 at approximately 4:30 pm at 130 West Innes Street in Salisbury, NC. The public is encouraged to join and hold signs, pass out flyers, and attend the commissioner meeting to voice their opinion in supporting better treatment of animals and removing the gas chamber.

This rally is in honor of the life of Bandit, a beagle-lab mix who was rescued 6 years ago and had a loving forever home.

Last month, this adorable and beloved family dog accidentally escaped the house and ran away along a highway, only to be tragically hit by a car. A Good Samaritan stopped and blocked him from being hit by another car and got help to find the owners. She called 911 and dispatchers called an animal control officer (ACO) from the Rowan County Animal Shelter. By time the ACO arrived, owner Jennifer Ridgell had been located and was on the scene, crying over her critically injured and dying pet. She knew there was nothing that could be done for him and was told by the ACO he would be humanely euthanized to end his severe suffering.

But what happened next was not the case.

“He [the ACO] went to his truck, got a pole that had what looked like noose on the end of it, put it around his neck, jerked Bandit up — he was yelping — and threw him in the back of the truck,” Ridgell said. “There was no compassion.”

After this painful handling of Bandit, the ACO returned to the pound and put him down in a barbaric gas chamber, a long and painful death where the internal organs shut down as animals gasp for air.

“What this pet went through will stay in the minds of their family forever,” said Jane Felts of the pet advocacy group Fix Rowan. “As if it wasn’t bad enough to see their dog in such a bad state by being hit by a car, the ACO caused further suffering to Bandit by mishandling him and putting him down inhumanely.”

Local animal advocates and individuals around the world have signed a petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/rowan-county-justice-for-...) asking for the investigation of this incident. A petition (http://www.change.org/petitions/the-commissioners-and-ani...) by Fix Rowan calls for the county commissioners and animal control to implement the No Kill Equation to stop killing healthy animals.

People who care about animals are asked to attend this peaceful rally to request humane treatment of all pets and to dismantle the gas chamber.

About Fix Rowan

Fix Rowan (http://www.facebook.com/FixRowan) is an all-volunteer group of concerned citizens dedicated to ending the killing of all adoptable pets in Rowan County, NC through the adoption of the No Kill Equation.

Contact:

Jane Badgett Felts
fixrowan@gmail.com

Jennifer Hill Ridgell
Ridgelljh@gmail.com