Barking Dogs, How to Stop: Target’s Silent Sentence

Nov. 17, 2010 - PRLog -- Phoenix, AR – One resident of Arizona’s Sun Tan Valley is waking this morning without Target, his companion dog and bona fide hero, not wondering about barking dogs and how to stop them, but asking why his best friend would bark no more.  Target, a female German shepherd mix that saved fifty men from annihilation by a suicide bomber at the Dand Paton military base in Afghanistan, had come “home” to live with Sgt. Terry Young in August, 2010.  There, she enjoyed a life of leisure.  She had survived bombs, mortar rounds, and indiscriminate shooting in a war-torn nation, only to meet her demise in the relative safety of the States.  The irony is difficult to deny.

In Afghanistan, near the border of Pakistan, Target had been injured when she and two other dogs barked at and attacked a suicide bomber who was attempting to slink into the military base where Young was stationed.  When the bomb detonated, one of the dogs was killed.  Target and the other dog, along with a few soldiers, were injured by the impending blast.  Had the bomber made it into the base, more deaths would have resulted.  Not one of those soldiers was wondering, “Barking dogs, how to stop?”

When Young realized that Target had escaped through an open gate last Friday, November 12, he posted missing dog notices online and asked his local television stations to report on Target’s missing status.  Target had not been micro-chipped and was wearing no identifying tags or dog license.  When a community resident happened upon the dog, he turned her over to the Pinal County animal shelter.

Sgt. Young saw her picture posted on the shelter’s website, but decided to wait until Monday to pick her up.  When he arrived to retrieve his companion, she had already been euthanized.  An animal officer had mistaken her for another dog who was sharing the same enclosure, citing Target’s thin condition as the reason for thinking it was her turn to go.  That employee has been placed on administrative leave for failure to follow euthanasia protocol.

Target truly was a hero and a fine example of the loyalty and protective nature of these fantastic animals.  Unfortunately, a series of unfortunate events led to her untimely death.  Dr. Nortey Omaboe, of Cabinet Veterinaire International in Switzerland is troubled by this incident, and had this to say:  “I can only hope that this heart-wrenching episode raises awareness among other dog owners.  Owners should have their dogs micro-chipped by a veterinarian.  Micro-chipping with a lifetime dog license is permanent, eliminates the need for yearly tag renewal, and is recognized by all animal shelters for identification purposes.  Also, if word is received that someone has recovered a dog, her owner should never wait to claim her.  A simple and immediate phone call could save her life.”  He went on to say, “I hope that the Pinal County shelter adheres to proper procedure in the future, to ensure that no other dog owner has to endure the type of pain that Sergeant Young is suffering right now.”    

You can learn more about Dr. Omaboe’s career, his philosophies on veterinary care, dog barking how to stop procedures, and his Fast and Easy Dog Training system by visiting http://www.fastandeasydogtraining.com.

# # #

We at Cabinet Vétérinaire International vow to care for animals as if he or she is our own – with compassionate hands and the highest levels of honesty and integrity that clients dare to expect.