Animal Control Facility Euthanizes Wrong Dog

By Samantha Abernethy in News on Jul 30, 2011 8:00PM

The head of the Kendall County Animal Control facility has admitted to euthanizing the wrong dog. Instead of putting down "Moose," a bull Mastiff that has bitten at least three people, a different bull Mastiff was put down, and Moose went up for adoption. The woman responsible, Christine Johnson, said she discovered her mistake about a week after it happened and kept it secret for weeks. She has been placed on administrative leave.

Sun-Times writes:

Johnson admitted Friday that the wrong dog had been killed. She said the other bull Mastiff “had issues,” too.

“That’s why I thought it was the dog,” she said.

Clearly angry, Anne Vickery, chairman of the Animal Control Committee, who up to that moment had insisted to press and the public that Moose had been euthanized, made a point to say she was repeating information given to her by Johnson.

“This is the first we’ve heard this,” Vickery said. “We had no idea.”

Animal Control is trying to get Moose back from his new owners and likely will face euthanasia again. He was brought to Animal Control after biting a postal worker. Then, Moose bit a 6-year-old boy in the face in early July while at the facility. Moose also may be about 60 percent blind.