What Happened To Duncan?

Joe The Plumber had some bad news yesterday - his big dog Duncan was killed.

Joe, more-or-less homeless since the beginning of June, began feeling guilty about whether his dogs Bela and Duncan were suffering, living as they were in the back of his pickup truck. So, until he got his feet back more firmly on the ground, Joe took them to the ASPCA for temporary lodging.

I'm thinking there might have been a misunderstanding. I think he may have taken them to the City of Sacramento Animal Control Shelter, on Front Street near the Sacramento River, not the ASPCA. Lodging at the pound is something of a gamble....

Returning to the pound to make a visit, Joe discovered that Duncan had been euthanized. According to Joe, they apparently claim Duncan had been abused, had been trained to attack people, had overstayed his visit, and had to be put down. That's clearly wrong: I knew this dog, and he was just a big, friendly goofy dog.

I wonder if something else was up. Big dogs are harder to take care of than small dogs. I bet big dogs are selectively culled. All the staff has to do is concoct some story about the dog being vicious, and sign some paperwork. In any event, Joe bailed Bela, the smaller dog, out of the pound (presumably she hadn't overstayed her visit), and at least saved her.

Joe also described what sounded like racial friction between himself (Hispanic) and his friend (Paiute Indian) and some of the pound's African-American staff. I wonder if the pound's euthanization policies are influenced by bias against homeless Hispanics.

I want to investigate this matter in a little more detail and find out the real story. It's a little disturbing....