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Dusty, a German shorthair pointer, owned by Patricia Grampp (left) and Erin Grampp was at the Spotsylvania animal control shelter for nearly a week despite having a microchip and tag with a phone number on her collar. |
By DAN TELVOCK
Spotsylvania County's Animal Control Department kept a 2-year-old dog in a pen for six days without contacting its owners, even though the pet had tags and a microchip.
Lt. Col. Michael Timm acknowledged the error was made and said it has resulted in a new policy that requires staff to scan for microchips even if the pet presents mildly aggressive behavior.
Timm said an employee did reunite the 45-pound, brown German shorthair pointer, Dusty, with the owners after the employee read a lost-and-found advertisement in The Free Lance-Star.
Timm said it is a policy for shelter employees to read the pet lost-and-found ads in the newspaper.
"I think they did a good job in that respect," he said.
Erin Grampp, who lives at the 40-acre Hill Valley Farm near the Berkshire subdivision, said Dusty fled a pen early May 23 after Grampp's mother went to walk the dog.
According to the animal control report, the dog was picked up a few hours later not far from the Thornburg-area farm.
Thursday morning, after reading a lost-and-found ad, a department official called Grampp to inform her that they thought they had the family dog.
Grampp said she replied: "You guys are contacting me from an ad in the paper instead of reading the collar or scanning the microchip?"
Grampp said during the six days the dog was missing, she thought someone with animal control would have called her if they had the dog because it had tags and a microchip. The tag on Dusty is gold and about 11/2-inches wide. It wraps around her neck and has her name and a phone number clearly stamped on it.
In hindsight, Grampp said she wishes she had called the department. She said anyone who loses a pet should call Animal Control.
Timm, the animal control officer, and his supervisor met with Grampp Thursday afternoon, he said.
On the day Dusty disappeared Timm said a caller reported a dog bite on Morgan Lane near the farm. Timm said the animal control officer did not see skin breakage on the victim so he did not need to complete a state bite report.
The officer checked the area for a dog running at large that fit the description. Instead, he came across Dusty, a dog that did not fit the description of the dog bite report. The officer brought Dusty back to the department for running at large.
Timm said the animal control officer admitted he made a mistake. The dog was marked as aggressive, and Timm said that for safety reasons, shelter employees need to socialize with the dog before scanning for a microchip.
"They try to win it over so the chance of aggressiveness is reduced," he said. "That is when they do the scan."
Timm said he reached out to Dusty Thursday and the dog licked his hand.
"I won him over pretty easily," he said.
Timm said the animal control officer is partially to blame for the incident because the dog was properly tagged and had a microchip.
Grampp agreed. "But obviously someone didn't do their job."
The Sheriff's Office took over administration of the Animal Control Department this year after a string of complaints.
One complaint included a dog euthanized without contacting the owners. Department officers failed to reach the family even though they had the phone number and lost the dog's collar. The incident resulted in the animal control officer losing his job.
Timm urged residents to contact the Sheriff's Office if they believe they received poor service.
"The sheriff and I are new to this and we are trying to do it right," he said.
Dan Telvock: 540/374-5438
Email: dtelvock@freelancestar.com
