BGA: Animal Control Mistakes Led To Deaths Of 2 Dogs
(CBS) -- Chicago's Animal Care and Control is charged with controlling and caring for unwanted or abused animals.
But a WBBM investigation with the Better Government Association has uncovered recent mistakes that killed two dogs at the South Side facility.
The dog's name was Chance -- coincidentally, as in, second chance at life.
Chance was at Chicago Animal Care and Control for at least nine days. He'd been treated for bite wounds.
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Animal Care and Control Executive Director Sandra Alfred says a rescue group was interested in taking Chance.
"The rescue group might have been interested in working with him, whether it was for adoption or trying to save him," she says. "And a staff failed to do the appropriate hold in the system, and the pet was euthanized."
Alfred says the staff member was suspended and is now back at work.
In another recent incident, Alfred says a dog was brought into ACC and died -- possibly choked to death as the staff was trying to bring him under control.
"We're not sure if he was choked to death but we know he had stopped, he sort of relaxed. So we're not sure what happened," Alfred says.
Alfred says an employee is expected to face "an aggressive suspension" -- 20 days or more -- for the death of that dog. She says two other staff members have already been punished.
In March, WBBM reported that Animal Care and Control has let hundreds of calls languish for months -- calls about possible inhumane treatment of animals.
