Employees are suspended for trying to save dog at SPCA

by Matthew Hoekstra

Two Delta SPCA employees have been suspended after stealing a dog ordered killed by managers, who deem it a risk to public safety.

Cheech, a Rottweiler-Labrador cross, was scheduled to be euthanized Wednesday, but shelter employees Amanda Muir and Kirsten McConnell, aided by a volunteer, whisked the dog away before the kill.

Muir is still on long-term disability leave after a vicious dog attack in Tsawwassen a year ago left her with severe injuries to her arms.

She insists the behaviour of the former guard dog has improved since it arrived at the shelter two months ago from a Tilbury business.

"If they really feel he is a danger, we have agreed he will be put down. But we don't believe that," said Muir.

"If he was a true danger, he wouldn't be able to be handled by people."

Muir admits the dog is extremely afraid of men, but said it hasn't bit anyone and it should be given a chance to be rehabilitated in a foster home since it's less than a year old.

It's rare for animals at the Delta shelter to be euthanized. Muir said there has only been one such instance this year - a dog with "lots of" medical issues.

SPCA spokesperson Lorie Chortyk said yesterday the dog is still missing, and police have been called to help in the search.

Chortyk said Cheech scored poorly on behavioural assessments and said its fear-based aggression hasn't improved with attempts at rehabilitation.

"During his time at the shelter, the attacks have been escalating," she said, noting Cheech is particularly aggressive toward men.

"It's bit staff, it's bit assessors, it's tried to lunge and get at children that were near."

Chortyk insists the decision to euthanize Cheech wasn't taken lightly, and made with opinion from UBC animal welfare experts.

Even if Cheech is cared for in a foster home by a woman, there's no guarantee the dog won't attack others without warning, she said.

"We have a legal duty, but we also have a moral duty not to knowingly place an animal in the community that we know has a very high risk that it's seriously going to injure someone."

Const. Sharlene Brooks said yesterday Delta police are still trying to locate Cheech.

"The SPCA has deemed the dog to be a danger to the public, that causes us concern that it's at large; it represents some liabilities," she said.

Brooks said the pair could face charges of theft.

Muir received a Chief Constable commendation from Delta police at last month's annual police awards for holding on to the dog that attacked her last June outside the Tsawwassen Animal Hospital, thus preventing harm to others.

Outspoken SPCA critic Judy Stone, president of the Animal Advocates Society, said the shelter staff were only trying to carry out the SPCA's mandate to prevent cruelty and to promote animal welfare. She believes the society's behaviour assessment process is flawed.

"I've rehabilitated dogs just like this dog for 10 years," she said. "The SPCA has consistently thwarted employees like Amanda and Kirsten."

Delta SPCA volunteer Mia Riback is organizing a rally at the Delta SPCA branch (7450-80th St.) today at 11:30 a.m. as a show of support for Muir, McConnell and Cheech.

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SPCA officer is called a 'hero' by witnesses

Amanda Muir wouldn't allow others to help her until dog that attacked was secured

by Matthew Hoekstra

Delta SPCA animal control officer Amanda Muir is being called a hero for not letting go of a vicious Rottweiler that brutally attacked her outside the Tsawwassen Animal Hospital Wednesday afternoon.

"She would not let go of that animal. She intended to hold onto that dog until it was contained so nobody else would get hurt," said Brian Twaites, an off-duty paramedic who was the first to treat her arm wounds.

Muir, 33, was transporting the guard dog, which had a leg injury, from its home at West Coast Engineering Group in Ladner to the clinic when it turned on her.

At about 12:45 p.m., Twaites was working out at the nearby Tsawwassen Athletic Club when he saw several people running outside. Someone rushed into the gym and shouted for an ambulance.

Twaites saw people trying to peer out the windows of the gym. He didn't look.

The 38-year-old advanced life-support paramedic ran to his car and got his first aid kit.

"I went outside and she was sitting on the curb holding on to this huge Rottweiler," said the Ladner man.

He said the dog appeared friendly, panting and wagging its tail.

Twaites shouted that he was a paramedic. Muir shouted back, telling him not to come near her, insisting that the dog be contained first. Another SPCA officer was on the way, she said.

He froze, but asked if she was injured. "She said, 'My arm is half off.'"

The huge dog had already mauled one of Muir's arms. But it still appeared calm, even as a group of a dozen people stood waiting to help.

And then, it happened - again.

Somebody came around the side of Muir's van and startled the dog.

"The dog started attacking her again," Twaites explained. "It started mauling her other arm."

The people waiting to help all raced toward the dog at once. Southpointe Academy teacher Claudine Da Silva was part of the group.

"I heard her screaming, screaming at the top of her lungs and the dog growling," she said.

A clinic staff member repeatedly kicked the dog in the head, trying to get it off Muir. Rodney Ferguson, helped by two other men from the gym, grabbed the dog by the scruff of its neck. It was eventually forced into a safe area of the clinic.

Meanwhile, Twaites had dragged Muir away from the scene and began treating her injuries. He rode along in the ambulance to Delta Hospital, where Muir was stabilized before being transferred to Royal Columbian Hospital.

"This woman is the hero. She would not let go. She was more concerned about holding onto that dog and keeping it away from the public," said Twaites.

"If that dog got loose - there's a school there - it would have been havoc."

Da Silva also spoke of Muir's bravery.

"She is the hero, because she took a second mauling to save everybody else in that area."

Muir underwent surgery Wednesday night, and again yesterday. SPCA spokesman Shawn Eccles said she has another three or four surgeries scheduled, and does not expect her to be released from hospital for several days.

"She's OK," he said. "She's obviously broken both arms and has lacerations on both."

Her extensive injuries may require bone and skin grafts, he said.

An outpouring of sympathy has greeted Muir, an SPCA officer since 1999, and a volunteer for years before that. She is also host of the popular Delta Cable show "Live at the SPCA."

"The hospital has been inundated with phone calls, she's received loads of flowers and lots of support," said Eccles.

Ted Brockman, spokesman for West Coast Engineering, said the company is fully cooperating with the SPCA and Workers' Compensation Board investigation. He said they had two dogs - the Rottweiler being the only guard dog.

Eccles said it is not uncommon for the SPCA to transfer animals for their owners.

"We do assist people in transporting injured animals to veterinarians, for whatever the reason may be. People may not have the transportation available so they'll ask us to do it," he said.

Eccles said the SPCA doesn't approve of guard dogs.

"If a dog is put into a situation where it's deprived of companionship, whether that be another animal or a human, then you're putting it in ... distress."

Witnesses reported seeing a muzzle near the site of the attack, but the dog wasn't muzzled.

Muir has requested in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the local shelter. She was also sorry when hearing her attacker had been put down.

Said Eccles: "That's Amanda. That's the way she is. She sees the good in every animal."

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Thursday, March 11, 2004

NEWS
Delta SPCA animal control officer Amanda Muir scratches Rocky, one of three long-term residents of the pound. Echo and Wong, watched by inspector Eric Nyberg, have also spent at least six months behind bars.

Trevor Rate Photo
Looking for love in the wrong place

by Jessica Holmes

Hugging is Rocky's specialty.

The three-year-old rottweiler-cross flies from his kennel at the Delta SPCA into the arms of animal control officer Amanda Muir.

"If he could stand here all day, he would," Muir laughs as she scratches the ears of the black dog planted against her chest, its front legs outstretched on her shoulders like a loving dance partner.

Moments earlier, Rocky was bouncing around his cage, spinning and barking ferociously. Once out of the cage, he lies peacefully against the shelter employee as if he hadn't a care in the world.

It's that cage behaviour which scares away potential adopters, Muir says. Rocky can't handle the confinement, but otherwise, she says, the dog is a virtual teddy bear.

"He's the cuddliest, sweetest dog who would sit at your feet and look you in the eyes all day," Muir says. "He wants to be a family dog."

Rocky is one of three special-case dogs at the shelter Muir wants to tell the public about.

The rottweiler-cross has been at the SPCA for almost five months, ever since his owners decided they couldn't take him where they were moving.

Another special-case dog whose story needs to be told, Muir says, is Wong, a unique looking, five-year-old white, gold and black German shepherd-cross.

Wong, whose owners also moved away, has been in various SPCA kennels for about 10 months.

Muir says, while the dog looks beautiful, people don't want to adopt him because he takes a long time to warm up to anyone.

"He's scared of everyone," she says. "He's even afraid of kittens."

Muir says Wong is good with cats and people and is the farthest thing from aggressive. Wong has even learned some basic commands while at the shelter.

"Once this dog trusts you and knows you, he won't leave your side," she says.

The one with saddest story of them all, though, is Echo. The large, rust-coloured chow-cross barks, jumps up and has a short attention span, but it's the only behaviour he knows, Muir says, because he's spent the majority of his life at the pound.

Echo has been at the SPCA for a year - four months longer than he is old.

"He still acts like a puppy," Muir says. "It's pent up energy from being here so long."

The Delta SPCA has more animals than ever: 28 dogs in 18 kennels and 85 cats, 80 of which are in foster homes. The shelter hasn't had to put a dog down for space in more than two years and Muir is hoping it will stay that way.

View the animals for adoption in Delta over the Internet at www.vrbspca.bc.ca. The shelter, at 7450-80th St., Ladner, is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays and noon to 5 p.m. weekends.

http://www.thenownewspaper.com/issues02/015102/news/015102nn2.html

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