A hero dog who helped save U.S. solders from a suicide bomber in Afghanistan was euthanized today by mistake at an Arizona shelter.
Target, a female shepherd mix, belonged to Sgt. Terry Young, an Army National Guard member, but was picked up as a stray after she slipped out of his yard in the San Tan Valley area southeast of Phoenix over the weekend, the Arizona Republic said.
Target, who was once featured on “The Oprah Winfrey Show,” was taken to the Pinal County Animal Care and Control Shelter in Case Grande.
The agency said a shelter worker mistakenly took Target out of her pen this morning instead of another dog and euthanized her, even though the dog was not scheduled to be put down.
Young told the Arizona Republic he posted online notices and contacted TV stations about his missing dog, and on Monday he went to the shelter to see if she was there. But it was too late.
“I’m an absolute wreck today and it’s everything in my power to hold it together for me and my family,” Young said in an e-mail to KPHO, Channel 5 news, the local CBS affiliate
“My 4-year-old son just can’t understand what is going on with Target and keeps asking me to get the poison out of her and bring her home. They don’t want her to go be with God yet,” he said.
How stunningly sad.
all i have to say is asshole’s, and i hope who ever did this gets fried and sued, u idiot, do u know what u did toi this family, and to the people who she saved, in war,,, what is wrong with u,,hartless ba*****
So lets stop the senseless killing of healthy dogs and then somethig like this will never happen.
There should be some kind of second check, I mean really, killing any of them is bad, but accidentally killing some one’s pet should be DIFFICULT to do ACCIDENTALLY.
This is just so very very sad and unbelieveable, I just don’t know what to say. So very sorry for the family and all the solders this lovely dog, Target touched. How does someone just go in grab a dog and go I’ll kill you now, don’t check for anything first, how can this happen. It’s makes you wonder what else is going on there. If there is a mistake like this, I’m sure other things are going on. What a horrible tragic wrongful death, I hope they sue everyone involved with that shelter, is that the right term, shelter???????????????????????
Here I am .. Former Army Special Forces .. Now an Old Man and I can’t stop my bawling.
Geeze
i am glad that i am not a war hero and a dog cause they would put me down and its just a accident bull this is criminal and their should be something done about it this is down right now putting down a dog is not right but a war hero HOW COULD U DO SUCH A THING fire this person NOW
REST IN PEACE TARGET YOU DID GOOD AND WE WILL MISS U FOREVER
i’m just so angry -just unbelievable-WHY WHY!!! WHY ARE WE KILLING IN THESE SHELTERS IS THIS NOT LIKE IN CONCENTRATION CAMPS. SHE SAVED OUR MEN OVER THERE!!!!EYE FOR AN EYE RIP TARGET–TOO SHORT YOUR HAPPINESS xxxxx
Please don’t use All Caps. It’s very hard to read. Thanks!
who cares about CAPS deal with the issue!!!
I run the site. I care about caps so people can read easily and have a good discussion about the article. Thank you for not using all caps. Have a pleasant day!
My heart BROKE when I read this in the Sun-Times. My first thought was, “how sad that a dog has a better chance of survival in a military base under frequent attack in Afghanistan, than in day-today living in the US?!? AND A SHELTER!!!!!
where is this poor heroes body?—should be placed at arlington cemetary for soldiers
It truly is one of the most sorrowful stories this year. Tragic and easily preventable in so many ways.
Target was a dog angel. She saved 50 lives, she rocked the world of Sargent Terry Young and his whole family, and broke open the heart of a nation. She left the world too soon for all of us, but perhaps at the perfect time for her. And when she left, she did so in a way that has shaken the system of how animal shelters are run to its very core, and will lead to a permanent increase in the level of awareness of the need for improved care for our companion animals everywhere; in the home, in the family, in the shelters, and everywhere else. She is with God, perhaps looking toward her next journey.
Thank you, Target, for everything you’ve done, and God bless and comfort Sargent Terry Young and his wife and children.
I guess mine isn’t the only shelter with idiots working at it. My dog was picked up for snapping and went in healthy but came out with parvo and a respiratory infection. He died 5 days later. I feel for Sgt. Young and his family. Losing an animal is like losing a child. I hope the Target Law legislation can help change shelter conditions for all animals across this country. It’s sad that this dog in particular had to die to get the ball rolling.
I believe that some people just DONT CARE!!!! I love animals and everytime I read something like this I feel ashamed of humans and the way some act. god bless you target!!!! your truly in a BETTER place.
A hero was killed, This can’t be considered as an accident. How stupid.
because of stupid people this war hero/ family pet was killed. what a bunch of idiots at the PINAL COUNTY ANIMAL CARE and CONTROL SHELTER in CASE GRANDE. they need to take out the words CARE and SHELTER out of that screwed up facilitys name. they need to fire these stupid knotheads