Catawba County shelter gets warning for waiting to give care to dog that died
The Catawba County Animal Shelter’s failure to get a dog medical care led to the animal’s death, according to a warning letter issued in late April by the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
The dog, named Lainey, was impounded Dec. 14 as a stray. She had a fever and a large mass on her left shoulder, intake documents indicated. Outside medical care recommended by the shelter’s veterinarian was not provided despite an escalating fever between Dec. 14 and Dec. 29 and an exam that noted the mass appeared larger, the state found.
On Jan. 5, the shelter’s veterinarian recommended Lainey be seen by a “full service veterinarian for bloodwork and radiographs.” Instead, she was transferred to a rescue 15 days later on Jan 20. An immediate veterinary examination at the rescue found Lainey showed signs of infection and blood loss. She was placed on antibiotics and referred for potential surgical drainage of the mass, but was found dead at the rescue the following day, the state’s investigation notes.
“Instead of providing adequate veterinary care in a timely manner or euthanizing the dog, the shelter waited 15 days for a rescue to take the dog and for the rescue to provide the recommended care,” a warning letter issued to the shelter April 29 reads.
The shelter also “struggled” to produce records when requested by the state, the letter notes.
The violations stemmed from a personnel issue that has since been resolved, Catawba County Manager Mary Furtado said in an email.
The shelter’s veterinarian detailed a plan for the shelter to follow for medical cases to prevent future violations related to the care of sick animals, the letter noted. The state will monitor the shelter’s compliance in future inspections.