DAVIDSON COUNTY, N.C. — A Davidson County family is devastated and searching for answers after they say their dog was euthanized by mistake while it was staying at the county animal shelter.
County officials admitted it was a complete mix-up. They've apologized but it's not enough for the family whose young children are devastated.
“I was very angry, upset, emotional,” said Rhea Varker.
Varker and her three children, who wanted to visit their dog, Blaze, at the Davidson County Animal Shelter, were confused to learn he wasn't there.
"They first go back to his kennel and take a picture and come back out and show me the dog, and it's not my dog,” said Varker.
After searching the kennels herself, Varker was stunned when she was told the news.
“The director comes out and pulls me to the side and explains to me that they accidentally euthanized my dog on Saturday,” she said.
The family's 16-month-old Australian cattle dog was placed under quarantine for biting her nephew earlier this month. Without Blaze's vaccine paperwork, they had no choice but to leave him at the shelter.
"My 8-year-old is my middle child. He's very tender-hearted, very much a dog lover, animal lover of all kinds. He's the one that it affected the most. He broke down and sobbed. Cried himself to sleep that night, cried himself to sleep last night. Keeps asking me questions about why, how did they do it, why did they do it?” she said.
County officials said the reason is simple.
"Just a mishap with the paperwork. We only have two people there on the weekend and a lot of animals that come in, and the paperwork got crisscrossed and an accident happened,” said assistant manager Casey Smith.
The mistake cost a family a beloved member.
"They told us they were sorry and along with offering us another dog. They came up with the amount that we paid for the dog,” said Varker.
The county is working on protocols to ensure this doesn't happen to another family.