ANDERSON, SC – Anderson County Council is looking for the public’s help in phrasing a law that prohibits pet owners from euthanizing their own animals.
This comes after a boxer named Amara was shot in the head by her owner back in January, and was found walking on the side of the road weeks later.
The Anderson County Sheriff’s Office found no laws were broken in the treatment of Amara.
Amara’s caretaker says despite Amara’s injuries, she’s doing fine and living a normal lifestyle.
Under the new ordinance, owners would be required to take their dog to a vet or licensed professional to be euthanized.
Some say, the law is no good if it won’t be enforced, and the key to change starts with the Sheriff’s Office.
The ordinance states, an owner can euthanize their dog if they think it’s rabid or being too aggressive, which some saw as a loophole, saying anyone can claim a dog is being too aggressive or that they thought it was rabid, but say it’s up to the deputies to investigate the situation.
“i can’t write an ordinance here that says to the individual, ‘first, you’ve got to be bitten by the dog and go to the emergency room so we have records that show that you were bitten by a rabid dog, and then go back and shoot it. I’m being a littl facecious there, but show me the verbage you want me to put in there,” says Tom Allen, Anderson County Councilman.
To voice your opinion, councilman Tom Allen encourages the public to email him to help shape the law.
