The latest news about Maine lakes and ponds.

"Red" Won't Be Euthanized

May 18, 2010 - SKOWHEGAN -- Red's life has been spared.

That was the word Monday on the fate of a golden retriever that bit a woman who had considered adopting the dog earlier this month from the Somerset Humane Society.

Red, so named by humane society workers, could have been euthanized Monday -- 10 days after the biting incident.

Normal protocol for euthanizing a dog is to hold the animal for 10 days to see if it shows signs of rabies, such as frothing at the mouth and aggression.

Red showed no signs of rabies, humane society manager Pat Nelson said Monday morning.

"Red gets out of quarantine, but will not be available for adoption at this time," Nelson said. "I'm on my way to deliver him to the shelter. It's a 'no-kill' shelter; that means if he's deemed nonadoptable, they will keep him there forever."

Temperament tests will be done on the dog, and an assessment will be done for a training schedule in hope of rehabilitating him, Nelson said.

"Red then may be a safer dog to return into the community," she said. Nelson would not say where the "no-kill" shelter is.

The 4- or 5-year-old dog was picked up as a stray April 13 on White School House Road in Madison. The dog's owner has never come forward.

by Staff Reporters, May 18, 2010, Kennebec Journal

Lakes:
Regions: Belgrade


Print this story

Email this story

return to Lake News