A 94-year-old Astoria woman is demanding answers after her beloved collie, Angel, was euthanized by the city's largest animal shelter.
"She was my companion, she was like a child to me," said Jane Guardascione, who has owned the 13-year-old collie since 1999.
Angel somehow got out of the house on April 10. Guardascione looked for her to no avail. She would later find out that a woman who lives a block away found Angel and took her to the Animal Care and Control Shelter in East Harlem. The shelter posted a photo of Angel on their Web site, which is how Guardascione discovered her whereabouts. She went to the shelter Saturday morning to get Angel only to discover she was put down.
"I think it's disgraceful," said Carole Miller, Guardascione's daughter. "To have a 94-year-old woman all excited to see her dog ... and to find out this happened."
By law, animals must be held for a period of 72 hours unless considered gravely ill or critically injured. According to the shelter's medical records, Angel was considered to be frail, dilapidated and gravely ill when she was first brought in. Records note that Angel collapsed on the ground and wasn't moving, which could potentially mean her internal organs were breaking down. The shelter insists they put her down when they did to prevent her from suffering any longer.
"She had arthritis but I wouldn't keep a sick dog; I'd put her down," Guardascione insisted. "Just the other day, I let her out and she ran down the street."
The shelter issued a statement saying, "It is our goal to avoid euthanasia unless we deem it absolutely necessary. We have been in contact with the family to offer our assistance during these difficult times. In addition, we’re looking into the matter further and will take corrective actions if deemed necessary.”
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Guardascione believes mistakes were made that led to the death of her dog who had only spent about four hours in the shelter. She believes the staff should be held responsible.
