Boulder, ID# 318191
Boulder’s short life started as a tale of compassion and a lost dog’s incredible progress and ended at MCAS in a series of unconscionable excuses and poor decision making to justify killing him. But none of the evidence in the records supports the managers’ conclusions that Boulder was extremely dog aggressive or “unhealthy and untreatable.”
History
Boulder was found abandoned at the Troutdale Truckstop on June 04, 2024. His single medical condition was alopecia (hair loss), caused by allergies. His finders, who became his adopters, described him as smart, playful and easygoing with strangers, high energy, learning to run next to a bike very well and “learning ‘whoa’ for stop and right and left for turning.”
He ran on a bike 2 miles a day, three times a day, 4 days a week. His adoptive family reported in the owner surrender personality profile that he was not afraid of fireworks, stayed home alone very well, was learning to relax and really loved massages. They reported also that sometimes he became mouthy when excitable. He did well with the adopters’ female dog, was not afraid of fireworks, stayed home alone very well, was learning to relax and really loved massages.
His single reported challenge in his adoptive home was reciprocal displays of aggression between the family’s unneutered male dog and Boulder. Although they never formally met, they fought through barriers. The family believed it was a challenge they could not resolve in a shared home. It was the reason that after adopting Boulder on June 11, 2024 they returned him a month later on July 11, 2024. That was the only month that he had a good life. After his return, Boulder never left MCAS. He was killed a week after his return on July 17.
11:10: 03 AM, July 17. 2024
“Rounds met and elected to move forward with euthanasia due to significant dog aggression.”
He was killed two hours later at 12:48 PM on the same day that he was sentenced to death, denied foster and rescue options, labeled “unhealthy and untreatable.”
The Rounds Review Committee decision ordering Boulder’s euthanasia alleging “significant dog aggression” is a strange illogical decision. No reasoning is provided. He had lived in an adoptive home for a month where he got along well with the resident female dog but the aggressive relationship between himself and the resident unneutered male dog was reciprocal.
Part of MCAS animal data collection process is to put dogs into playgroups with other usually unneutered and unspayed dogs and see how they react. No one monitoring the play groups has any animal behavior and training background. The purpose of Dogs Playing for Life, a nationally recognized program, is to create compatible play groups to alleviate the stress and boredom of kennel confinement. MCAS has robbed it of that purpose and converted Dogs Playing for life into an opposite version from its intention becoming “Dogs Playing for their lives.”
After Boulder’s adoption return for incompatibility with the adopters’ male unneutered dog, Boulder was placed, sometimes forcefully, because he was reluctant to enter, into a series of play groups with male unneutered dogs.
In his case, he was tested in 2 Play groups held on the same day. If the record is correct, they were held minutes apart. Though data entry errors could be responsible for that short gap between playgroups, since they are commonplace at MCAS.
On July 12, 2024 Rounds recommended playgroup, following up on July 16, 2024.
July 16, 2024 was the day Boulder was playgroup tested and killed.
July 15, 2024 Behavior Notes:
“As we have been unable to get dog into playgroup,[no reason listed; no noted effort recorded] his presence is poor (growls, barks), and he hasn’t been out of kennel since return, I wanted to work with him before trying PG tomorrow.
Boulder was lying on bed. I approached outside kennel door, tossing teats [sic] He slowly got up and approached, eating treats. Once at door near me he gave some low growls, and slight lip lift. Continued treating, and had him sit for a treat. He moved away from door, and I unlatched, asking if he wanted to go for a walk. He came running back with loose body and wagging tail, pushing out as leash. Crossed into yard where he walked straight to far gate, as if seeking exit. Remained loose, allowing all contact. Returned to kennel after a few minutes, tossing treats to exit without issue.”
The only exercise and personal contact Boulder experienced at MCAS from July 11 onward, a dog who loved running alongside a bicycle several times a day, was a walk lasting a few minutes on July 15, 2024.
5:02:57 PM July 16, 2024 PLAYGROUP: Attempt 1
“Greeting: His greeting to the dogs at the fence was OK. He hesitantly approached and sniffed with dogs, some tail wags. Stiff, furrowed brow maybe some whale eyes and huffing. Started to loosen up and sniff dogs with quicker wagging tail. A bark and pawing when he wasn’t let in. Body loosened some. We debated letting him in unmuzzled due to his greeting, but felt more comfortable trying the muzzle- unfortunately the muzzle work was not successful and we wanted to give him time to recover.
Attempted muzzle work. Very strong and hard to get it on him, once on he would completely focus on the muzzle. He would rip the muzzle off and get it stuck in his mouth. Got very amped up, especially when the Fedex truck came. When Caleb was working to get the muzzle on and off, he mouthed at Caleb’s hands a few times- warning nips with no growling. Did not bring him into the yard due to lack of muzzle and his reactions.”
In short, at the instruction of inept managers, the staff felt compelled to use force to accomplish a delayed order. When someone sees a dog is uncertain, one does not force a muzzle on a frightened dog in as inept a way as possible. At MCAS, an animal’s distress is never considered an important factor because the order is that the ‘trains must run on time.’
5:07:15 PM July 16, 2024 PLAYGROUP:
“Greeting: Came up for sniffs, tail wagging. Mildly steerable when you spray his feet, looking towards the exits.
Entry: Walked in and allowed FDBD sniffs [face and bottom] from other dogs. Zeus 320026 was sniffing him and he froze, whale eye. He allowed it but then after a little bit without let up he growled and chased after Zeus. No real contact made. Zeus retreated away from him. Not steerable with water or shake cans but one spray of pet corrector in the face stopped him. He did try to re-engage with Zeus. Bumped him from the yard and he barked at the fence. He did not show any interest in Sapphire for the brief time he was in the yard.”
Dogs Playing for Life was never intended to be used as Dogs Playing for their lives.
It is cruel and unusual inhumane conduct to use negative interventions to purposefully set dogs up for failure by taking them past their limits in order to justify killing them. Forcing a muzzle on Boulder and spraying his feet after forcing him into playgroups, as if “play” were the main intention when play groups at MCAS are testing to decide which dogs to keep, which to kill, is deviant and unprofessional management behavior. Even under those deliberate unfavorable circumstances, Boulder behaved well.
Nothing in any of Boulder’s history justified killing him; nor did anything in his history qualify as “significant dog aggression,” requiring the diagnosis of “unhealthy and untreatable.” He had an amicable relationship with the female dog during his brief adoption, and a reciprocal hostile relationship with the family’s unneutered male dog. The diagnosis of “unhealthy and untreatable” at MCAS is deliberately assigned to all dogs, not just to Boulder, regardless of merit, dogs they want to dispose of quickly without responsibility.
The Multnomah County Chair and Board of County Commissioners tolerate a cruel and harmful public agency, where everything turns to ashes all of the time. Indifference to public service and to animals’ lives is so commonplace it has become normalized.
Gail O’Connell-Babcock