DOG DEATH ANGERS OWNER, OFFICIALS BLAME NEGLIGENCE

SCOTT CITY, Mo. -- A woman says an animal control blunder caused her 3-year-old, one-eyed, escapist mutt, Pepper, to be euthanized despite her best efforts to reclaim him from the animal shelter.

Sandy Blankenship says an overzealous Scott City animal control officer seized the dog and told her she had to appear in city court before she could retrieve Pepper from the Humane Society of Southeast Missouri, which contracts with Scott City to hold captured pets.

"I was hoping they were taking care of him. I was thinking they would be," Blankenship said. "It's kind of like your child. If someone takes your child, you hope they're feeding him and taking care of him."

Although Scott City officials declined to comment on the situation, a shelter employee said Blankenship had numerous opportunities to reclaim Pepper, who was blind in one eye, before he was killed.

Debbie Litzelfelner, humane society administrator, said the society does not want to euthanize any pets. She added that workers left repeated messages for Blankenship that Pepper needed to be picked up, but received no response.

"Nobody ever said anything to us that it was a court case," she said. "As far as I know, it never was. It was just that the dog was running at large, and she had an opportunity to come in and claim her dog and she never did."

Repeated escapes

According to Blankenship, this is the way Pepper met his demise:

The dog was impounded in mid-October after his second escape in a week's time from a backyard pen. The first time Pepper escaped, Blankenship received two tickets from the city. Although she did not immediately pay the tickets, animal control officer Richard Copeland allowed her to take Pepper home.

A few days later, animal control picked up Pepper again and took him to the shelter. Blankenship received two more tickets in the mail.

Humane society workers told Blankenship she could not have the dog until it was approved by Copeland. Numerous messages she left for Copeland were unreturned, Blankenship said.

In the meantime, Blankenship was told she had to appear in court because she, by then, had accumulated four tickets for Pepper's wanderings.

Blankenship appeared in court Jan. 3, paid a $368 fine and asked to have Pepper returned. Court officials said they did not know Pepper's whereabouts.

Finally, after an inquiry by her lawyer, Blankenship learned Tuesday that workers at the shelter euthanized Pepper in November.

Copeland said Wednesday that he could not speak about the incident without counsel from the city attorney. City Administrator Erika Glock also declined to comment, saying city workers were advised not to speak because of rumors that Blankenship was going to file a lawsuit over the incident.

Blankenship denies making any threats of lawsuits but blames Copeland for Pepper's death.

"This is wrong," she said. "I haven't spoken to my lawyer yet, but he had no right. That was our pet that we have had for years. How would he like it if I went over there and killed his dog?"

Litzelfelner said the shelter keeps stray pets for a minimum of five days in an effort to find owners. However, she said, in a situation where there is a pending court case, the society will hold pets indefinitely.

"It's not uncommon for us to hold animals for court cases," she said. "We don't do anything until the court says we can. Usually, by that time, we're attached to them enough that we do our best to place them anyway."

The local shelter accepts animals from 17 counties. Last year, it took in about 4,300 animals, ranging from cats and dogs to pigs, rabbits and goldfish.

Blankenship said Pepper was a good family dog who will be missed.

ANIMAL CONTROL

Scott City Animal Control Policies:

* All animals must be restrained.

* Impounded dogs and cats shall be kept for at least five working days.

* Identifiable owners of impounded animals must be notified by telephone or mail.

* To retrieve an impounded animal, owners must show proof of ownership and vaccinations and pay a redemption fee of $10, plus an additional $10 for each day of impoundment.

* Any animal not claimed within five days can be put up for adoption or euthanized.

* In lieu of impounding an animal, officials can issue the owner a notice of ordinance violation, which carries of a penalty of $10. The owner must pay the fine within 72 hours or risk further punishment.

* The city's licensing authority can review all licenses issued to animal owners who receive three or more violations in 12 months.