CLAYTON, Mo. (AP) - An audit has found that euthanasia numbers at a St. Louis County animal shelter were manipulated to appear artificially low.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the issue was that a former director of the St. Louis County Pet Adoption Center required all owners surrendering pets to check a box labeled “ORE” on a form. No one explained to owners that the code meant “owner requested euthanasia.”
If the animal was put down for any reason it would be excluded from statistics reported to a county advisory board.
Acting health director Spring Schmidt says a low euthanasia rate had been a “clear expectation” but wanted it met through “system-wide change and not through a manipulation of numbers.” Several changes are in the works, including using more transparent language about euthanasia.
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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com
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