Shayla

Owner not notified missing dog was at animal shelter
Helen Turner: Microchipped dog disappeared, was found with help of Facebook
By Jennifer Franciotti
May 30, 2014

Woman discovers missing dog at animal shelter

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. —A Baltimore County woman wants to know why she wasn't notified about her lost dog after it was picked up by animal control services last week.

Helen Turner said despite her dog, Shayla, being microchipped, she was never told her dog was at the shelter.

On Friday, 2-year-old Shayla looked happy to be back home. More than a week ago, she had gotten loose from her family's backyard in Owings Mills.

"We looked for her all over the neighborhood -- everywhere -- and we couldn’t find her. We were distraught," said Turner told 11 News.

She said she called local shelters and that repeated calls to the Baltimore County Animal Services Division, which handles loose dogs, went unreturned. She posted a photo of Shayla on Facebook and asked friends to share it.

Turner said the next day, someone posted a photo taken from inside the Baltimore County facility on Manor Road, wondering if it could be the same dog.

"When we went to the Baltimore County animal shelter, we walked in and I showed them the picture that I posted on Facebook. I asked, 'Is this dog here?' They said no, and I said, 'Is it OK if we walk around just to take a look?' And they said sure," Turner said.

Within minutes, Turner and her son, Daniel, were reunited with Shayla, but they said it's a reunion that should have happened sooner. Although the tags came off Shayla's collar, the dog is microchipped and has a spay tattoo from a local shelter.

"I said, 'Shayla's here. No. 16.' And they said, 'Are you sure? It doesn't look like her.' I said, 'I'm positive that's our dog. Did you scan her? Because she's chipped.' And they were like, 'Well, I just got here. I don't know if she's been scanned,'" Turner said.

Turner said while at the shelter, she noticed on the paperwork that there was a termination date for Shayla that was dated for four days from the date they picked her up.

According to the Baltimore County Health Department, which oversees the facility, Shayla was scanned at least once. A statement from Health Department Director Dr. Gregory Branch said in part, "Our practice is for all dogs to be scanned in the field and again during the veterinary exam. Unfortunately, sometimes the chip is missed, even with multiple scans, due to location, type of chip or the behavior of the animal."

But Turner wasn't buying the explanation.

"I don't. I live right around the corner from where she was found," she said. "It's disgusting. We're told to get a microchip and all the information is loaded on it, that way any shelter or vet will scan, and that way they'll be able to find you and your pet to bring back together."

Turner credited Facebook for getting her dog back and was thankful she went to animal services to check for herself. She had a message for other pet owners.

"Be persistent and don't give up. Take any avenue. You can't just wait because apparently having a chip doesn't help," she said. "I don't want to know what would have happened. We adopted her a year ago, and she's our family pet."

Shayla was originally adopted from the Humane Society.

Source: http://www.wbaltv.com/news/owner-not-notified-missing-dog-was-at-animal-shelter/26247202#!TxZhU