Dog rehabilitation center sues animal shelter over German shepherd’s death

It was a heartbreaking ending to a tragic tale.

A four-year-old German shepherd named Alfie has passed after being put down by a rescue shelter. The details surrounding his passing have sparked outrage in the community.

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Kaela-Rose Gentile met Alfie while volunteering in Rhode Island Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or the RISPCA. She shared with the Providence Journal how she became close to the dog:

“He had such a hard life and he showed such resilience. His ability to learn to trust humans again was amazing. He was inspiring,”

Alfie came to the RISPCA through the Johnston police.

https://www.facebook.com/RISPCA/photos/10158125414472694

He has endured abuse and suffered malnutrition from his previous owner. At one point, Alfie was even stabbed in the neck by his owner and was hit in the head with a dumbbell.

https://www.facebook.com/RISPCA/photos/10158222030922694

The abuse was so severe that he would cower in the corner and urinate if he hears someone call his name.

RISPCA President Wayne Kezirian told TV Channel 12 news that Alfie was adopted into a new home but “immediately showed dangerously aggressive behavior” and had to be returned.

https://www.facebook.com/RISPCA/photos/10158222030872694

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Because of this, Earl Newman, a special agent with the RISPCA, said that Alfie posed a danger due to his aggression toward staff and the failure to secure him a new home. Alfie fit the definition of a “vicious dog” under Rhode Island law, which meant that the organization cannot give him away or sell him.

https://www.facebook.com/RISPCA/photos/10158143071942694

Newman explained:

“I agree with everyone who thinks it’s a tragic ending. It is. It was clear that we would not be able to place him. … We exhausted every option that we had, morally and legally.”

But James Lamonte, founder of the K9 PTSD center, thought otherwise. He shared that he offered to adopt Alfie or to send his team to the shelter daily to care for and train the dog. All of it was at his own expense.

https://www.facebook.com/k9ptsdcenter/photos/777256056290432

His offer, however, was met with resistance.

Lamonte said to The Providence Journal:

“This center was built specifically to keep what happened to Alfie from happening. He needed treatment. They denied him care. I never thought I’d be fighting a rescue to save a dog,”

According to their website, K9 PTSD Center is an organization dedicated to fostering research, publication, and education regarding PTSD in canines. They believe that dogs can suffer from extreme and debilitating anxiety.

https://www.facebook.com/k9ptsdcenter/photos/772412033441501

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Kaela-Rose Gentile, who worked part-time at the RISPCA, had been spending a lot of time walking and running Alfie knowing about what he had to endure.

She said she witnessed how Alfie’s condition progressed and that he was showing affection.

To ask for help, Gentile posted a photo of Alfie on Instagram when she learned that the dog would be put down the next day. It was when she knew about Lamonte’s organization.

https://www.facebook.com/k9ptsdcenter/photos/559097771439596

Gentile said she told Rianna Ramirez, RISPCA’s dog program manager, about K9 PTSD’s willingness to take Alfie.

She was fired for making the social media post.

https://www.facebook.com/k9ptsdcenter/photos/547385809277459

He shared with The Sun Chronicle:

“This is exactly the type of dog my facility was designed to treat. I was told that he was an awesome dog and had no history of aggression or biting at the shelter. Yet, they had attempted to re-home him, and it was unsuccessful, and they simply gave up.”

Lamonte said he would sue RISPCA for denying them the opportunity to save Alfie’s life.

https://www.facebook.com/k9ptsdcenter/photos/773822309967140

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Source: Press Reader, The Providence Journal, Instagram – @ri_spca, Facebook – K9 PTSD, Facebook – RISPCA

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