Justice for Recovering Addict's Wrongly Euthanized Kitten

by: Animal lovers

recipient: Arizona State Legislators

Recovering heroin addict Daniel Dockery raised his kitten Scruffy from birth, hand-feeding her and letting her sleep on his pillow. As Dockery nurtured his pet, he found a sense of purpose that helped him overcome his drug addiction.



On December 8, 2011, Scruffy cut herself on a barbed-wire fence and sustained easily treatable lacerations. Dockery brought his pet to the Arizona Humane Society. Unable to pay the $400 vet bill, he signed his ownership rights away to ensure prompt treatment.



Two days after Christmas, Humane Society officials confirmed that Scuffy was put down due to Dockery's inability to immediately pay the vet bill. Although Dockery's mother offered to pay the bill over the phone with a credit card or wire the money in, the clinic manager refused her offers.



Euthanizing Scruffy was completely unnecessary and cruel, especially in light of her role as a therapy pet. Sign the petition to make Arizona a no-kill state to prevent this type of tragedy from happening again.

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On December 8, 2011, Scruffy cut herself on a barbed-wire fence and sustained easily treatable, non-life-threatening lacerations. Concerned for the kitten's comfort and health, Dockery brought his pet to the Arizona Humane Society. Unable to pay the $400 vet bill, he signed his ownership rights away to ensure prompt treatment.



Two days after Christmas, Humane society officials confirmed that Scuffy was put down due to Dockery's inability to immediately pay the vet bill. Dockery's mother offered to pay the bill over the phone with a credit card or wire the money in so that Dockery could pay cash, but the clinic manager refused her offers. Dockery had also been receiving donations from sympathizers, but the clinic didn't want to wait.



The decision to euthanize Scruffy was completely unnecessary and cruel, especially in light of her role as a therapy pet. Please consider making Arizona a no-kill state to prevent this type of situation from happening again. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition. We, the undersigned, are disturbed by an Arizona veterinarian's decision to euthanize recovering heroin addict Daniel Dockery's kitten because he couldn't pay his vet bill on time. Daniel Dockery raised his kitten Scruffy from birth, hand-feeding her and letting her sleep on his pillow. Their relationship was symbiotic; as Dockery nurtured his pet, he found a sense of purpose that helped him overcome his drug addiction.On December 8, 2011, Scruffy cut herself on a barbed-wire fence and sustained easily treatable, non-life-threatening lacerations. Concerned for the kitten's comfort and health, Dockery brought his pet to the Arizona Humane Society. Unable to pay the $400 vet bill, he signed his ownership rights away to ensure prompt treatment.. Dockery's mother offered to pay the bill over the phone with a credit card or wire the money in so that Dockery could pay cash, but the clinic manager refused her offers. Dockery had also been receiving donations from sympathizers, but the clinic didn't want to wait.