SMITHFIELD, Va. (WAVY) — An investigation is underway in Isle of Wight County after authorities say a dog was accidentally put up for adoption — and then had to be admitted to a veterinary hospital for an emergency.
Officials with the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office said animal control officers responded to a home on Carroll’s Bridge Road in Smithfield on May 23 to help with a medical emergency.
A lab mix named Duke was taken to the Isle of Wight County Animal Shelter because his owner had to be hospitalized. Officials said a “series of miscommunications” led to Duke being sent to a lab rescue organization for adoption without the owner’s knowledge.
“Unfortunately a series of mistakes were made,” said Isle of Wight Sheriff’s Office Lt. Tommy Potter. “Once we realized that mistake had been made, it was brought to our attention. Our staff worked extremely hard to make arrangements with this lab group to have Duke returned her to the county.”
The sheriff’s office said every effort was made to get Duke home to his owner — who was released from the hospital — once this was discovered.
However, Duke was placed under emergency care at the Peninsula Emergency Veterinary Clinic before returning home.
Officials said an animal control officer put Duke in a secure compartment of a vehicle to take him back to Isle of Wight County on June 20 — and the dog suffered a medical emergency.
“The dog suffered a heat related emergency,” Potter added.
Duke was eventually reunited with his owner after a lengthy stay at the hospital. The sheriff’s office provided an invoice from the clinic, which shows the cost for Duke’s care was just over $5,700.
Sheriff James R. Clarke has since ordered a full review of the county’s Animal Services Division, along with an internal investigation into the custody, care and transport of Duke.
“We’ll take a look that each person played in the seizure, the care, the custody and the transport of Duke in this time frame,” Potter added.
Clarke issued a statement on Tuesday:
On May 23, 2018, an animal control officer with our office took a dog into custody. He was removed from the home due to medical concerns with his owner and taken to the Isle of Wight County Animal Shelter. The dog, DUKE, was a lab mix and after his removal from the home a and placement in our shelter as series of mistakes were made and subsequently he was surrendered to a lab rescue. Also compounding this incident was a heat related emergency experienced by DUKE during transport and care by a member of our Animal Services Unit. As a result of these two incidents, I have authorized an internal review of our Animal Services Unit as well as a thorough investigation of the circumstances leading up to and involving the seizure, transport and care of DUKE.
It is the mission of the Isle of Wight County Sheriff’s Office and our Animal Services Unit to provide the best possible care to the animals that we encounter. Our office recognizes mistakes were made concerning the incident with DUKE and have paid all vet bills associated with the medical care of DUKE and saw that he was promptly returned to his owner once released to do so by the veterinarian. It is our hope that DUKE lives a long healthy life with his family here in Isle of Wight County.
