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Bomb Detector Trainee Puppy Shot And Killed By Police At Auckland Airport After Escaping Handler

Bomb Detector Trainee Puppy Shot
Courtesy: CNN

Bomb Detector Trainee Puppy Shot And Killed By Police At Auckland Airport After Escaping Handler

Grizz, a puppy who was being trained to serve as a bomb detector dog at the airport in Auckland, New Zealand, was shot by police after the dog escaped the care of its handler and delayed numerous flights.  The incident happened on Friday in Auckland and has led to outrage by animal rights activist that say the animal should not have been shot dead, but rather should have been tranquilized.

According to CNN:

Ten-month-old bearded collie cross Grizz was training to be an Aviation Security explosion detector when he escaped handlers who spent hours trying to coax him away from the runway.
Sixteen flights were delayed before airport staff told police to shoot him — Grizz was just six months from graduation.
SAFE for Animals Ambassador Hans Kriek condemned the killing, asking why the animal wasn’t tranquilized, but a spokesman for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said he “didn’t believe” that had been an option.
The airport originally announced on its Twitter that there were delays at the airport because of the dog’s escape to the runway:

The airport than incorrectly stated that the dog was captured, which it then corrected by saying that the animal had been shot and killed:

So, it was a very sad day at Auckland Airport and the incident is quite saddening.  I found the statement by the CAA spokesman to be the most astounding: “We tried everything, food, toys, other dogs, but nothing would work … In these difficult circumstances the Airport’s Emergency Operations Center team decided to have the dog destroyed.”  I get that safety is of upmost importance, but referring to the dog as being “destroyed” seems a bit heartless.  The story is overall sad!

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