Animal advocates followed Shebah the dog’s plight as she ran loose in the cold November. As she made her way across Lawrence, Shebah appeared in social media photos that revealed hip bones and ribs thrusting against her fur — signs of malnourishment. Her teets hung low, weighed down and engorged. At some point, she’d been separated from a young litter. Shebah evaded several attempts by Lawrence Humane Society staff, officers and community members to rescue her; however, at least one family successfully connected with the dog. They delivered Shebah to the Lawrence Humane Society the first time on Nov. 18. Animal Control then authorized release of Shebah to someone who identified themself as her owner. But, soon, Shebah was running loose again. On Sunday, Nov. 26, Shebah entered the automatic doors of Lawrence Laundromat at least twice after noon, according to its owner, who posted a photo of the dog on social media. With snow on the ground, temperatures hovered that afternoon in the mid-30s. The laundromat’s owner called dispatch but said they were told no Animal Control officers were on duty, and they wouldn’t be available to respond to the call until the next day — Monday, Nov. 27. “They said that there’s nothing they can do,” the owner recalled. In the meantime, a patrol officer would respond, but if the animal were captured, the officer could not transport Shebah to the shelter inside a patrol vehicle, said the owner, who asked that their name not be published. In general, animal control officers work daytime hours, seven days a week and subject to staff availability, according to the City of Lawrence’s website. The page tells residents to phone dispatch at 785-832-7509 to report at-large or captured animals, and Lawrence Humane Society “should be called for after hours situations involving injured animals.” “Pretty disappointed with the city services available,” the laundromat’s owner then placed a second call to the shelter, and the call went to dispatch. This time the owner asked for help with an unhealthy, malnourished dog at-large. With no Animal Control staff on duty, shelter staff intervened. Shannon Wells, executive director of Lawrence Humane Society, arrived at the scene near 25th and Louisiana streets. Wells said Shebah was looking inside trash containers and probably foraging for food. Wells said she saw Shebah vomit — likely due to “garbage gut” caused by consuming trash. Despite efforts by the patrol officer, Wells and community members, they couldn’t lure Shebah into safety that day. Community members and Wells praised the patrol officer for covering a lot of ground in an attempt to locate the dog’s owner or bring the dog into custody.
Source: The Lawrence Times
