Bubbles the shelter dog euthanized despite online campaign

Thousands of people campaigned online to save the life of Bubbles, a 4-year-old shelter dog who was evaluated to test for aggressive behavior Tuesday.

However, an update on the Anderson Animal Shelter website said Bubbles was euthanized Tuesday night after the evaluation determined that the American Staffordshire terrier mix “exhibited predatory behavior toward both people and other animals and represented a ‘strong risk' to both.”

“Having the benefit of this evaluation, we are confident that no viable alternatives to euthanasia exist,” the website says.

Anderson Animal Shelter Executive Director Beth Drake said several examples of Bubbles' aggression were brought to her attention Oct. 9 when the dog bit a staff member.

“That's when everything was put on hold,” she said. “We started evaluating what the options were with Bubbles.”

The bite was rated a level 4 on Ian Dunbar's Dog Bite Scale, Drake said, meaning the dog's teeth punctured the skin deeper than half the length of a tooth, the dog may have held on, and the bite may have caused bruising.

The staff member claimed she had also been bitten by Bubbles in February, Drake said, and had been attacked but not bitten twice before as well.

Additionally, Bubbles, who has been in the shelter for three years, showed aggression toward other dogs, including a 2-month-old puppy just last week, Drake said.

“It is my responsibility to make sure that our community is protected, and I think our community has the right to expect that the animals we release aren't dangerous,” she said.

Thousands of people on social media and other online platforms campaigned to save Bubbles' life. An online petition, “Save Bubbles the Dog,” garnered nearly 2,500 signatures, and almost 1,000 members were added to a closed Facebook group called “Save Bubbles.”

“We're trying to get more people aware of this,” said Debbie Szenda, who started the Facebook group and initiated the petition. For the past year, Szenda was part of the shelter's Behavior Intervention Team volunteer group that, since May, provided Bubbles with extra attention and training.

Angela Johnson, of Ceasers Heaven Animal Rescue in Harvard, said she offered to take Bubbles in and provide her with a home. She said she visited Anderson and interacted with Bubbles, who cooperated and listened to commands.

Johnson wanted Bubbles to experience life outside a shelter, where people could love and care for her, she said.

“I believe every dog should be given a chance, and I don't believe this dog has been given the appropriate and well deserved chance,” Johnson said.

But Drake said she could not morally or legally release the dog without an expert's recommendation.

The shelter hired Dr. John Ciribassi, an animal behaviorist with Carol Stream-based Chicagoland Veterinary Behavior Consultants, to evaluate Bubbles' behavior Tuesday and make a recommendation for how to move forward, she said.

“Although it was not an easy decision and despite repeated efforts and methods employed by veteran and well-trained staff and volunteers at Anderson to provide enrichment and positive reinforcement training, the report conducted by ... Dr. Ciribassi left no other choice than to euthanize Bubbles,” the Anderson website said.

Szenda and Johnson were among several petitioners who said the claims of Bubbles' aggression were not substantiated because no written documentation or proof has been provided.

The first bite was not documented, which was not the correct protocol, Drake said. However, the most recent bite was reported to Kane County Animal Control, she said.

Officials with the Kane County Health Department said bite reports are only made available through requests under the Freedom of Information Act, which can take up to five days.

“Any policies that were not completely followed have all been addressed,” Drake said. “I am dedicated to ensuring that anything like this does not happen again.”