Lawsuit: 14 bomb-sniffing dogs on way to Afghanistan died in truck

[jermnang]

Pathetic and Sad.

The death of 14 bomb-sniffing dogs allegedly housed in an unventilated sealed truck while awaiting air shipment from Houston to military forces in Afghanistan has spawned a lawsuit in which requested damages may top $1 million.
Named in the suit filed this week in 281st state District Court in Harris County are Indian Creek Enterprises, Inc. - doing business as Animal Port Houston - and Live Animal Transportation Services.
Lawyers for the dogs' owners, Florida-based American K-9 Detection Services said the animals - German shepherds and Belgian Malinois - died on Dec. 21 while housed in a truck at Live Animal Transportation Service's George Bush Intercontinental Airport facility.
In an unsuccessful bid to settle the matter without going to court, a Houston lawyer for the Florida company asked the defendants to pay $1.3 million in damages and $30,000 in legal fees.
According to the lawsuit, the animals - Tiny, Rex, Rocky, Crock, Dork, Harrie, Stress, Sigo, Rex, Jaco, Kimbo, Kilo, Albert and Bak - were taken the Houston shipping facility on Dec. 20. A veterinarian had certified all were in good health.
When it was not possible to ship the animals on a same-day flight, the lawsuit contends Animal Port Houston employee Christopher Hay said the dogs would be boarded overnight in the company's kennel and warehouse.
The animals were to be flown to Afghanistan Dec. 21.
But when agents for the dogs' owners visited the shipping facility early on that morning, they found the animals inside an unattended refrigerated box truck, the lawsuit says. The truck was running with the doors partly ajar.
The agents smelled a rancid odor, the lawsuit says, and when they shook the crates, the dogs inside failed to move. They found blood on the truck floor and in some crates and damage that suggested two animals had tried to escape the containers.
All the dogs were dead.
The lawsuit contends temperature inside the truck reached 77 degrees.
Hay who now is the owner of Live Animal Transportation Services said Wednesday he was familiar with the incident but unaware he had been named in the lawsuit.
Thomas Schooler, owner of Indian Creek Enterprises, could not immediately be reached for comment.
allan.turner@chron.com

Lawsuit: 14 bomb-sniffing dogs on way to Afghanistan died in truck - Houston Chronicle

[LaRen616]

That is one of the saddest things I have read in a while.

All of those lives lost, how terrible.

[chelle]

That is absolutely horrible. I wish I wouldn't have clicked that link. Additionally, if this Christopher Hay was responsible for putting them in that container, I hope they follow up with a huge civil suit, too.

[Josie/Zeus]

This makes me sick.

[KentuckyGSDLover]

77 degrees shouldn't have killed them. My guess is they didn't have enough air, if they died within a day. This makes me sick, and I'm certain their handlers are absolutely heartbroken as well.

[GSKnight]

Something is wrong with the link... it gives me an abridged version of what was posted, then crashes my Internet Explorer

Here is another dumb question: The article says it was 77 degrees in the truck... is 77 degrees that dangerous??? (just thinking back to the "in the car" thread going on now...

[LARHAGE]

It had to be uncomfortable no matter what they say the temperature was, a few dogs bled trying to get out and the fact thet ALL died says something isn't adding up.

[Stevenzachsmom]

Originally Posted by GSKnight

Something is wrong with the link... it gives me an abridged version of what was posted, then crashes my Internet Explorer

Here is another dumb question: The article says it was 77 degrees in the truck... is 77 degrees that dangerous??? (just thinking back to the "in the car" thread going on now...

I agree about the temp. Maybe lack of oxygen, like KentuckyGSDlover said. Maybe carbon monoxide? It said the truck was running. Whatever the cause - it shouldn't have happened and is incredibly sad. What a horrible loss of precious cargo.

[PaddyD]

Maybe it was 77 when they found them but a far different temperature that killed them.

[mysweetkaos]

14 Bomb-Sniffing Dogs Found Dead Overseas Civilian Contractors

Here's a link to the same story on another site. It says here sealed and unventilated. Shame no matter how it happened.