Sasha, Pepper, Ringo die for reason in Vermilion Parish

The deaths of dogs Sasha, Pepper and Ringo will, in the long run, help other animals who are sent to the Vermilion Parish Rabies Animal Control facility in Nunez.
As a result of their deaths, a sub-committee made up of volunteers and police jurors, overseen by the police jury, was created to try and make sure animals bound for rescue never be euthanized because of miscommunication.
Sasha, Pepper and Ringo, which were mixed breeds, were euthanized by the parish’s animal control facility on the day they thought were they were being adopted.
They were put down last Thursday morning, on the normal day animals are euthanized by the rabies animal control facility.
However, the day before, Pam Monceaux, the director of the rabies animal control shelter, exchanged e-mails with Community Animal Rescue and Adoption (CARA) about transportation being sent that Thursday to Vermilion Parish to pick up the three animals. Monceaux said in the e-mail for the transporter to be there at 8 a.m.
By 10 a.m, the time animals are euthanized in Nunez , Monceaux had not heard anything from CARA, so the three dogs were put down.
Someone from CARA called the shelter a couple of hours after the dogs were put down to let the shelter know they were on their way. It was too late.
Well, from that point on, outrage began on the internet over the dogs being put down even with the knowledge of knowing someone was coming to rescue them that day.
At the police jury’s general needs committee meeting, there were more than 70 people wanting answers as to why Pepper, Ringo and Sasha were euthanized. More than 5,000 people from all over the world signed a petition asking the same questions. The Police Jury was bombarded with hate e-mails from animal lovers.
Tony Alonzo, a lawyer, attended the police jury meeting seeking answers as to why the dogs died on the day they were going to be rescued.
Attorney for the police jury, Paul Moresi III, explained to Alonzo and the crowd that CARA was told to be there at 8 a.m. and by 10 a.m. no one had heard from CARA on the rescue. He said there was no phone call placed to the police jury letting them know when the person would arrive. That phone call finally came just after 11 a.m.
“Why could she (Monceaux) not wait three hours?” asked Alonzo. “She knew someone was coming.”
The police jury defended Monceaux by saying she was not 100 percent sure if the rescuers would ever show up that day
Moresi reminded the crowd of the parish’s court mandated ordinance that lists a four day holding period for animals. Sasha, Pepper and Ringo were there for 32 days. Also, the ordinances states the parish must euthanize to prevent over-crowding.
When the discussion between the police jurors and those upset with the animal control over the deaths of the three dogs, something positive came out of the meeting.
The police jury agreed to create a sub-committee with at least eight people, including some of those who spoke at Wednesday night’s meeting, and some jurors.
The reason for the sub-committee is to oversee issues that are occurring the animal control shelter and ways to help make the animals easier to adopt. One way is to put as many animals as possible on Facebook, giving them more exposure.
The first meeting of this sub-committee is Monday in the courthouse before the regularly scheduled police jury meeting.