06/10/2026
It is with heavy hearts that we share that we made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize Clovis.
During his time in our care, Clovis showed many wonderful qualities and our team worked hard to provide support, training, structure and evaluation. Unfortunately, Clovis displayed increasingly severe behavioral aggression that posed a serious safety risk for people, including our staff, and/or other animals.
After exhausting reasonable placement and management options and consultation with experienced veterinary and behavioral specialists, it was determined that Clovis could not be safely or responsibly placed in a home environment. It is our job to SAFELY place animals in their forever homes and when we cannot place a dog or cat because of severe behaviors - a very rare occurrence - we have to make very difficult decisions.
Humane euthanasia was considered only after all other realistic options were explored. This decision was made out of concern for public safety and for Clovis’s overall welfare and quality of life. Clovis had plenty of great times in our care, but most recently has shown aggression towards his caregivers. A life in a kennel with limited human interaction, is not a life we are willing to put a dog through. It is also important to realize that a dog in this mental state is also stressed and uncomfortable - it would not be fair to Clovis to continue to live this way. It should also be noted this change in behavior was not due to any medical concerns - this is always our first assessment when behaviors arise.
We know this news is painful for everyone who cared about Clovis, including our staff, volunteers, board members and community members who have supported his journey. Thank you for showing compassion and understanding with this incredibly difficult situation. We owe it to our community to be transparent when such situations arise and, as always, we are extremely grateful for your support.
