Good samaritan told to put lost dog ‘back on the road where she found it’ by York ranger

“My mum has stopped to pick a small, black (wet and shivering) dog off the side of the road,” Shel said on the Saving Pets Facebook page that she runs. 

“[She] has called her local ranger (York, WA) who has said she should just 'put it back on the road where she found it' and the vets are all closed.

“Are there any local rescues who could help with a contact who could look after this guy until the vets open tomorrow?”

With the help of strangers on Facebook Baby the 17-year-old dog was reunited with her owner and past York ranger Angela Plichota, but Shel said she expected better from the Shire of York ranger. 

“People pay registration fees on their pets, with the assumption that those tags protect pets from harm,” Shel said.

“This is not good enough; for public safety or the care of our fur-family members.”

Shel’s mother Wendy Williamson has been invited to lodge an official complaint about her experience with the ranger and said she will be submitting it to council this week

The post has since been deleted from Facebook.

Speaking to the Avon Valley and Wheatbelt Advocate, owner Angela Plichota said she has drafted a letter to the Shire regarding the comments made about her dog Baby that she is yet to send off. 

“To say I was distraught at Baby going missing is an understatement as she is going blind and deaf and was a rescue from the pound when I finished as the Ranger in 2010,” Angela said.

“Then to read the comment said from the Ranger, I was disappointed,shocked and angry as I could not believe both the in and after hours Rangers would say such a thing.”

Shire of York chief executive officer Paul Martin said he had only become aware of the issue on Wednesday morning. 

“An official complaint has been made and it will go through an investigation stage as per the Shire’s complaint’s policy,” he said.

“We will look into what happened and why it happened.”