AN ANIMAL rescue centre called in police after it was bombarded with abuse for euthanising a “fit and healthy dog”.
Edinburgh Dog and Cat home were branded a “kill centre” in posts online and told to “hang their heads in shame” by furious animal lovers.
The centre also claim that staff were “harassed and intimidated” on their own personal social media accounts.
The row erupted after the home took on a boxer dog called Kody and tried to deal with its aggressive and unpredictable behaviour. Three staff were hurt, one of whom needed hospital treatment.
Dog lovers who campaigned for Kody were outraged when the home admitted it had reluctantly given up trying to save the boxer.
One Facebook user referred to staff salaries as “nothing but blood money” for working at a “killing shelter”.
They added: “Would not trust EDCH with a cockroach. Despicable. Hang your heads in shame.”
Other posts have included photographs of Kody with the text “Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home killed me” alongside a broken heart emoji.
And a Twitter account called “Help me save Koby” claimed “Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is a kill shelter”.
The home’s phone line was also jammed with complaint calls.
A spokesman for EDCH today said: “The ongoing social media campaign diverted our limited time and resources from our work caring for the hundreds of dogs and cats we rescue and rehome every year.
“We refuse to engage with individuals who harass our staff and write abusive messages about them and the home on social media.”
The home confirmed that it had reported the abuse and harassment to Police Scotland.
And it said the “false accusations and misinformation” about Kody were based on short visits and a “16 second video clip”.
They added: “Even our staff members with decades of experience in dog behaviour found Kody highly unpredictable.
“Kody regularly displayed aggressive and threatening behaviour towards our staff resulting in three attacks and one hospital visit.
“When an animal displays unpredictable and aggressive behaviour, the safety of our staff and the public will always be our top priority.”
Mike Flynn, Chief Superintendent at the Scottish SPCA backed the home, saying: “Sadly, this is the harsh reality of what responsible animal welfare organisations have to deal with.
“Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home is a highly reputable organisation and will have done everything within their power to help this poor animal.”
A spokeswoman for Police Scotland today (wed) said: “We were called on the 25th of November and made aware of the matter.
“We spoke to both parties involved but found that no criminality was involved.”
