Greensburg — On the heels of the Decatur County Commissioners' approval of the new animal control ordinance, they heard about an experience Donna and Cary Sebastian had with the department of Animal Control.

Donna Sebastian explained that the couple had come to the meeting due to the Aug. 3 death of their dog, Molly. She explained that they had been made aware last fall that Molly was not to be running loose. The dog had been blind since she was a puppy and enjoyed visiting with the neighbors and completing the same route each day, Sebastian explained.

"She had been picked up twice," she said, "so we had been aware that it was against the law."

She explained that when they attempted to contain Molly on a tether, she would bark and act unhappy. So, the couple chose to let her continue to run loose. On Aug. 3, Animal Control Officer Mike Wenning found the dog running at large on County Road 60 Southwest. He put her on the tether that was attached to a clothesline pole in the Sebastians' back yard. Molly had a bowl of water near the back door and a swimming pool to cool off in, Donna Sebastian explained, but the tether could not reach either one. She said the heat index that day was 105 degrees, and the dog was left without shade to rest in or water to drink.

"She must have smelled her water and pushed through the railings," Sebastian said, "and she hung herself. A friend found her, so we didn't have to see it, but there were scratch marks all over the wall by our door, and we have to live with knowing she suffered so greatly. How could someone in that position not give water?"

She told the commissioners that they had talked with the Animal Control Board about the situation.

"I have no faith now that the animals are taken care of there - a 5-year-old child knows to give a dog water and not put it in the sun," she said.

Nobbe said he had spoken with Sebastian in the past, and noted that steps have now been taken to make sure it does not happen again. He said he felt confident that it would not happen again. Johnston explained that Wenning was acting on her instruction. She said that it was the third time the dog had nearly been struck in the road on County Road 60 Southwest, twice by Wenning and once by another person who brought her to the shelter. When he called, she explained, she asked if there was a dog box or tether, and when he said there was a tether with access to a dog house, she instructed him to leave the dog on the owners' property.

"It is unfortunate," Johnston said. "We are very saddened by this incident. This was not intentional. In retrospect, our intention was to prevent a) Molly being hit and b) a possible accident. In hindsight, we have decided the best policy will be to bring the animals to the shelter at all times."

Cary Sebastian asked why Wenning wasn't instructed to bring Molly to the shelter. Johnston explained that in most instances, owners do not come and pay the fines to reclaim their dogs on the third time. Sebastian asked multiple times why water had not been left within Molly's reach. Johnston explained that it was overlooked.

"We want to know why a man in that position doesn't practice what he preaches," Sebastian asked. "To me, he just did not do his job. Period. You can sit there and apologize or do whatever you want to. The man did not do his job. To me, he did not practice what he preaches."

Johnston explained that it was a mistake. Jerome Buening, President of the Commissioners, said the matter was one for the Animal Control Board.

"In my career, I cannot say that I've never made a mistake on my job," Nobbe said. "Have I been dismissed because I made a mistake? No. Have I been talked to and asked to correct them? Yeah. I feel like the Animal Control Board will do the same in this case."

Commissioner John Richards also responded to the Sebastians.

"However regrettable this situation is, I understand your point of view. We have dogs and cats, and we look at them just like they were members of the family, and I know Mike well enough to know that he wouldn't intentionally put an animal in harm's way," he said. "I honestly believe that he was looking out not only for Molly by tethering her out back, but I also feel that he was looking out for you guys instead of taking her in, thinking 'I'll just put her back here, and they'll be home shortly, and things will be taken care of." Unfortunately, something didn't go right, and in my life I have had several things that haven't gone as planned. Regrettably, this is one of those incidences where we can't change what happened but we can move forward and put measures in place to make sure it won't happen in the future. I do sympathize for you, and hopefully we can use this as a way to learn to do our jobs better, and hopefully that will resolve it."

"Thanks for coming and bringing it to our attention," Buening said. "We know it is difficult to relay that story. We'll move forward and make sure it never happens again."