APACHE COUNTY, Ariz. — Some good news has come from a tragic situation wherein an Apache County Sheriff's Office deputy was forced to shoot and kill seven abandoned dogs amidst the county's growing animal control crisis.
The sole surviving dog of the larger group involved in the incident was rescued and recently found her forever home, Molly Ottman with the Mountain Daily Star reported.
The incident happened in September 2023 in Adamana, an unincorporated community in Apache County about 26 miles northeast of Holbrook. The county doesn’t have animal control services and residents often complain about a problem with wild and stray dogs; one candidate for sheriff even has campaigned on a platform of dealing with the county’s abandoned dog problem.
Body camera footage of that day showed the deputy corralling seven of the dogs into a fenced-off enclosure. Two other dogs, one eventually named Darla and her puppy, hid under a shed and were left behind after the seven were killed.
Northern Arizona Animal Search and Rescue used trail cameras and set traps to humanely capture Darla and Bruno, according to a Facebook post from the organization.
The dogs were taken to the Holbrook Humane Society for further treatment. Sadly, Darla's puppy contracted parvo and did not survive his illness.
Darla was brought to the Mountain Girl Rescue foster home in Flagstaff where she quickly found a family to adopt her.
"This is what happens when resources are utilized, and Darla has an amazing life now," Northern Arizona Animal Search and Rescue said in their post.
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