Grizz, a trainee detector dog, was shot dead by police after escaping from its lead and causing delayed flights at Auckland Airport.
A 10-month-old trainee sniffer dog was shot dead by police after it was spooked and escaped its handler at Auckland Airport. Airport workers tried to catch Grizz for 3-hours causing 16 flight delays. Eventually authorities made the decision for police to shoot the canine.
Grizz was only six months away from graduating.
An uproar has ensued, with animal rights groups blaming the airport for sacrificing an innocent life for profits. Pilots refused to risk passenger safety by taking off whilst the dog was still on the loose.
“We exhausted every option available and could not catch it,” an Auckland Airport spokesman told the BBC.
When asked why the dog could not be tranquillised, the spokesman said: “I do not have the answer to that. But there were no tranquilliser guns at the airport, and the police do not have them either.”
The incident has been likened to the shooting of Harambe the gorilla at Cincinnati Zoo last year, which sparked global outrage.
Auckland Airport’s Facebook and Twitter pages have been bombarded with comments condemning the airport’s decision to shoot the puppy.
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