Bored husky escapes kennel and chaos follows at Alabama shelter. See the destruction
UPDATE: Titan has been adopted. “He is going to a home with an experienced owner for his breed,” the Colbert County Animal Shelter reported May 17.
The original story is below.
A bored husky got loose after hours at an Alabama animal shelter and went on an all-night vandalism spree that included ransacking files and pushing costly computer equipment off desks.
The aftermath was discovered early Tuesday, May 16, when staff arrived at the Colbert County Animal Shelter in Tuscumbia, about 110 miles northwest of Birmingham.
A photo shows they were eagerly greeted by the suspect, named Titan, as he sat atop a mound of debris.
“We will have a slight delay this morning due to a Husky throwing a party last night in the lobby,” the shelter posted on Facebook.
“Front desk computer is destroyed along with files and paperwork. He somehow let 2 dogs out in the back also. So we have a big mess to clean up.”
Surveillance video shows Titan spent the night walking atop desks and counter tops and nosing through paperwork. He pushed equipment to the floor, pulled things out of boxes and even yanked blinds off the windows.
It’s estimated more than $2,000 in damage was done to the front office, and a fundraising campaign is underway to raise money for a new computer and replacement supplies.
How Titan got free was not revealed, but it didn’t take him long. He had been surrendered by his owner just one hour before the shelter closed that day, officials said.
He is now in the equivalent of “doggy jail” at the shelter, which is practically begging someone to take Titan off their hands. However, it’s recommend the new home have “metal furnishings and deadbolt locks.”
“He is such a sweet dog, unless you are paper products,” the shelter wrote.
Experts say nothing about the destructive spree was out of character for Siberian huskies. The breed is notorious for being “escape artists” and they seem to enjoy tearing things apart, Dogtime.com reports.
“They can jump fences, break tie-out chains, slip collars and find any other way to escape,” the site reports.
“Huskies can be very destructive both inside and out. If they are left uncrated inside, the breed can destroy a house and cause a wide variety of damage.”
The shelter’s predicament has gotten thousands of reactions and comments on social media, many from husky owners who note that’s “just a normal evening” at their home.
“They are demons I tell you. Demons!” Ashley Albritton Harrell joked.
“Owning a husky is not for the faint of heart! He’s totally unrepentant!” Lori Varnell posted.
“Love that people who already love the breed find this endearing and funny because I look at this and think I could never own a husky,” Mary Cammisano said.
This story was originally published May 17, 2023 at 11:28 AM with the headline "Bored husky escapes kennel and chaos follows at Alabama shelter. See the destruction."