The Adams County SPCA shelter manager accused by a Mount Pleasant Township family of unnecessarily euthanizing their family's dog has been dismissed following a board of directors meeting Friday evening, SPCA president Katie Carroll said.
"We interviewed Dawn (Wike) at some length and heard her side of the story," Carroll said. "As of (Friday) night, Ms. Wike is no longer employed by the SPCA or the Meyers shelter in any capacity."
Carroll said she spent last week investigating an incident in which Wike picked up a stray dog on Centennial Road in the early morning hours of July 3 and euthanized it shortly after bringing it back to the shelter. Carroll said she presented her findings to the board at its meeting.
"It does not appear that proper procedure was followed," Carroll said. "Up until this point Ms. Wike has been an outstanding asset to the shelter."
Meanwhile, there was a similar accusation made against Wike by the state dog warden for Adams County concerning an August incident that Carroll said was not part of her investigation.
Carroll said last week that the shelter is required to keep stray dogs for at least 48 hours unless an authorized humane officer, such as Wike, determines that the animal poses a threat to the public health and welfare. She said it is typically a judgment call by the humane officer.
Wike could not be reached for comment for this story.
Dale and Kathy Seymore had accused Wike of unnecessarily and too quickly euthanizing their Norwegian elkhound/yellow Labrador after it ran away from their 11-acre farm during a thunderstorm over the Fourth of July holiday weekend.
Dale Seymore said they were on vacation in Minnesota when Wike picked up their dog, Max, who did not have identification tags or a micro chip, after he was reported at a house on Centennial Road where there was a party going on.
Wike had previously told The Evening Sun that the dog was acting aggressively when she arrived there at 6 a.m. and had bitten a person at the party and herself as she tried to get it in the SPCA van. Wike also said previously that the dog was euthanized because she determined it to be a threat to the public and her staff, which has to feed, medicate and care for the animal.
But Pennsylvania State Police Sgt. Jonathan Mays, commander of the Gettysburg station, said his officers told him the dog was not acting aggressively when they were on the scene and they did not consider it a threat.
"There was no aggressive action by the dog," Mays said. "It was walking among them (residents)."
Mays said the troopers asked for assistance from the SPCA because the dog smelled like skunk.
"It was a hygiene issue if we had to put it in the vehicle," he said.
In an e-mail Wike sent to then-Adams County Dog Warden Barry Hockley later on July 3, she complained about state police leaving the scene.
"I absolutely cannot believe he (the trooper) would jeopardize people's safety by leaving them alone at the scene with a dog like this," she said. "There is no reason this dog had to die this way."
But Mays said his officers left the scene to assist Latimore Township Police on a call and after deciding the dog did not pose a danger.
The Seymores brought their story to the attention of the Conewago Township supervisors at a public meeting Oct. 17, convincing them to scratch their previously approved $2,500 contribution to the SPCA.
The Seymores say their intention has been not to hurt the shelter but see Wike removed and changes to its operations.
"Wike's dismissal is the first step in correcting what the problems are up there," Dale Seymore said. "We know the shelter has a valuable purpose in the community but it is obvious after what happened to our Max and the feedback we have received that many changes need to take place. We intend to stay involved."
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