AZ County Worker Fired for Euthanizing Wrong Dog

Officials say an employee for Arizona's Pinal County has been fired after euthanizing a war-hero dog that wasn't scheduled to be put down.

The unidentified employee at the Animal Care and Control facility in Casa Grande was placed on administrative leave after euthanizing the female shepherd mix by mistake Monday. The firing was announced Friday.

The dog named Target had been brought to Arizona by Sgt. Terry Young after his tour of duty. He says the dog was lauded for thwarting an attack by a suicide bomber in war-torn Afghanistan.

But Target escaped Young's back yard last weekend and didn't have a tag or microchip. Young later found Target's picture on a website used by the county's dog catchers to help owners track lost pets. He showed up at the shelter Monday to claim his dog, only to find her dead.