Shiba Inu female taken for a coyote and released into the wild

A Shiba Inu female registered at the American Kennel Club has been returned to wild after the Frankfort Humane Society took her for a coyote.

Copper belonged to Lori Goodlett and was her pet for 11 years, before disappearing from her fenced back yard three weeks ago. After she put up posters with pictures of Copper a police officer recognized the dog as the one he had taken to the shelter a few days ago. The worker from the shelter called back the police officer and told him that ha has to come and get back the dog because coyotes were not allowed there. The police officers decided to release the alleged coyote into the wild after consulting with a wildlife expert who said that coyotes are not to be kept at home or in shelters, so Copper should either be killed or returned to the wild.

John Forbes, the board chairman of Humane Society, backs up the decision of the shelter worker and says that if he assessed the animal to be a coyote he did the right thing by calling back the police officer since coyotes are not allowed in shelters. Lori Goodlett doe not understand how Copper could ever have been mistaken for a coyote and says that when she was cub people might have taken her for a fox because of her pointy ears and red coloring, but never for a coyote. Major Frank Deaton from the Frankfort Police said that the dog did not have a collar or other identification mark, but the police officer should have questioned the “wildlife expert’s” decision, since the dog peacefully entered the car and followed the officer that released it. Luckily they had the inspiration to make photographs of Copper and are now assisting Lori Goodlett in her search, seting cages in hopes of capturing her.