Dog put down because of computer error

[Catherine]

Cocco the dog bit another dog and was being held by Detroit Animal Control for the required number of days. Someone made a mistake in entering the data on the computer and the dog was then listed as biting a human being. That is not why the dog was being held, but the computer was told that was the reason. No one questioned the computer. The dog was therefore euthanized.
The owner is understandably upset.

http://news.google.ca/news/url?sr=1&ct2=...840&at=dt0


This started out as carelessness, but ended up in the tragic loss of a pet. Does no one check their work to be sure it is right?
This isn't accidentally putting sugar in someone's coffee. This mistake resulted in a death. When a dog is euthanized, does no one check to be sure it is the right dog and that it has done something for which it can be euthanized.
Worse, the way it was handled was cruel. No one informed the owner. It would be a hard call to make, but better than her finding out later that her dog had been dead for 6 days.

There should be some kind of checks in place before an animal can be euthanized. Maybe there should be a tag put on the dog when it is taken in identifying the dog and why it is there. Other shelters have made mistakes and put down a dog whose owner was on the way to pick him up because it looked like another dog that was scheduled for euthanasia. Euthanasia is permanent. Is it asking to much to double check before you do it?