Two French bulldogs died while being transported across the desert in the middle of the night from Orange County’s animal shelter to a partner facility in Idaho last month, according to necropsy reports obtained by Voice of OC.
On July 12, two French bulldogs — a 2-year-old female known as Mrs. Toy and a 3-year-old male named OJ — were being transported to Idaho along with 23 other dogs in three vehicles and six total staff members, according to an incident summary provided by OC Animal Care spokesperson Alexa Pratt.
The transport vans left OC Animal Care at 7 p.m. and made a stop in Fontana at 9 p.m. — when the dogs were “observed to be in good condition,” according to the incident summary.
A few hours later, one of the French bulldogs was found dead in the back of a van, and the other dog was rushed to an emergency vet, where it also died.
“The transport stopped again at 12 a.m. in Nevada,” reads the incident summary. “It was during this second stop that OJ was found deceased in his crate with no visible signs of trauma. Staff confirmed the air conditioning was working properly, and no other dogs appeared anxious or stressed at that time.”
“Out of an abundance of caution, the transport stopped again at 12:50 a.m. in Las Vegas,” the summary continues. “Mrs. Toy was showing signs of distress and was immediately transported to a nearby 24-hour emergency veterinary office. Despite best efforts by the veterinarian, Mrs. Toy passed away at the office.”
The other 23 dogs, including two additional French bulldogs, completed the trip and arrived in Idaho.
The deceased dogs’ bodies were brought back to OC Animal Care for necropsies. According to the necropsy reports for the animals, the probable cause of death is Brachycephalic Obstructive Airway Syndrome (BOAS) exacerbated by stress.
BOAS is a respiratory condition common in dogs with flat faces like bulldogs and pugs. In dogs with this condition, anatomical abnormalities make it more difficult for them to breathe, often caused by unethical breeding practices that create the flat-face look.
The condition can be exacerbated by weight, heat and stress, and it can be be life-threatening in certain conditions.
According to the necropsy reports, Mrs. Toy had severely swollen tissues inside her airway that prevented her from breathing. OJ had dead tissues inside his throat that also blocked air. They were both also described in the reports to have severely narrow nostrils.
Both causes of death also listed the BOAS condition as a congenital defect — meaning the dogs were born with functional abnormalities — according to the necropsy reports signed by Carissa Jones, chief veterinarian for OC Animal Care.
“OC Animal Care staff took every prescribed measure for safe care and handling throughout each step of the transport,” reads the incident summary. “Sadly, the sudden and unexpected happened, which can often be one of the hardest parts of saving animals.”
Before this incident, OC Animal Care had successfully completed 14 transport trips to Idaho.
Why Transfer Dogs Out of State?
The shelter transports animals to partner facilities in order to give the pets a better chance to get adopted, especially since many Southern California animal shelters are overcrowded.
Mrs. Toy and OJ, along with two other French bulldogs in transport to Idaho, were recently rescued victims of a cruelty case. According to the incident summary, the former owners of these dogs were attempting to get them back, resulting in their transport out of state.
“Before any transport out of state, like this one, each animal undergoes a thorough medical evaluation and is issued a USDA health certificate to ensure they are fit for travel,” reads the incident summary.
While inside the vans, each dog is housed in a crate. The vehicles stop every three to four hours for staff to monitor the animals, provide food and water and give them space to walk outside.
“Our transport vehicles, maintained regularly by Orange County Fleet Services, are climate-controlled and air-conditioned to ensure the animals’ comfort,” reads the incident summary. “Transport vehicles were inspected prior to loading animals for transport. They were found to be operating properly throughout the transport and air conditioning units were cooling efficiently, with sufficient air ventilation consistently provided.”
Shelter officials, in response to a Public Records Act request, declined to provide additional information about animal transports, saying there’s an open investigation.
OCAC Spokesperson Pratt said there is not an open investigation related to the transport. She said the investigation mentioned in the PRA response is related to the cruelty case for the four French bulldogs that is still under investigation with the Orange Police Department.
Transporting French Bulldogs Long Distances Poses Risks
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), relocating animals locally, regionally or nationally can improve outcomes for the animals, potentially being life-saving in certain cases.
But there can be risks — especially for flat-faced dogs like French bulldogs.
“U.S. Department of Transportation statistics show shortnosed breeds of dogs are more likely to die during air transport than dogs with normal-length muzzles, and similar risks are likely during road transportation,” reads a best practices resource document from the AVMA for relocating pets in non-emergency situations.
“This is thought to be related to respiratory problems that are exacerbated by stress and difficulty with thermoregulation, so caution should be exercised when transporting these animals during warm weather,” it continues.
When transporting animals on the road, the American Veterinary Medical Association recommends keeping the trips as short as possible.
“Efforts should always be made to transport animals for the shortest distance and least amount of time possible,” reads the best practices document. “Risks to animal health and welfare increase with the length of the journey.”
The incident summary says shelter staff will use this incident to improve transportation practices in the future.
“Words cannot express the grief our team feels, and we are devastated by the unexpected loss,” reads the summary. “Compassion fatigue remains a challenging aspect of the work we do. The reality is, sometimes we can do everything right and still not be able to save them all.”
“Transporting animals to partner shelters is a best practice in the animal welfare industry and one tool we utilize to help manage overcrowding nationwide,” it continues. “We learn from every interaction with animals and as we review this incident, any lessons learned will be added to our transport practices.”
Angelina Hicks is the Voice of OC Collegiate News Service Editor. Contact her at ahicks@voiceofoc.org or on Twitter @angelinahicks13.