Spanish Ebola Patient’s Dog Euthanized Despite Outcry

PEDRO ARMESTRE/AFP/Getty Images(MADRID) — The pet dog of the Spanish Ebola patient was euthanized Wednesday despite a plea from the owner to spare the pet and a worldwide outcry.

Javier Limon, who owned the dog along with Ebola patient Teresa Romero Ramos, burst into tears when told the mixed breed dog Excalibur had been put down according to Carlos Rodriguez, the host of a Spanish radio show who called Limon.

Limon is in quarantine while his wife is being treated for Ebola in an isolation unit at a Madrid hospital.

Spain’s Ministry of Health confirmed the dog had been euthanized, and said it was sedated before it was put down.

Police escorted a health team into the building and scuffled with animal rights activists who tried to prevent them from entering the apartment. Protesters screamed “killer” as they tried to block the ambulance.

Police with batons later cleared a path as they left the building with the dog.

Madrid officials feared that the dog could be carrying the virus even though it would not develop symptoms, and could possibly pass it to humans with a bite or lick.

Limon, who along with two others have been quarantined for observation, pleaded in a video for help to convince authorities to spare his dog, claiming, “They want to kill him for no reason.”

Hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition urging health authorities to spare Excalibur.

Limon’s wife is a nurse’s aide who contracted the disease after helping to care for a Spanish priest who had been working in West Africa. The priest died of Ebola.

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