Hero Dog Killed by Mistake: What Should the Punishment Be?

Pretty sad that a dog can successfully battle a suicide bomber in Afghanistan, but can't make it through the weekend at a U.S. animal shelter.

Target, a female shepherd mix who frightened a suicide bomber inside a military base in Afghanistan, potentially saving dozens of soldiers' lives, got loose from her owners last Friday. She was put down on Monday after spending the weekend in an Arizona shelter, msnbc.com reports.

An unidentified employee at the Pinal County facility was placed on administrative leave after euthanizing the dog by mistake, county Animal Care and Control officials said.

Ruth Stalter, the county animal control director, said the shelter works hard to reunite lost pets with their owners and that an investigation had been launched to figure out how the awful mistake was made.

"When it comes to euthanizing an animal, there are some clear-cut procedures to follow," Stalter said. "Based on my preliminary investigation, our employee did not follow those procedures."

Sgt. Terry Young, the distraught owner of the hero dog, said he realized his dog was in the pound over the weekend, but when he went to pick her up on Monday, she had been euthanized.

All we can say is thank you for your service, Target.