A Northern Michigan woman is outraged after her family’s dog was shot by an animal control officer after it ran away from home.

Tami Cosgray was babysitting her son’s Great Dane named Cole. When the garage door opened the dog ran off. The family searched for 13 days putting up posters, taking out ads in the local newspaper, even offering a cash reward. Cosgray says the family was hopeful the dog would turn up since it still had its green collar on with contact information inscribed.

Cosgray says, "We searched for hours and hours and hours looking for Cole. People did see him and we would go immediately to the area, but we never were able to see him.”

The dog was eventually found by a Wexford County Animal Control officer malnourished. In the incident report, the officer says it had porcupine quills covering its face and throat. The officer euthanized it with one shot to the head.

Cosgray says, "My son should have been the one to make that decision. He would have been taken to a vet, not shot along the side of the road."

According to the Wexford County Sheriff’s Office, animal control officers are allowed to euthanize an animal at their own discretion. Officers are given a department issued handgun and a tranquilizer. The owners of the dog want the policy to be changed and have written a letter to the state attorney general’s office to investigate.

Cosgray says, “I would like to see Wexford County Animal Control change their policy so life and death decisions are left in the hands of a licensed vet.”

Wexford County Sheriff’s Office says changing the policy would cost the county too much money and they do not plan to change it.

7&4 News is still waiting on a written copy of the policy from the county. When we receive it we will post it online.