Bailey Lester addressed Aurora Town Council last night despite being initially declined.
Councillor John Gallo put forth a motion to permit Ms. Lester to be a delegate and the vote to allow was passed. We are thankful to Mr. Gallo for supporting the public’s call for transparency and accountability.
During her 5 minute delegation, Ms. Lester laid out to Council the impact of what happened has had on her and family.
The trauma associated with knowing your actions led to this much loved dogs death.
She explained that she thought by calling Aurora Animal Services that she would able to get Heiniu reunited with his family. That Animal Services were professionals and they would treat Heiniu humanely. What transpired was the opposite.
Ms. Lester also ensured Council knew that she believed the manner in which they were dealing with this situation was cold and self serving. That the firm hired to conduct an investigation was clearly not unbiased. Additionally, that this company (Canine Foundations) was selected primarily due to the fact that one of the investigators is deemed an expert in the Dog Owners Liability Act (DOLA) and this legislation has been highly criticized as a weaponization tool to unfairly punish dogs.
The town of Aurora’s stance from the immediate aftermath of the killing was to make Heiniu out to be aggressive.
Article published today from Aurora Today: