Arizona has been making a lot of people mad lately, a streak that's likely continue now that the Pinal County animal shelter has accidentally euthanized Target, the Afghan dog who became a media sensation and went to live with a nice family with a big yard after she foiled a suicide bomber's attack on an Afghan-U.S. military base in February.

The New York Times has the whole awful story, but it seems Target was taken to the pound after escaping from her yard last Friday, where her picture was posted to the county website along with that of other strays. Her new family--recognizing their famous war hero dog--paid her recovery fee online and went down to the shelter to pick her up, only to learn upon arriving that "the shelter employee in charge of euthanizing animals that day had apparently picked the wrong dog out of the pen and administered a lethal injection, performing what the shelter referred to as 'P.T.S.,' or put to sleep."

The dog's family is understandably heartbroken. "My 4-year-old keeps saying: ‘Daddy, bring Target home. Daddy, get the poison out,’" Sergeant Terry Young--Target's adopted human father--told the Times in a phone interview

We'll forgive you if the room you're in just got particularly dusty. Look at this picture of Putin and Yorgo and try to feel better.

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Ray Gustini