What amounts to a cautionary tale on how to do things a little better when it involves a loving pet, an elderly dog lost its life waiting to return home to a family it had known all its life.

For Athena, who died earlier this week, after complications from stress and old age, the Labrador-Chow mix, passed away at the Mexico Animal Shelter when the family of Richard Kidwell wasn’t able to pay the money needed in time to release her back to them.

This weekend, Athena died at the shelter and was ultimately disposed of, and Kidwell’s point of contention was the dog’s family was never notified of the dog’s death.

“They had our phone numbers,” he said. “They knew her. We were just trying to raise the money to get her out. We had to raise about ($150-200). We wanted to give her a proper burial. Anyone that has had a dog and had it that long, they should contact the owners to tell them the dog passed away last night.”

According to animal control officer Christi Jennings, the first day at the shelter costs $20 to board the animal and $5 a day thereafter. 

Jennings said that once five days pass and the dog’s owners do not pick them up, the animal becomes city property. With tags on, it’s a seven-day policy. Athena did not have tags. 

“She could have been adopted out and we don’t have a kill policy,” Jennings said. “She’s 16 years old. I don’t know (how she died), but she just laid around, pretty stressed out. I fed her every day. I gave her blankets, I gave her soft food, I took care of this dog. She was very nice and sweet dog.

“The (family) had been contacted, and they said they weren’t coming to get the dog.”

Kidwell said his family was unable to immediately take the dog home due to financial and medical responsibilities that took precedence at the time.

Jennings said that Kidwell’s daughter, Amber, called multiple times saying that they couldn’t afford to get Athena out.

“She was here for a month or a month-and-a-half,” Jennings said. “It wasn’t hundreds of dollars until she sat here.”

Jennings said there is no policy to call the dog’s previous owners once they have left the pet with the shelter that long and past the allotted time.

Athena had been picked up by city officials after she had wandered off from her property over a month ago.

When Kidwell was alerted to Athena’s disappearance, they immediately went to the shelter and found her there.

“We saw her there the next morning,” Kidwell said. “I didn’t have the money then. My wife was coming down (Wednesday) to come to get her (with the money).”

Kidwell said the family made a few visits to the shelter after Athena had gotten loose from her kennel in the backyard of the home.

“Someone had let her out in the middle of the night and the dog didn’t lock the door back up by herself,” Kidwell said. “We let her stay out that night because it was nice out and gave her some fresh air. Mexico PD picked her up.”

Athena represented a last connection the father of Richard Kidwell Jr., who died in 2013, had since his son had been the dog’s owner at the time.

“He had the dog when Amber was just crawling and now, she is 17,” Kidwell Sr. said. “Athena loved anybody. She and my daughter would sit on the porch, and Amber would put a cowboy hat and scarves on her. She bawled all night when she found out.

“That’s the last thing I had of my son. I never had that closure with him.”

Jennings said that she hopes that families in and around Mexico can learn from this tragic ending for Athena and be prepared to know what to do if something similar ever befalls them.

“It’s sad when they don’t come and get them, and they have an owner,” Jennings said. “It happens every day.”