MIAMI -- A South Florida family are outraged after learning their dog was put to sleep despite the fact that they were on their way to claim their pet from Animal Services.

Cowboy, a 10-year-old golden retriever, ran out of gates surrounding the Porras family home during an Aug. 5 storm, Miami teleivison station WTVJ reported.

Anays Rodriguez-Porras, who calls Cowboy her "first baby," said she called authorities to make a lost dog report every day the dog was missing. Late last Wednesday, Rodriguez-Porras said she learned that the dog was at a Miami-Dade County animal shelter.

Rodriguez-Porras' husband planned to pick Cowboy up, but officials told her that she must pick up the dog herself, she said.

Rodriguez-Porras went to pick Cowboy up on Saturday, but the dog was put to sleep the day before.

"The supervisor comes back, it was a lady by the name of Patricia, comes back and tells me, 'Your dog was put down.' (I said), 'What do you mean he was put down? What do you mean? No,'" Rodriguez-Porras said.

Although Rodriguez-Porras said she could not get answers from the county, the station obtained a memo from Sara Pizano, director of Animal Services, to the county manager.

"I have terminated the employee from employment at Animal Services," the memo said.

Rodriguez-Porras said the mistake is inexcusable, and that she cannot understand how it happened in the first place.

"He was fine, and he had seven years ahead of him. It's devastating to know that this happened and that, 'Sorry,' is basically it," Rodriguez-Porras said. "This dog was part of our family. This dog has given us unconditional love for over 10 years. This dog did not deserve to die that way."

Rodriguez-Porras said that if this can happen to her pet, she thinks it must have happened in the past and could happen in the future.

Rodriguez-Porras is going to meet with an attorney to see if anything can be done. She added that, at some point, she might be able to get another golden retriever.