Excalibur is no more.

The dog who belonged to the Spanish nurse infected with Ebola has been killed by Spanish authorities, Madrid’s health department tells Mashable.

Earlier Wednesday, dozens of animal rights supporters protested outside the Madrid apartment where Excalibur and his owners lived, as the dog howled from a balcony.

But Spanish authorities said Excalibur had to be euthanized because they didn’t want to risk him transmitting Ebola to anyone else. It’s unclear whether dogs could be infected with the disease, though one study suggests they could carry it and not show symptoms.

PACMA, an animal rights political party that organized the protests, confirmed the dog’s death in a tweet.

“We can confirm the bad news. Excalibur has been put down. Thanks to your hearts for all the support, we’ll keep working for [the animals],” it said.

Ahora sí confirmamos las malas noticias. Excalibur ha sido sacrificado. Gracias de corazón por tanto apoyo. Seguiremos trabajando por ellos.

— PACMA (@PartidoPACMA) October 8, 2014

The group released a video showing the moment the dog was taken away — although it was unclear if it was dead or alive — as protesters swarmed the van and were pushed back by Spanish police.

Excalibur’s owner, a nurse, remains in the hospital with Ebola. Her husband is in quarantine.

“We cannot take the risk,” said Felipe Vilas, head of the Madrid Official College of Veterinarians, whose criteria were reportedly the determining factor in the authorities’ decision to put the animal down, according to the Spanish newspaper El Pais.

“This measure is more than justified, no matter how tough it may appear,” Vilas further explained. “The protection of the population is the most important factor here. No matter how small the risk, the logical step is to destroy the animal.”

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