I am trying not to knee jerk react to this, I am soft and possibly too easily upset about what I feel is any unjustified and indefensible, (to my uneducated mind in these matters) treatment of ANY dog, but these dogs have done everything their handler and trainer has asked of them, and then after they have served their country and put their lives on the line they are pts.

I don't understand this at all - maybe someone here can give me an explanation

http://www.lifewithdogs.tv/2012/04/british-government-euthanizes-800-war-dogs/

This made me cry.

The only explanation I can give is that the government believes that placing a working dog in a civilian home is too great a liability.

What REALLY pisses me off, is that if given the choice, the handlers would keep those dogs. At least the majority of them could go live out their days with the one they love the most.

Disgusting.

And for the record, Fama is coming to live with me after she retires.

I was just in London and was really touched by the impressive memorial to all the animals who served during wartime--it's in Park Lane, between Picadilly and Marble Arch. Beautiful memorial and filled with lots of small personal tributes--handwritten notes, flowers.

Now this. I feel a little hoodwinked by the memorial. It's shameful.

Even if the dogs couldn't be adopted, the British government could care for them for the rest of their natural lives in some kind of sanctuary facility. War veterans deserve better than just a showy memorial in Park Lane. A couple of years of comfort in retirement doesn't seem like much.

I can't even click on the link. Just based on the title of it, I know it will be more than I can handle, emotionally.

Here in the States, there are many adoption programs for retired military dogs or for those who did not make the cut into the program for various reasons. It wasn't always so, and it took laws being passed to allow for civilians to adopt ex-military dogs. Still, I'm sure there are many dogs who are considered unadoptable after their service and meet with the sad fate of being pts.

Tracey, maybe if enough people in the UK are made aware of this and contact their representatives in parliament to insist on a change in policy, something will be done, as it was here.

David, I'm very happy to hear you will be reunited with Fama. If you don't mind me asking, do you have any idea when that will be? Do working military dogs have a "mandatory retirement age," or is it on a case-by-case basis?

I don't see why the handler or another qualifying person can't keep them. (like an ex K9 cop or person with experience with protection work or training/breeding of such dogs).

Things can change, it did here in the US.

From what I have seen the quality and training of US MWD's are far superior. Some of the British dogs are a liability waiting to happen.

"Is there ever any justification for this?"

Short answer, yes. We may not like it, but there are some dogs that do not need to be placed anywhere. Of course there is also the obvious to prevent further suffering. Someone has to make the determination of whether or not a dog is suitable to be placed in the midst of the public. If they are wrong, we'd be talking about how stupid that government department was and how something should be done. I'm glad there is an outlet now in the U.S. That still doesn't mean every dog is suitable for adoption.

DFrost

Tracy the UK is famous for the saying we are a nation of animal lovers, this news article would suggest to the rest of the world that this is not the case... bloody shameful is what it is.

David W, I think it is the most natural and obvious thing in the world for Fama to come home with you - thank god your government has some morals where this type of situation occurs.

Cheri - I am going to have a scout around tonight and see if there are any organizations that are going to get involved with the services/military and see if there is going to be - if not a stink kicked up about it - at least some answers as to why 'they' think it is acceptable to take a dog that has had no choice in it's life or death in service of it's country and then dispose of it.

Tanith, you are much better placed than I am to have any working knowledge of the temperament and stability of the UK selected working dogs, is this a damning indictment of the people 'qualified' to select and train them? shame on them if that's the case...

David F, I take your point which is why I asked the question, doesn't make it anymore palatable to read and digest - your country clearly has a much more competent and compassionate attitude to its heroic and loyal dogs than we do

I'm sure there are many veteran dogs that could not be placed in homes. No argument about that. And there might be some that are better off euthanized. But it seems to me the government owes something to 4-legged veterans, the same as it does 2-legged ones.

A sanctuary facility where the dogs could live out their remaining years, away from the public, but still free to have some kind of comfortable life seems a small price.

The difference is whether or not the dogs are seen as equipment or living creatures.