Quote: connie sutherland

 Quote: michael_wise

 Quote: mary mckeever

Here's a little euthanasia 101 for those of you that have never witnessed a perfectly healthy, scared animal being "put down" .....

For anyone struggling with having to put your elderly or sick, loved pet to sleep, this IS NOT euthanasia 101.

I want to emphasize this.

The PTS in an understaffed overcrowded shelter (which they all are, just about) has NOTHING to do with the PTS we do for our best friend to release him or her from a diseased or broken body.

PLEASE don't even think of it as the same thing. It's NOT. Like many (or most) of us, I have been there, done that, and am not simply murmuring soothing platitudes.

If you are thinking about the time to let your beloved dog go, put these thoughts and pictures out of your mind and heart and read some of the many threads we have here about the peaceful and loving experience that you are contemplating.



To the OP: I do understand and empathize with your intention.

Absolutely Connie, the two things are night and day. If all hell broke loose and there was no choice left to me whatsover, I would ease my dogs out of this world, holding them in my arms, before I'd ever think of dropping them off at a shelter

My Mokie was a Pound rescue. She was on her way to the Euth room when I saw her and took her leash. The lady leading her was surprised, but smiled when I said I would be taking the dog home with me. Mokie was 5 1/2 months old. And she was gonna die. Instead, she lived with me for 13 1/2 years and enriched my life and many others along the way.

Here is my Mokie:
http://img508.imageshack.us/i/mokie2ft8.jpg/

Her legacy is that I will ALWAYS have at least one rescued dog in my home at all times.

Thanks for everything you gave me Mokie. I miss you still.

--Kel

ETA: My post a couple of weeks after losing my Mokie: http://leerburg.com/forums/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Board=143&Number=114930&Searchpage=1&Main=12699&Words=Good+Bye+Old+Friend+Kelly+&topic=0&Search=true#Post114930

Edited by Kelly (02/17/2011 06:02 PM)
Edit reason: added link to post

My last dog Toro was from the Humane Society, and I've had 2 others from rescues. I brought Toro home while working at the shelter. There are wonderful animals there, but in a horrible, horrible situation. I would never knowingly put my animal there.

We need to be careful that we don't make people feel dreadful about decisions that they feel they were forced to make.
My first dog was from a shelter. Some do, in fact, find homes.

 Quote: Betty Landercasp

We need to be careful that we don't make people feel dreadful about decisions that they feel they were forced to make.
My first dog was from a shelter. Some do, in fact, find homes.

Sorry, I should specify that I would never put my animal in the Toronto Humane Society, based on my personal experience as an employee.

wow, this thread is hard hitting and obviously emotional on a forum full of well-meaning dog lover folks, who are slightly eccentric at times but basically nice caring people.

i upset a lot of people on another similar thread (not worth revisiting now), which made me doubt my plans.

this thread has only confirmed the personal plan i have for my dog, which will never ever see a home or be stuck with a relative or ... all others judgements, opinions are now irrelevant.

ciao

I think that the owners posting here probably have much better plans in place that would have to fail, despite all care taken, before the final choice of PTS was carried out. That is, for example, I have not just one, but two in-writing agreed-upon plans for my dogs to have permanent homes with (1) my daughter who knows my dogs, or, failing that, (2) a close friend who also knows my dogs.

These two very careful contingency plans would both have to fall apart before PTS happened.

 Quote: Betty Landercasp

We need to be careful that we don't make people feel dreadful about decisions that they feel they were forced to make.
My first dog was from a shelter. Some do, in fact, find homes.

You are very right, Betty.

And I will add that all of my dogs (every one of them a joy to me) have been from shelters or the equivalent.

The idea of having to give my dog up for any reason makes me have a panic attack. Since I am single I have thought about what I would do if something happened to me that left me unable to care for my dog.

unfortunately she is too much dog for any of my relatives other than my dad, but he wouldn't be able to keep up with her exercise needs.

I would never ever put her in a shelter.

So I would have to get her back to the breeder somehow.

Or give her to one of you guys.

It'll probably be Connie.

 Quote: Mara Jessup

This is what I don't get. As a very last resort, why wouldn't a person have their dog euthanized instead? I guess I know why. They can't bring themselves to do it. But if you took on the responsibility of owning the dog, it is far kinder to the dog to have them euthanized instead of dropping them off in a shelter where they get to live for 3-7 days in misery before they are euthanized.

Of course personally I'd be living in a tent with my dogs.

Edward passed away so peacefully. His eyes closed and he gently laid his head to rest in my arms. I was warned about a possible last breath and muscles spasms. Didn’t happen.

I could not imagine a better way to see my best friend leave me. I know he experienced an untraumatized, painless end because I was there.

This gift to my boys will never be put in the hands of anyone but me; nor will they ever see the inside of a shelter or experience any half hearted attempt to see them through their final days.

If my brother isn’t able to care for them as I’ve requested, he knows they’re to join me.

That picture is still haunting me. I’ve felt kinda sick all day.

 Quote: mara jessup

 Quote: cathy goessman

I have seen a situation like that picture. It was extremely sad because the dog came in as the result of a foreclosure. The owners both left in tears. He showed no hint of aggresion at that time.

This is what I don't get. As a very last resort, why wouldn't a person have their dog euthanized instead? I guess I know why. They can't bring themselves to do it. But if you took on the responsibility of owning the dog, it is far kinder to the dog to have them euthanized instead of dropping them off in a shelter where they get to live for 3-7 days in misery before they are euthanized.

Of course personally I'd be living in a tent with my dogs.

This particular dog seemed perfectly stable and adoptable when he was first brought in. He was social, walked well on a leash, was giving out kisses and giving his paw. He seemed like he'd be adopted fast. It was a total Jekyll&Hyde transformation. I'll never forget Harley. That was the first dog I'd run across that threatened me that seriously. No fear to it. Just one pissed off dog willing to do damage.

There is an important difference between the post's shelter experience and the one I worked at. I worked at the Arizona Humane Society. Adoptable animals had as long as it took them to get adopted. But they weren't a no-kill shelter because they accepted any dog that came in the door. If they were a senior, people aggresive to any degree, had a communicable disease, were overly shy/fear aggresive, uncontrollably dog aggresive, or had ongoing medical conditions they were euthed IF a rescue couldn't be found that would take them. A lot of dogs went to rescues that the humane society couldn't keep due to medical conditions. They also scaled it to breed. A dog agressive pit bull was given a lot of slack and just labeled as best in a one dog home. That same level of dog aggression out of a golden retriever might get it PTS. The shelter had a quarantine area for animals that had something communicable but were otherwise adoptable. Dogs with giardia, parvo, kennel cough and URIs got put there along with cats that had URIs.

The animals there didn't "live in misery". They were cared for as well as possible without shorting other animals. If you want to see it I think the show "Animal Rescue" on Animal Planet is still on air and is based out of there. I had to dodge their cameras while I was working.

I've seen other shelters where I would euth my dog before allowing it to go there. But there are some decent one's out there. I would have no problem with someone leaving an adoptable dog as a last resort at either the Arizona Humane Society or the El Paso Humane Society. I have worked at one and volunteered at the other. They do the best they can.