Nothing but a Coward

[Unbelievable]

You're missing the whole point. People that do that are worse than cowards and I don't think they could ever be accused of "loving" an animal.

Those type of people are animal abusers.

At 12 years old, the best option short of not keeping it, would have been to humanely and lovingly had it put to sleep. And yes, I did check, this dog was euthanized the same day it was "surrendered".

Here was a dog that probably went inside the shelter willingly with it's owner of 7 years, might have been a little confused when they took it to the back, but then that confusion was most likely replaced by terror, not knowing what that smell was, but knowing it wasn't good.

Had he been taken to the vet, he'd have walked in willingly, gone to the room willingly and looking adoringly at his owner while he was painlessly euthanized and would have passed peacefully.

I agree wholeheartedly. We're new to fostering but currently have 8 foster dogs, many of whom were "well loved" by the owners who took them to the shelter. These dogs range in age from 12 weeks to 10+ years. If we had more room we'd have more just to make sure they don't go through the terror of being put to death in a strange place among strangers. And, yet, there are still people on the forums looking for pups and there are still ads in the classifieds selling pups. The rescues are there to pick up the throwaways after the pups are no longer cute, fun or prove to be a responsibility. It has got to stop. But, until it does, we'll still make our trips to the shelter and we'll still make the heartbreaking decision of who will live and who will die because we can't take them all.

 

[vraiblonde]

If I eveer think I might want to get a dog, someone please just shoot me.

 

[Bustem' Down]

When you surrender you pet to the shelter they give you a piece of paper to read that basically says they can do anything with that animal.

What that means is they can kill your pet before your car even leaves the parking lot.

If you surrender a pit mix of any kind that isn't a puppy or unless it has something really spectacular about it, well, it will be killed and put on a stack of other dead animals to be disposed of later.

If you surrender your old or sick pet chances are it will be killed sometime that day as well.

They try very hard to get all adoptable animals adopted. But admit it, dogs over 8 years old aren't always easily adoptable. If your animal is sick and has tumors, well, it's not very adoptable either. Sometimes these dogs might get lucky and a caring soul will walk in and decide to give that animal a place to live out it's life - or sometimes a rescuer will walk in and can't stand the thought that this poor senior animal, through no fault of it's own is going to die after spending who knows how many days at the shelter, confused and lonely - this rescuer will take it home and try desperately to find it a final forever home, or else they will let this senior animal live the rest of it's life with them.

Sometimes these senior or sick animals touch the rescuer so deeply that they will take them to the vet themselves and give them the honor and respect that their LOVING owner didn't have the courage to do, and they will hold this animal in their arms and tell them they were loved while they make their peaceful trip to the Bridge.

Remember that when you surrender YOUR PET (that you really love and this is breaking your heart...) - if the shelter needs the space for a stray or any type of animal that will be involved in a legal issue - the owner surrenders ARE THE FIRST TO GO.

You are nothing but a coward - you called me "maybe" two days before you had to move and couldn't take your 12 year old dog with you, unfortunately I didn't get your message in time to help (not even sure I could have helped since you weren't giving me any time to work with). When I called you back you told me you had taken him to the shelter..., yes they told you it might be euthanized, but you had to move ...

You saved this dog 7 years ago from a shelter in a different state, and moved it here with you, yet this poor dog at about 12 years old was dumped, unwanted at ANOTHER shelter and that's where he probably has already been killed.

You disgust me, since you didn't take the time to try to find him another home in a decent amount of time, you most likely signed his death sentence, if for no other reason than his age. And you know what???? If he was a good dog, and got along with other dogs and was housebroke... I would have most likely taken him to my house (even though I'm full with foster dogs already) just to save him the confusion and terror he was subjected to at the shelter.

The least you could have done was taken him to the vet and had him humanely euthanized....

Good lord. It's sad that this can happen, but you do not seem to know the personal situation. There are times when someone has to move and they cannot take the dog. But I guess you would rather jump to conclutions.

 

[Unbelievable]

Good lord. It's sad that this can happen, but you do not seem to know the personal situation. There are times when someone has to move and they cannot take the dog. But I guess you would rather jump to conclutions.

Try walking through the shelter two or three times a week, speaking with the shelter staff and then see how well you do NOT jumping to conclusions. Look into the eyes of the staff member who has just put to sleep one of the most beautiful animals in the world only because there was no room and no rescue to take it in time and then see how well you do NOT jumping to conclusions.

 

[Lugnut]

If I eveer think I might want to get a dog, someone please just shoot me.

That would not be "humane"...

 

[krazd_kat]

Good lord. It's sad that this can happen, but you do not seem to know the personal situation. There are times when someone has to move and they cannot take the dog. But I guess you would rather jump to conclutions.

A number of my own personal dogs are "unadoptable" to anyone else. Some is behaviour, a couple are age, and a couple are breed.

I can't imagine anything happening that I wouldn't take the time to take my pet to the vet and give them the respect they deserve while they make their trip to the bridge vice dumping them at the shelter and subjecting them to a terror they have never been exposed to before.

That's my conclusion.... People KNOW in their heart when they take their dog to the shelter whether it really stands a chance of being adopted.

Puppy = good chance
Golden Retriever = good chance
Small dog = good chance
Labrador = decent/good chance (depends how many the shelter has at that particular time)
Young pure bred German Shepherd = good chance
Pitbull puppy = decent chance if rescue will pull it

1 yr or older Pitbull = none (unless there is something really remarkable about it)
Older Rottweiler = slim to none
Senior big dog = slim to none
Black dog (not lab) = slim to none
Beagle = ha... deserves it's own category, too many times the shelter is probably 70-85% beagles = so Most / slim
Cane Corso/Presa Canario/Am Bulldog = usually rescue only - chances are decent IF rescue has room

This list is the tip of the iceberg.

Fortunately for some breeds there are very good active Breed specific rescues (Lab, Beagle, GSD), other breeds aren't so lucky, especially in this area. There are no local Rottweiler rescues, the closest is in VA and she's always full. A good pitbull rescue, none local.

Most breed specific groups will only take the dogs w/o issues, no agression toward people (most groups practice that) or other animals, they will pick and choose. So the lab that has food agression or possession agression, may be left because the shelter in the next county has a better candidate for adoption.

The other groups, we come in and take what we can, what we can deal with and fill what space we have available. We are usually the one's that will deal with some of the behaviour issues and we are the one's that will take any breed.

The rescues are there to pick up the throwaways after the pups are no longer cute, fun or prove to be a responsibility. It has got to stop. But, until it does, we'll still make our trips to the shelter and we'll still make the heartbreaking decision of who will live and who will die because we can't take them all.

 

[Woodyspda]

Krazd Kat,
I understand everything that you are saying other than the fact that this person is a coward. I personally would have done the same thing as this gentleman if in the same situation and I nearly WAS. To be totally honest with you, I was more worried about my what would happen to my pup than my own self at the time. I got lucky in the nick of time and everything worked out for me. The only issue I have now, is that I live in an apartment and my pup would prefer to be outside most of the day. I currently have to crate her while at work because she has no qualms about going inside. (usually she does this when she's mad at me for going to work)

I found my pup on rte 5 trying to get hit by a car. I reported her found and adopted her when nobody claimed her. I had her fixed and updated her shots. I fed her until she was a healthy weight. 6 months later when she had a serious accident, I shelled out more than 2000 dollars to keep her alive. Over the last 2 years I've spent more than 500 dollars for annual and unexpected vet visits. I lined up family to care for her if my job hunt was unsuccessful and you would call me a coward if I had brought her to a shelter as a last resort. Shame on you.

I truly feel sorry for the aforementioned pup. But you obviously need to stay away from the shelters for awhile as you are becoming overly sensitive to a worldwide problem.

 

[krazd_kat]

I lined up family to care for her if my job hunt was unsuccessful and you would call me a coward if I had brought her to a shelter as a last resort. Shame on you.

No, I'm calling a coward one that drops their dog off with the full knowledge that at 12 yrs old the chances of it being adopted are ZERO.

You had family lined up to help.... In a true emergency almost anyone can find someone to help them. Waiting until the day before your drop dead date to try to find help is pure lazy.

Is your dog adoptable? If for some reason you couldn't keep it, is it honestly adoptable? Is the shelter staff going to look at it and compare it to the other 10-15 dogs that come in that day see a dog that will have a good chance of being adopted, or are they going to take it straight back to the kill room?

If your answer is it's not adoptable, and you STILL drop it at the shelter, then yes, you are a coward.

This whole thread hinges on <b>You, the owner,</b> being honest with yourself and admitting whether or not your pet has a chance of being adopted from the shelter.

<b>IF</b> it has a chance of being adopted and that is your last resort, then by all means use it, if the chances are next to zero, be the friend to your dog that it was to you, give it the respect it deserves and do it humanely, without the fear and confusion it will experience before it dies at the shelter.​

If the rescuers stay away from the shelters, then owner surrenders will die even faster. They HAVE to keep strays for so long and they HAVE to keep anything that comes in that may result in an investigation for so long... if they need the cages, the owner surrenders die, even the adoptable ones.

you are becoming overly sensitive to a worldwide problem.

A MAN made problem. Only when people quit treating their pets as disposable will this problem start getting anywhere under control.

 

[Woodyspda]

So you are saying that the "Humane Society" is quite the opposite.

I agree with this being a man made problem... as is the deer population.

I'm an animal lover but I do my best to not allow myself to get overzealous on the subject....

I will advise friends and family to NOT adopt a mill pet.
I will advise friends and family who I know are incapable of properly caring for a pet to not adopt or buy.
I will not call a person a coward who cared for an animal 7 years longer than he had to just because he wouldn't shell out $100 to euthanize it. I'd call him CHEAP..... there's a big difference.

 

[cattitude]

I will not call a person a coward who cared for an animal 7 years longer than he had to just because he wouldn't shell out $100 to euthanize it. I'd call him CHEAP..... there's a big difference.

I'm not sure I understand. He adopted the animal, he wanted the animal. When he adopted it from the rescue, he most probably signed an agreement to care for that animal for the duration of its life or return it to the rescue.

I know circumstances change and I certainly don't know what happened with this gentleman but I just don't think he put too much effort into finding a better alternative than the shelter.

 

[krazd_kat]

So you are saying that the "Humane Society" is quite the opposite.
....... I will not call a person a coward who cared for an animal 7 years <b>longer than he had to</b> just because he wouldn't shell out $100 to euthanize it. I'd call him CHEAP..... there's a big difference.

Don't get me started on the Humane Society... they are "no-kill", BUT if they can't get an animal adopted after a certain length of time... they take that animal to the SHELTER (oh and guess what??? They kill it...).

You make it sound like the man was doing the dog and society a favor by keeping it 7 years longer than he had too... (What, it wasn't a 'loved' addition to the family?)

You call it cheap if you want, I still say if you can't stand up to your commitments (and yes, I do consider this a commitment) then you are a coward. After 7 years, he "OWED" this dog respect and dignity.

 

[jetmonkey]

If I eveer think I might want to get a dog, someone please just shoot me.

My dog is awesome. Her farts make paint blister.

 

[SouthernMdRocks]

When you surrender you pet to the shelter they give you a piece of paper to read that basically says they can do anything with that animal.

What that means is they can kill your pet before your car even leaves the parking lot.

If you surrender a pit mix of any kind that isn't a puppy or unless it has something really spectacular about it, well, it will be killed and put on a stack of other dead animals to be disposed of later.

If you surrender your old or sick pet chances are it will be killed sometime that day as well.

They try very hard to get all adoptable animals adopted. But admit it, dogs over 8 years old aren't always easily adoptable. If your animal is sick and has tumors, well, it's not very adoptable either. Sometimes these dogs might get lucky and a caring soul will walk in and decide to give that animal a place to live out it's life - or sometimes a rescuer will walk in and can't stand the thought that this poor senior animal, through no fault of it's own is going to die after spending who knows how many days at the shelter, confused and lonely - this rescuer will take it home and try desperately to find it a final forever home, or else they will let this senior animal live the rest of it's life with them.

Sometimes these senior or sick animals touch the rescuer so deeply that they will take them to the vet themselves and give them the honor and respect that their LOVING owner didn't have the courage to do, and they will hold this animal in their arms and tell them they were loved while they make their peaceful trip to the Bridge.

Remember that when you surrender YOUR PET (that you really love and this is breaking your heart...) - if the shelter needs the space for a stray or any type of animal that will be involved in a legal issue - the owner surrenders ARE THE FIRST TO GO.

You are nothing but a coward - you called me "maybe" two days before you had to move and couldn't take your 12 year old dog with you, unfortunately I didn't get your message in time to help (not even sure I could have helped since you weren't giving me any time to work with). When I called you back you told me you had taken him to the shelter..., yes they told you it might be euthanized, but you had to move ...

You saved this dog 7 years ago from a shelter in a different state, and moved it here with you, yet this poor dog at about 12 years old was dumped, unwanted at ANOTHER shelter and that's where he probably has already been killed.

You disgust me, since you didn't take the time to try to find him another home in a decent amount of time, you most likely signed his death sentence, if for no other reason than his age. And you know what???? If he was a good dog, and got along with other dogs and was housebroke... I would have most likely taken him to my house (even though I'm full with foster dogs already) just to save him the confusion and terror he was subjected to at the shelter.

The least you could have done was taken him to the vet and had him humanely euthanized....

That is so sad, he deserved better. That reminds me of the Pedigree ad about the pups in the shelter, makes me cry everytime because it is so true. Have you been able to verify his fate at this time?

 

[krazd_kat]

That is so sad, he deserved better. That reminds me of the Pedigree ad about the pups in the shelter, makes me cry everytime because it is so true. <b>Have you been able to verify his fate at this time?</b>

Yeah, that commercial gets me too....

Yes, he was euthanized Friday due to his age.

 

[SouthernMdRocks]

There really should be a program where someone would come to your house for euthanization. Why should you have to subject your pet to the final indignity of a visit to the vet, when most of them hate that.

When our 17 year old poodles, two of them were put to sleep, the vet was nice and came to our home. We didn't want them upset in any way and going to the vets always upset them.

 

[krazd_kat]

When our 17 year old poodles, two of them were put to sleep, the vet was nice and came to our home. We didn't want them upset in any way and going to the vets always upset them.

Those are the kind of vets it's nice to have!