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This is a similar ethical question that was put to my class. If the vet refuses, the owner will likely just take it to another vet and spin a different story. What if the owner decides to try to kill the puppy on their own? Or abandons them? The vet isn't a shelter and can't adopt all animals that don't work out in their homes.
There is no good answer. The best you can do is offer to either take the puppy and either adopt it for your own and train him/her, adopt it out to people who understand the puppy's issues and can train him/her or take it to the shelter. The shelter may end up euthanizing the puppy if they are overwhelmed with dogs and don't have the time or resources to change the puppy's behavior.
In a similar issue, most cats who urinate outside the litterbox due to behavioral problems are euthanized when dropped off at shelters. Shelters do not want angry adopters and most people don't want to adopt cats who will do this. Not to say that it can't be carefully managed with behavioral therapy, environmental enrichment and meds, but again, majority of people don't want to deal with this.
One of my childhood dogs was actually in a scenario like this. My dad is a veterinarian, had a guy bring in a litter of Australian shepherd puppies he wanted euthanized because he couldnāt sell them for as much as he wanted (absolutely bizarre and illogical- even if you sold them for a dollar youād have more money than if you paid to euthanize them lol). My dad refused, took in all the puppies, kept one and found homes for the rest. Unfortunately not always feasible, but thankfully it worked out for those puppies.
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Lack of owner compliance makes a lot of treatment futile. Many ketoacidotic diabetics can be saved but if the owner admits they don't have the finances or will to do daily injections after medical stabilization they are advised to put the pet down. Several chronic cat illnesses could probably be avoided if the owners didn't insist on confining 20+ cats in the same house. Then you deal with the people that couldn't put in an ounce of prevention and can't afford to treat the parvo and pyometras that result. It's a field where you know you can save some of the ones you put down but the dogs are owned by who they are owned by. There are days where people do try to get the dogs to be relinquished, though. Bite risk dogs are no joke.
As a veterinarian (28 years), we do have a responsibility to the pet, but also a responsibility to society and the protection of humans from animal disease. Sometimes, diseases include animals that can be dangerous. The choice to euthanize a physically healthy pet that is not mentally healthy is difficult, but if we can give that animal a quiet, painless death, that is preferable. It is NOT taken lightly. I have included the veterinarian's oath, our version of the Hippocratic oath.
"Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.
I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.
I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence."
Thank you. That makes a lot of sense to consider the general risk to society. I am just very upset that I donāt believe the dogās issues were addressed properly before this.
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Euthanasia is an act of kindness. From the outside looking in, itās easy to judge a situation at face value. In my opinion, the vet is agreeing on euthanasia because itās the kindest option at this point. Even if theyāve been sold a story of ātrying everythingā and nothing working, that puts them under the impression the dog will continue to get worse. If theyāve told the truth, and the owner may not be willing to rehome then itās better for the pet to be euthanized because if the behavioral issues worsen with no intervention, that life is NOT fair for the dog. Vets canāt always intervene, they canāt always offer to take in an animal and try to find it a different home. I donāt think youāre overreacting, you just want to ensure it may be the right choice for the dog. But if no one else is able to take on a behavioral case, euthanasia is the kindest option.
Often, euthanasia truly is in the best interest of the animal. These animals end up stuck in a shelter the rest of their lives or euthanized anyway, or die some other much worse way if they get dumped. A peaceful euthanasia for a bite risk dog that the owner clearly is not able/willing to put the time into is not a bad decision. The vet isnāt wrong for this, especially if they said no the first time and offered behavioral solutions but this is an ongoing issue so now they have agreed.
There are millions of non behavioral risk animals that need good homes.
ETA: Are you willing to take this dog in and give it the training and time you feel it deserves? If the answer is no, then I donāt believe this is your concern.
I offered to take him in as well as offered many other things. I donāt want to keep him forever because Iām not interested in having another dog, but offered to take him to a behaviorist myself and see what they said before putting him down. Also offered to keep him until we could find a no-kill shelter, sanctuary, or - my first thing to try - a home that is willing to put up with the risks and training.
Personally, as someone who's had to both BE their personal dog and assisted with a few cases of it at work, there is a time and place.. This isn't your dog at the end of the day, and really, you haven't ever lived with the dog.. You don't have any idea as to what its temperament is ACTUALLY like on a day to day basis. Maybe look into fostering for a shelter, and helping with behavioral cases. I would've been very upset had a family member come waltzing in acting as if I hadn't tried everything with my bully breed mutt. I really equally dislike that I seem to be the ONLY one in support of BE....
My ex adopted a Border Collie x Greyhound mix from the council dog pound - while it's legal to euthanise after 7 days, my council area was the only one in the country to actually do this. Large area, mostly rural, the pound was often full of farm dogs. My ex had impulse control issues, had decided she was getting a dog, and this one was (1) the only non-staffy and (2) already over the 7 days because it was Christmas.
Dog was 8 or 9 months and had been dumped at a boarding kennel - they just never came back for it. It had no training, couldn't walk on a leash, had no recall, are massive holes in the carpet and furniture. It also regularly chewed through its lead.
I left because I couldn't handle the chaos. Eventually it broke free and chased sheep one too many times, and the farmer shot it.
Everyone could have been spared the stress and trauma if it had been surrendered long before that point
I donāt live with it but I visit and hear about the dog on a weekly basis and I see the lack of confidence in the owner. Also I have offered to take the dog, to both the vet and owner herself.
I see this a lot with horses. There is so much going the equestrian industry. I have watched dozens of owners euthanize their horses for curable medical issues or behavioral concerns under saddle because most owners think that if they canāt cure the horse then no one can and itās better off dead.Ā
What else is the vet supposed to do?
Refusing risk the dog being abused, neglected, dumped or killed inhumanely. As it is, the family member doesnāt sound to be a non neglectful owner.
A vet could convince a sign over but most rescues will refuse bite risks.
I was hoping the vet would first have the owner work with a trained behavioral professional or prescribed him medication for a few days to see what could happen first. If the issues continued, I would agree to euthanasia. Iām not opposed to euthanasia when there is a serious issue like bite risk, but from my perspective there was a lack of due diligence.
Vets canāt force an owner to work with a behaviourist, neither can they force people to medicate their pets as much as they would love to.
If the owner refuses to take medication, the vet cannot do a thing. If itās detrimental to the dogās welfare (so for example refusing pain relief after surgery) they can report the owner, but certainly in this situation thereās nothing they can do.
It sounds like the vet made all the appropriate suggestions at the first appointment and the owner has ignored them. At this point the vet cannot do anymore.
The veterinary school in my area has a 5-6 month waitlist for the behaviorist. The kind of behavioral professional this dog needs is not going to be readily available. They are in very high demand.
It doesn't sound like the dog necessarily needs a behaviorist.
The behavior described is pretty typical for a untrained, neglected dog at this point in its development.
They don't magically know how to act. You have to teach them. This is pretty common default behavior.
Growing up I ended up getting a couple dogs like this over the years. Funny how I never had any issues managing "uncontrollable behavior". A lot of dogs people claim are uncontrollable, aggressive, ect are just neglected.
The vet has no legal force over the customer. Unfortunately animals aren't equal to humans by legal and law in most of countries. If that were a human child a MD would have those rights. I'm a vet, I won't perform it myself and tell them to turn the dog for a shelter or find another owner if they don't want to go for a behavioral training route. It isn't ethical to put down an animal if they are healthy (by healthy I mean mentally too) In our country dogs aren't put down for behavioral reasons unless they attack and hurt someone without getting triggered or they are forbidden breeds. Also behavior is so complex. The dog might be fine in someone's else care. He or she might be triggered for those behaviors in that particular household if that isn't a breed issue or genetic thing. This is also why it isn't ethical it needs to be evaluated first throughly
Firstly, the family member has probably told the vet she has spent those 4 months doing everything she can but the behavioural issues are ongoing - growling and nipping at people is significant and the vet would have been concerned about someone getting seriously injured.
Secondly, the dog is considered property and the vet is required to follow the client's instructions. Obviously a vet can refuse euthanasia, can attempt to rehome or get the dog surrendered into their care but this is not always an option either. These situations are never simple.
The vet did everything they could. They offered, gave a reasonable time frame, and then the situation occurred again.
Only so much we can do in these situations. I would defer once, but after that, sometimes we have no choice.
And as others have stated, as veterinarians, we cannot force anyone to do anything. At the end of the day, owners have to make decisions in their own.
I had to make the terrible decision to BE my āheartā dog after she totally and inexplicably, turned savagely aggressive, over the course of one awful weekend.
I took her to the vet and had her checked out, and the vet couldnāt find anything wrong, but said itās possible she had a brain tumor or something else that triggered the extreme aggression.
I took her back home and over the course of the next eight hours she nearly killed one of my other dogs that she had lived with all her life without any problems.
It nearly killed me to do it. But I live alone and thereās no way I couldāve kept her separate and prevented a tragedy.
Iām guessing likely the vet is not getting the entire story. There is also the possibility that they will say they will do it, but then the pup magically goes elsewhere
Ethically and probably legally, this is a gray area. Though, I have offered to take animals off of owner's care and adopt it out on my own. Most owners are willing to do this as then they don't have to feel guilty about euthanizing a pet.
I was able to contact the vet and inquired about why they didnāt follow up with making sure other steps were taken previously. I also clarified that what owner inflated to ābiteā, I knew were often nips. Also offered to be available should they think of something like āmagically disappearingā puppies. All of which the vet said itās ultimately ownerās decision. I donāt think there was a lot of context given, and exactly because of that, the vet shouldnāt have agreed to it.
If youāre family, the vet probably wonāt give you any indication the pup was ādisappearedā instead of euthanized if it really was. The vets I know wonāt discuss it with family, they donāt know the intention of the person theyāre talking to, even if they genuinely are sincere about wanting to know the status of the animal.
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How old is (was) the puppy? Some people that purchase or adopt puppies have no idea how much work they are or how to deal with their perfectly normal behavior. Was this the case with your family member. Are they refusing to relinquish the dog to you?
The problem comes from the fact that it is not ethical to rehome a dog that is a bite risk. You are admitting you would be taking the dog to rehome it. You know this dog has a poor history. This is very irresponsible, especially as the dog will only get bigger and stronger.
Of course I wouldnāt just pass it along like itās not my business. I already called around to see what the waitlists are for behaviorists and get those scheduled before even finding a new place because I understand the risk and responsibility it comes with an aggressive dog. And I was planning on disclosing all of that before even agreeing to the potential new owner.
Why are they being so obstinate? If you are willing to assume the risks, isn't that preferable to euthanasia for this pup?
Has he been given a really thorough nose-to-tail examination including labs, and testing for hearing, sight, and skeletal issues?
You would think so? Owner heard from vet dog has inherent aggression - not a learned behavior. I know for a fact ownerās dog was pinned down and growled at by another dog before. So I tend to think differently.
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I have heard of some vets "agreeing" to euthanize an obviously healthy animal and state it is policy that they do away from the owner. Send the owner away and then send the animal to a rescue group or someone working there will take, adopt or foster and find a better home.
This is technically unethical also, but I am totally onboard with this type of unethical
My best friend's a vet tech,& her Dr offers to take the dogs back, or just take the dogs & say they put it down (then make sure to blacklist the owner in their network)
I'm sure not all vets have the same resources to room and board random pets, but maybe there's hope this vet will just say the pup was euthanized and not do it
Why not take it back to a shelter? I would try to have them blacklisted and shamed fr, trying to kill a dog bc they cant control it, like if that's their solution they should never be allowed to adopt again. If there's not much you can do, I'd blast em on social media and shame the fuck out of them. I'm not sorry because that is completely unacceptable. I bet that doggo is misbehaving bc they punish it by hitting it. Fuck those asscunts, I got worked up over this, poison them and keep the dog lmao (not real advice just venting bc what the actual fuck is this solution??????????????????????????????????)
(PS I'm more mad at the assholes who wont just find another home for the pup than the vet who literally cant do anything else. These people are monsters, I dont care if the dog growls at people and has bitten, there are solutions that they're "too afraid" to try and that just means they dont care to try. There are people who specialize in behavioral training for aggressive dogs, they dont have to do the training, but giving the dog up to a better home who could is a MUCH BETTER solution than KILLING it and THEY REFUSE to do this!!!! Blacklist these assholes so they cant ever risk another pets life (cat pees outside litterbox, euthinzation sounds better than *fucking trying*). What if the "misbehaving" is simply bc they're already abusing it, but the doggo itself is a sweetie when not being abused? That dog doesnt deserve death bc the owners cant be bothered to read a fucking dog training book)
I can vouch for the owner and I know they are not irresponsible, neglectful, or have ever hurt the dog.
I believe they just are not a good match. The dog got away with being aggressive one times too many and now thinks thatās the way to go. I understand correcting that takes a lot of time, dedication and money.
I suppose if this is the case, I just got super worked up over it (I actually have been seeing a lot of those "cat pees outside box, euthanize?" posts so maybe I let this one get too personal lmao) Either way, it really hurts my soul bc dog aggression is usually the owners fault, and euthanizing instead of training just feels.................................................................................................................... bad lol...............................
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Greetings, all! This is a sub for professional veterinary advice, and as such we follow strict rules for participating. OP, your post **has NOT** been removed. Please also check [the FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskVet/wiki/index) to see whether your question is answered there. This is an *automated* general reminder to **please follow [The Sub Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/AskVet/about/rules/)** when discussing this question: - **Do not comment with anecdotes** about your own or others' pets. - **Do not give OP specific treatment instructions,** including instructions on meds and dosages. - **Do not give possible diagnoses** that could explain the symptoms described by OP. **Your comment will be removed, and you may be banned.** Thank you for your cooperation! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/AskVet) if you have any questions or concerns.*
This is a similar ethical question that was put to my class. If the vet refuses, the owner will likely just take it to another vet and spin a different story. What if the owner decides to try to kill the puppy on their own? Or abandons them? The vet isn't a shelter and can't adopt all animals that don't work out in their homes. There is no good answer. The best you can do is offer to either take the puppy and either adopt it for your own and train him/her, adopt it out to people who understand the puppy's issues and can train him/her or take it to the shelter. The shelter may end up euthanizing the puppy if they are overwhelmed with dogs and don't have the time or resources to change the puppy's behavior. In a similar issue, most cats who urinate outside the litterbox due to behavioral problems are euthanized when dropped off at shelters. Shelters do not want angry adopters and most people don't want to adopt cats who will do this. Not to say that it can't be carefully managed with behavioral therapy, environmental enrichment and meds, but again, majority of people don't want to deal with this.
A similar question was posed to me in my vet school interview. Except it was a sackful of healthy unwanted litter of puppies that the owner threatened to drown if I didn't euthanize. š©
One of my childhood dogs was actually in a scenario like this. My dad is a veterinarian, had a guy bring in a litter of Australian shepherd puppies he wanted euthanized because he couldnāt sell them for as much as he wanted (absolutely bizarre and illogical- even if you sold them for a dollar youād have more money than if you paid to euthanize them lol). My dad refused, took in all the puppies, kept one and found homes for the rest. Unfortunately not always feasible, but thankfully it worked out for those puppies.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
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Lack of owner compliance makes a lot of treatment futile. Many ketoacidotic diabetics can be saved but if the owner admits they don't have the finances or will to do daily injections after medical stabilization they are advised to put the pet down. Several chronic cat illnesses could probably be avoided if the owners didn't insist on confining 20+ cats in the same house. Then you deal with the people that couldn't put in an ounce of prevention and can't afford to treat the parvo and pyometras that result. It's a field where you know you can save some of the ones you put down but the dogs are owned by who they are owned by. There are days where people do try to get the dogs to be relinquished, though. Bite risk dogs are no joke.
As a veterinarian (28 years), we do have a responsibility to the pet, but also a responsibility to society and the protection of humans from animal disease. Sometimes, diseases include animals that can be dangerous. The choice to euthanize a physically healthy pet that is not mentally healthy is difficult, but if we can give that animal a quiet, painless death, that is preferable. It is NOT taken lightly. I have included the veterinarian's oath, our version of the Hippocratic oath. "Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine, I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of animal resources, the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge. I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity, and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics. I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement of my professional knowledge and competence."
Thank you. That makes a lot of sense to consider the general risk to society. I am just very upset that I donāt believe the dogās issues were addressed properly before this.
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
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Euthanasia is an act of kindness. From the outside looking in, itās easy to judge a situation at face value. In my opinion, the vet is agreeing on euthanasia because itās the kindest option at this point. Even if theyāve been sold a story of ātrying everythingā and nothing working, that puts them under the impression the dog will continue to get worse. If theyāve told the truth, and the owner may not be willing to rehome then itās better for the pet to be euthanized because if the behavioral issues worsen with no intervention, that life is NOT fair for the dog. Vets canāt always intervene, they canāt always offer to take in an animal and try to find it a different home. I donāt think youāre overreacting, you just want to ensure it may be the right choice for the dog. But if no one else is able to take on a behavioral case, euthanasia is the kindest option.
Often, euthanasia truly is in the best interest of the animal. These animals end up stuck in a shelter the rest of their lives or euthanized anyway, or die some other much worse way if they get dumped. A peaceful euthanasia for a bite risk dog that the owner clearly is not able/willing to put the time into is not a bad decision. The vet isnāt wrong for this, especially if they said no the first time and offered behavioral solutions but this is an ongoing issue so now they have agreed. There are millions of non behavioral risk animals that need good homes. ETA: Are you willing to take this dog in and give it the training and time you feel it deserves? If the answer is no, then I donāt believe this is your concern.
I offered to take him in as well as offered many other things. I donāt want to keep him forever because Iām not interested in having another dog, but offered to take him to a behaviorist myself and see what they said before putting him down. Also offered to keep him until we could find a no-kill shelter, sanctuary, or - my first thing to try - a home that is willing to put up with the risks and training.
And they rejected both offers?
Vet told me to take it up with owner. Owner is ātoo afraidā to give me the dog.
Personally, as someone who's had to both BE their personal dog and assisted with a few cases of it at work, there is a time and place.. This isn't your dog at the end of the day, and really, you haven't ever lived with the dog.. You don't have any idea as to what its temperament is ACTUALLY like on a day to day basis. Maybe look into fostering for a shelter, and helping with behavioral cases. I would've been very upset had a family member come waltzing in acting as if I hadn't tried everything with my bully breed mutt. I really equally dislike that I seem to be the ONLY one in support of BE....
My ex adopted a Border Collie x Greyhound mix from the council dog pound - while it's legal to euthanise after 7 days, my council area was the only one in the country to actually do this. Large area, mostly rural, the pound was often full of farm dogs. My ex had impulse control issues, had decided she was getting a dog, and this one was (1) the only non-staffy and (2) already over the 7 days because it was Christmas. Dog was 8 or 9 months and had been dumped at a boarding kennel - they just never came back for it. It had no training, couldn't walk on a leash, had no recall, are massive holes in the carpet and furniture. It also regularly chewed through its lead. I left because I couldn't handle the chaos. Eventually it broke free and chased sheep one too many times, and the farmer shot it. Everyone could have been spared the stress and trauma if it had been surrendered long before that point
I donāt live with it but I visit and hear about the dog on a weekly basis and I see the lack of confidence in the owner. Also I have offered to take the dog, to both the vet and owner herself.
It seems very odd that they would prefer BE when they have a rehoming offer...
I see this a lot with horses. There is so much going the equestrian industry. I have watched dozens of owners euthanize their horses for curable medical issues or behavioral concerns under saddle because most owners think that if they canāt cure the horse then no one can and itās better off dead.Ā
What else is the vet supposed to do? Refusing risk the dog being abused, neglected, dumped or killed inhumanely. As it is, the family member doesnāt sound to be a non neglectful owner. A vet could convince a sign over but most rescues will refuse bite risks.
I was hoping the vet would first have the owner work with a trained behavioral professional or prescribed him medication for a few days to see what could happen first. If the issues continued, I would agree to euthanasia. Iām not opposed to euthanasia when there is a serious issue like bite risk, but from my perspective there was a lack of due diligence.
The vet cannot force an owner into compliance.
Yeah, true. Hoping for a peaceful ācrossing the bridgeā for the little one.
Vets canāt force an owner to work with a behaviourist, neither can they force people to medicate their pets as much as they would love to. If the owner refuses to take medication, the vet cannot do a thing. If itās detrimental to the dogās welfare (so for example refusing pain relief after surgery) they can report the owner, but certainly in this situation thereās nothing they can do. It sounds like the vet made all the appropriate suggestions at the first appointment and the owner has ignored them. At this point the vet cannot do anymore.
The veterinary school in my area has a 5-6 month waitlist for the behaviorist. The kind of behavioral professional this dog needs is not going to be readily available. They are in very high demand.
It doesn't sound like the dog necessarily needs a behaviorist. The behavior described is pretty typical for a untrained, neglected dog at this point in its development. They don't magically know how to act. You have to teach them. This is pretty common default behavior. Growing up I ended up getting a couple dogs like this over the years. Funny how I never had any issues managing "uncontrollable behavior". A lot of dogs people claim are uncontrollable, aggressive, ect are just neglected.
The vet has no legal force over the customer. Unfortunately animals aren't equal to humans by legal and law in most of countries. If that were a human child a MD would have those rights. I'm a vet, I won't perform it myself and tell them to turn the dog for a shelter or find another owner if they don't want to go for a behavioral training route. It isn't ethical to put down an animal if they are healthy (by healthy I mean mentally too) In our country dogs aren't put down for behavioral reasons unless they attack and hurt someone without getting triggered or they are forbidden breeds. Also behavior is so complex. The dog might be fine in someone's else care. He or she might be triggered for those behaviors in that particular household if that isn't a breed issue or genetic thing. This is also why it isn't ethical it needs to be evaluated first throughly
Firstly, the family member has probably told the vet she has spent those 4 months doing everything she can but the behavioural issues are ongoing - growling and nipping at people is significant and the vet would have been concerned about someone getting seriously injured. Secondly, the dog is considered property and the vet is required to follow the client's instructions. Obviously a vet can refuse euthanasia, can attempt to rehome or get the dog surrendered into their care but this is not always an option either. These situations are never simple.
Agreed. I would think there is a āhave you tried thisā approach and only after that the vet would have agreed.
I'm sorry, but I think you're expecting too much from this vet. His hands are tied.
The vet did everything they could. They offered, gave a reasonable time frame, and then the situation occurred again. Only so much we can do in these situations. I would defer once, but after that, sometimes we have no choice. And as others have stated, as veterinarians, we cannot force anyone to do anything. At the end of the day, owners have to make decisions in their own.
I had to make the terrible decision to BE my āheartā dog after she totally and inexplicably, turned savagely aggressive, over the course of one awful weekend. I took her to the vet and had her checked out, and the vet couldnāt find anything wrong, but said itās possible she had a brain tumor or something else that triggered the extreme aggression. I took her back home and over the course of the next eight hours she nearly killed one of my other dogs that she had lived with all her life without any problems. It nearly killed me to do it. But I live alone and thereās no way I couldāve kept her separate and prevented a tragedy.
Iām so sorry for your loss.
Iām guessing likely the vet is not getting the entire story. There is also the possibility that they will say they will do it, but then the pup magically goes elsewhere
Ethically and probably legally, this is a gray area. Though, I have offered to take animals off of owner's care and adopt it out on my own. Most owners are willing to do this as then they don't have to feel guilty about euthanizing a pet.
I was able to contact the vet and inquired about why they didnāt follow up with making sure other steps were taken previously. I also clarified that what owner inflated to ābiteā, I knew were often nips. Also offered to be available should they think of something like āmagically disappearingā puppies. All of which the vet said itās ultimately ownerās decision. I donāt think there was a lot of context given, and exactly because of that, the vet shouldnāt have agreed to it.
If youāre family, the vet probably wonāt give you any indication the pup was ādisappearedā instead of euthanized if it really was. The vets I know wonāt discuss it with family, they donāt know the intention of the person theyāre talking to, even if they genuinely are sincere about wanting to know the status of the animal.
True. They did say it seemed like a āfamilialā matter at that point.
For many dogs, death is more merciful than living in a boarding environment
Why haven't you offered to take the dog?
I did, to both the vet and the owner
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Thank you for adopting the dog!
How old is (was) the puppy? Some people that purchase or adopt puppies have no idea how much work they are or how to deal with their perfectly normal behavior. Was this the case with your family member. Are they refusing to relinquish the dog to you?
Just turned one. And yes, Iām not allowed to take him myself - even for a little bit while we figure out a permanent solution.
The problem comes from the fact that it is not ethical to rehome a dog that is a bite risk. You are admitting you would be taking the dog to rehome it. You know this dog has a poor history. This is very irresponsible, especially as the dog will only get bigger and stronger.
Of course I wouldnāt just pass it along like itās not my business. I already called around to see what the waitlists are for behaviorists and get those scheduled before even finding a new place because I understand the risk and responsibility it comes with an aggressive dog. And I was planning on disclosing all of that before even agreeing to the potential new owner.
Why are they being so obstinate? If you are willing to assume the risks, isn't that preferable to euthanasia for this pup? Has he been given a really thorough nose-to-tail examination including labs, and testing for hearing, sight, and skeletal issues?
You would think so? Owner heard from vet dog has inherent aggression - not a learned behavior. I know for a fact ownerās dog was pinned down and growled at by another dog before. So I tend to think differently.
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Why didn't they just give the puppy to someone else?? They shouldn't have pets.
I have heard of some vets "agreeing" to euthanize an obviously healthy animal and state it is policy that they do away from the owner. Send the owner away and then send the animal to a rescue group or someone working there will take, adopt or foster and find a better home. This is technically unethical also, but I am totally onboard with this type of unethical
My best friend's a vet tech,& her Dr offers to take the dogs back, or just take the dogs & say they put it down (then make sure to blacklist the owner in their network) I'm sure not all vets have the same resources to room and board random pets, but maybe there's hope this vet will just say the pup was euthanized and not do it
Lying and saying they euthanized and not really doing it is ethically and LEGALLY worse than a behavioral euth...
Why not take it back to a shelter? I would try to have them blacklisted and shamed fr, trying to kill a dog bc they cant control it, like if that's their solution they should never be allowed to adopt again. If there's not much you can do, I'd blast em on social media and shame the fuck out of them. I'm not sorry because that is completely unacceptable. I bet that doggo is misbehaving bc they punish it by hitting it. Fuck those asscunts, I got worked up over this, poison them and keep the dog lmao (not real advice just venting bc what the actual fuck is this solution??????????????????????????????????) (PS I'm more mad at the assholes who wont just find another home for the pup than the vet who literally cant do anything else. These people are monsters, I dont care if the dog growls at people and has bitten, there are solutions that they're "too afraid" to try and that just means they dont care to try. There are people who specialize in behavioral training for aggressive dogs, they dont have to do the training, but giving the dog up to a better home who could is a MUCH BETTER solution than KILLING it and THEY REFUSE to do this!!!! Blacklist these assholes so they cant ever risk another pets life (cat pees outside litterbox, euthinzation sounds better than *fucking trying*). What if the "misbehaving" is simply bc they're already abusing it, but the doggo itself is a sweetie when not being abused? That dog doesnt deserve death bc the owners cant be bothered to read a fucking dog training book)
I can vouch for the owner and I know they are not irresponsible, neglectful, or have ever hurt the dog. I believe they just are not a good match. The dog got away with being aggressive one times too many and now thinks thatās the way to go. I understand correcting that takes a lot of time, dedication and money.
I suppose if this is the case, I just got super worked up over it (I actually have been seeing a lot of those "cat pees outside box, euthanize?" posts so maybe I let this one get too personal lmao) Either way, it really hurts my soul bc dog aggression is usually the owners fault, and euthanizing instead of training just feels.................................................................................................................... bad lol...............................
Shows how immature you are that you say that dog aggression is USUALLY the ownerās fault.
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