Vet Is Forced To Put A Healthy Pup To Sleep, Pleads With People To Think Twice Before Getting A Dog In Lockdown
InterviewThe quarantine has created an unprecedented surge in ‘lockdown puppies,’ with people around the world looking for coping mechanisms to fight off the pandemic blues. And although emptied-out shelters and rescues looked very promising at first, as the restrictions are lifted, more and more freshly-made pet owners struggle to find time for their pups. But it’s the poor animals who pay for humans’ impulse decisions.
Recently, an anonymous vet’s heart-wrenching message was shared on the Yorkshire Rose Dog Rescue Facebook public group by Crescenza Puzio, who posted the text on behalf of the vet “who, like many of us in rescue, have just had enough.” The letter sheds light on so-called “difficult dogs,” and their devastating fate when owners refuse to put up with them.
Turns out, the vet sees painlessly taking their life as a more responsible thing to do than condemning them to wait with the rest of the enormous population of difficult dogs that flood rescue kennels around the country. But it just can’t possibly keep going like this, and it’s on the prospective dog owners to make a change.
The anonymous vet warned everyone to think twice about getting a pup in lockdown in his heart-wrenching letter
Image credits: John M (not the actual photo)
Posted by Crescenza Puzio, this is the message from the vet that should be a wake-up call for many
Image credits: Eric Danley (not the actual photo)
Bored Panda reached out to Crescenza Puzio, a volunteer with Yorkshire Rose Dog Rescue, who shared the vet’s heart-wrenching message on their Facebook group. Crescenza told us that the problem with lockdown puppies is huge.
“Back when lockdown started, we got an amazing amount of people applying for dogs, but we hardly had any in rescue. All rescues were reporting the same thing happening.”At the same time, “breeders were actively breeding dogs as fast as they could and people were buying any breed they could get their hands on,” she explained.
In reality, “people that had no business owning certain breeds such as working breeds were buying them just because they were cute.”
Image credits: Karen Blaha (not the actual photo)
The surge in lockdown puppies meant that people who, under normal circumstances, knew they didn’t have time or experience for a dog were getting dogs, many times for the kids.
But at this point, the situation has changed dramatically. “This seems to be one of the main reasons now for dogs being handed into rescues at 9-11 months old. Inexperienced people bought dogs and did not train them and now realize they don’t have the time.”
For them, “The puppy is not as cute anymore and walking a dog in winter is not as much fun,” Crescenza added. As a result, the dogs that are coming into rescues are young, hyper, untrained, and unsocialized. She explained that “adolescent dogs like that can be hard work to have around, especially around kids.”
Image credits: localpups (not the actual photo)
Unfortunately, Crescenza said this is only the tip of the iceberg for rescues. “We are being asked to take quite a few of your cute fluffy breeds too. However, before we can get the dog into rescue, people are selling them on.”
“It’s not uncommon to see young dogs being passed around to several homes. These are the ones who haven’t got behavioral issues yet. We will most likely see a lot of those dogs at around 18 months to 2 years old.”
Image credits: Yorkshire Rose Dog Rescue
When asked about the vet’s powerful message, Crescenza said that it shows how hopeless the situation sometimes feels. “The person who wrote it knows that what they did was not right or wrong. It just was…”
Crescenza also urges people thinking of getting a dog during lockdown to think really hard and do lots of research.
“Particularly research where you are getting your dog from. There are a lot of people taking advantage of the current situation. Most of all, think about not only what the dog will give you, but what you can give the dog for the next 10-15 years.”
And this is what people had to say about it
As someone who has found themselves in possession of a "nightmare puppy", I agree wholeheartedly that people should consider very seriously if a puppy is what they want. My dog made my life hell for about 4 years. She barked. all. the. time. She was practically untrainable and had energy for days. I tried to rehome her but in my city they were doing Pitbull Ban Legislation and she looked just enough of a pitbull to turn off any good prospects. So I did the responsible thing. I kept her and now my nightmare puppy is a happy 12 year old doggo napping on a chair next to me.
And this is why I love that I live in a country where puppy mills are illegal, you can't buy animals in pet shops (only pet food and the likes), where there is no such a thing as kill shelters and where it is actually illegal to kill healthy animals (except for meat production), even for vets.
We have a lurcher, we got him from the Dogs Trust when he was about 4 months old. He'd been there since he was a puppy, and adopted once already. They apparently returned him because "we didn't realise how energetic he was." WTF, he's a whippet/dalmatian cross, did they expect him to sleep all day? We also used to have deerhounds before him, as pets rather than for show. 2 of ours were re-homed to us from the breeder. One came from a couple who had a flat in London, who didn't realise deerhounds grew so big (surprise, one of the tallest dog breeds!), and the other came from a large home in Scotland. Lovely big home, massive garden. But they used electric collars to keep the dogs in the garden. She was terrified to even come in to the porch when she first arrived. One of the loveliest dogs you ever met. It takes very little time to read up on dogs, and dog care, especially if you're buying a specific breed. Sighthounds are what I know, so that's what I have.
I'm so glad you were able to take all of them. I had to rescue a puppy from Romania nearly 3 years ago because nowhere over here would let me have one because I don't have a garden. I live across the road from the park. I also knew I could only have a small dog as I wouldn't want a bigger one in a flat. I made sure my dog was from an actual rescue and not a puppy mill & rescuing him was the best thing I've ever done; I really think rescue centers over here should take each persons situation into account; if I'd been able to rescue one in this country it would have made space for them to take another one in, instead people are having to rescue dogs from other countries (where they're treated incredibly badly) and rescue centers over here are having to euthanize dogs due to overcrowding :(
Load More Replies...It seems like a lot of people want puppies because they are cute, without realizing puppies are full of energy and lack training. And that older dogs might actually be a better fit. Either way, f**k puppy mills. F**k breaders. F**k people who buy an animal and then kill it. There should be a database that blocks people that do this from owning a pet ever again.
I seldom cry but this has me in tears of anger. Anger for the couple as irresponsible pet owners and anger for a culture that (in parts) allows this attitude to fester till shelters are full and animals get killed because of it. An Animal is not an object. It is a source of food/clothing and a living being- or it is a working pet or companion. What it is not is to be handled like dead object without any respect. Educate yourself before buying a pet. Plan ahead. Realize possible issues and minimize them by chosing wisely and with foresight.
Seriously, I’ll tell a little tale of my own, about three years ago I got my Husky, she was a really tiny puppy, so we were expecting a little play, when she turned out to need play constantly, guess what, we did it, we didn’t fold under the “pressure” and “intensity” of having a dog, and get it euthanized, no, we actually took the time to figure out the dogs needs, and meet them.
Load More Replies...If I'm informed correctly it's illegal to put a healthy dog down in Germany, even if it was agressiv and that pupper was not agressive, it set a boundary
That's true, and many vets even refuse to put a dog down just because the owner said "it's aggressive". My late boy Lemmy was one of those. He bit the (new) owner very badly, but when he went to the vet, the vet said "No. This dog is friendly and nice and shows no signs of sickness or health-issues and no aggression whatsoever - here's the address of the shelter, go and bring him there." I came along, wanting a fluffy-haired, young (max 4 years) male dog that shouldn't be a labrador and shouldn't have a curled tail (Don't really enjoy always looking at my dog's b******e while walking) and I ended up with a 6year old labrador-mix with a curled tail! Loved him to pieces. Best dog ever in my eyes, even though he did have a problem with stress and yes, he bit me and also my father more than once. But it was our fault, and he lived 10 years with me and I will never not be grateful to the vet who refused to kill him!
Load More Replies...People thought this was heartbreaking, now think of puppy mills filled with hundreds of adorable puppies living in filth and dying. Don't get a puppy if you aren't going to love it every day and take care of it.
I used to be a tech at an emergency animal hospital. This was always the hardest thing to cope with! I remember each time I had to euthanize a litter of newborn puppies or kittens because of irresponsible owners that didn't spay/neuter. I remember each time a healthy animal was euthanized to save on vet bills. I also remember all of the patients that gave their entire lives to their loved ones and in their final moments had someone they've never met being the ones giving them peanut butter, little snausages and belly rubs to ultimately be euthanized alone, without their family, in the treatment area because "it was too hard to say goodbye". It's difficult for me to reconcile the feelings that maybe I could've or should've done more. Maybe called one more rescue, or one more someone/anyone, something/anything! explained care credit
As long as people like you are willing to put down healthy pets, it won't ever stop. At least in my country vets aren't allowed to put down healthy pets.
Load More Replies...Please. Please. Please please please do research before you get a dog. Please. My family did many many many long months of research and consideration before we got a dog. Can We provide proper care to this breed? Are we financially prepared? Are the chirren ready? Do we have enough space? We took all these thoughts into consideration and ended up with our dream puppy. We are perfect for her, and she is perfect for us. She gets all the exercise and stimulation she needs, and that is because we did research. We love her and she loves us. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I cannot stress this enough DO YOUR RESEARCH
Had a customer ask for this when I worked for a Vet. Told her we would take care of it then found the dog a great home on the other side of the state.
I disagree with this from a legal standpoint, but support it 100% because the dog could be, and was, rehomed, which is a win for all- original owner got rid of unwanted dog, dog saved, new family got what they wanted.
Load More Replies...I worry that this is going to become a flood after lockdown ends. I've seen so, so many people online getting cute puppies and kittens "coz we're bored at home during lockdown". Lockdown is temporary, puppies and kittens turn into dogs and cats and need full-time care just like human children, and animals aren't toys for our amusement, they're living creatures whose needs are just as important as those of their owners. As with children, if you don't have time, energy, dedication, responsibility and enough money to be patient with, raise and look after one as a lifetime commitment, get yourself a cuddly toy.
Too many people buy animals on a whim, with absolutely zero thought about the future. This was a problem before the pandemic and will continue to be a problem well after it's contained. Same goes for those "free to good home" ads. Those can be even worse for the animal because the person getting this free pet has zero skin in the game, so to speak, making it even easier for them to just abandon them somewhere.
Bull s**t! Yes people are scamming you with any dog that isnt even pure bred being more than a couple hundrend dollars. All the shelters in my canadian province dont have any issue taking dogs in and than adopting them out or having foster homes. Dont be a f****n idiot saying you had to put a puppy to sleep.
My husband and I took in a 2 month old unwanted christmas gift malinois puppy. 9 and a half years ago. We had no idea he'd be a bit crazy and all over the place but I wouldn't have it any other way. He is now peacefully sleeping on the bed and I can't wait for cuddles later. <3
Animals are for life, not just for Christmas (I cannot recall which UK charity used that). Big kudo's on taking a mali- I have heard that they are super intelligent dogs and need a lot of stimulation and exercise. Love them but they would be a bit much for me to handle :-) (while awake, apparently!)
Load More Replies...This is my philosophy on pet ownership: if you are not willing to put in the work that is required of having a pet then don't get one. Pets are a lot of hard work and if you don't want to put in the work or you are unable, then don't put yourself and the animal in that situation. People need to stop lying about the kinds of animals they are selling because they are putting these animals at risk of being put down. If you a specific breed of animal, go to a reputable breeder and not someone who doesn't care about the animals or know what they are doing.
'Random mongrel breed with stupid 'made-up' name' THIS! Cut the crap with the 'labradoodles' and 'cockapoos'- they are a MIXED BREED. Mutts. I don't care that 'but cross-breeding made the X breed so therefore this is okay'. There are enough pedigree dogs to choose from (not the ones bred for aesthetics), there are enough dogs in rescues to choose from. On the topic, I would rather see a dog put down that tossed out to roam the streets, to suffer, or rehomed with yet another unsuitable person. In an ideal world euthanasia would not be necessary, but money drives to many greedy people, and common sense is not common.
When we went to meet our dog (black lab mix) at her foster she was 6 months old. The first thing I did was look at the size of her paws. They were small and proportional to the rest of her legs/body. So I knew she wouldn't get much bigger. If a puppy has huge paws comparatively...then they will likely grow to be a big dog. If they have small paws they will likely be a small/medium dog. My dog is 45 lbs and the perfect medium sized dog.
My family had a difficult dog (corgi) for 15 years. We all have scars from him and a handful of vets even told us to put him down at first because of his attitude. We finally found a vet that realized he had dietary issues and once that was sorted he was better. Still a huge asshole, but the aggression went down hugely. He growled whenever you pet him, he was a nightmare to feed, but he was also incredibly smart and knew that when the little kids were around he needed to go his kennel and would put himself away. He might have been a total asshole, but he was still ours, and everyone needs an asshole after all. Don't get a dog, or any pet for that matter unless you're ready to deal with everything that goes along with it. They have personalities just like humans do and don't deserve to be tossed away and killed just because they aren't perfect.
I got a Jack Russell puppy because he was so cute and I love dogs. He was yappy and aggressive towards other (bigger) dogs, and anyone except me who invaded his personal space or stroked him. I always told people not to stroke him, or he'd bite them if they touched him. But some fools would just corner him and stroke him anyway, and get bitten. It was totally their fault, as he was absolutely fine around people who kept their hands to themselves. When I fell pregnant people said get rid of my dog or he'd attack the baby. But I didn't. I was sure I could teach my kid to leave the dog alone, and thus my dog wouldn't be fear biting my kid. I was right. I never left them alone together when my son was a bsby, but by the time he was a toddler he knew not to touch my dog, and don't get in his face. My dog is now 14 and my son is 8; they play nicely together and love each other to bits. Difficult puppies and adolescent dogs can change their ways.
The idea that rescues can squeeze another dog in when they are full is a myth. They are subject to laws that limit the number of animals on the property. (For good reason. We wouldn't want hoarder situations) At our rescue, approximately 80% of the rescues are from licensed breeders. They dogs either didn't sell fast enough, they have genetic problems from over breeding or they are simply done using them (most females are done with breeding by 3-4 yrs old, but are often physically geriatric from over breeding). The responsible thing to do would be to put a moratorium on breeding. It's sad to see people willing to pay thousands of dollars for a designer dog, but won't pay $2-300 for the same dog in a shelter.
Wow - really? We don't have many pure-breed dogs in shelters. Sure, some of them are, and there are a few NGOs that focus on a special breed to re-home them, but most true breeders (those with license and actual papers and health-checks and such) keep the older animals as well. I think it would hurt their reputation too much if they just 'threw them away' after they got too old. You're right, there should be more regulations on breeding and who is allowed and where puppies can come from. And in your country, it looks like the puppy-mill-like circumstances are still allowed. Also - in Germany, it's not allowed by law to kill a healthy dog (or any animal that isn't for eating). We actually have nearly empty shelters during covid, because so many people adopted a dog. Hope they'll be patient and keep their new family-member!
Load More Replies...People are stupid and should think before getting a pet, but goverment should step in as well. In many developed countries, putting pets to sleep without reason is illegal. I genuinely don‘t understand how killing them can be legal in a modern, industrial country. And yes, that applies to animal shelters as well. And as for the aggression part: If you abuse/mistreat/beat anyone, human or animal, they will defend themselves at some point. That’s called will to survive, not aggression. There are truly aggressive pets, usually due to bad owners sadly, but many so called 'aggressive' pets simply tried to protect themselves. It makes my heart bleed to think of how many were killed off because of some human messing up.
Why do you think this happened in the USA? The writer referenced purchasing the dog for several hundred pounds. And the post was by the Yorkshire Dog rescue. This leads me to believe this happened in the UK.
Load More Replies...This is exactly one of things I expected when lockdown was eased and when ignorant people found out what they had really acquired. There are going to be many, many more and not only puppies.
Poor little dogs. They had a whole life ahead of them until they got put down. ❤️😥
It's illegal in my country to put down a healthy dog. In the countryside, some vets might do it, but most will refuse. Growling is a warning that simply should be heeded. IF th children are to young to understand that, find a home for hte dog with larger or no children. It cannot be that hard, just put in the f*cking work!
There should be a law for these kind of stupid people to pay fine if they get to this. Its very basic common sense not to keep a large dog in the house.
horrible, absolutely awful, but it's not on the vet, it's on the breeders (for lying and swindling people and peddling animals when there are too many in shelters as it is) and the owners for not doing research. the way my mom brought me up, if i wanted some type of small pet i'd never had before, i had to write her an essay about how they were cared for, what i would do to take care of it, and why i wanted it. too many people buy pets of all sorts without doing research first; this is why there are still one-gallon fish bowls for sale when there are no fish varieties that can live long-term in them, and why the florida everglades are full of burmese pythons. DO YOUR RESEARCH.
It's also on the vet. Here vets aren't allowed to put down healthy animals, they take them instead to bring them to shelters and the owner will get a visit from the police. Vets should never do this.
Load More Replies...Would it be a good idea to make it illegal to put healthy animals to sleep for no damn reason, and/or to fine irresponsible owners for not properly taking care of a pet? "Nightmare dogs" are still trainable and can have their behavior changed. My mother has TWO "nightmare dogs," both chihuahua mixes. One has a lot of anxiety issues, and the other is just completely untrained and undisciplined. Anxious dog has history of snapping at people, children included. As much as both dogs, especially the anxious one, drive me crazy, I would never put them to sleep. Anxious dog has proven herself to be trainable; she just needs more structure and more exposure to desensitize her anxiety.
If you have little space but want a dog, adopt an older one. You can tell which is its maximum size, and they are calmer than puppies
Pugs can be veterinary nightmares bc of diseases they are prone to. With there popularity they are getting in situations they aren’t bred to cope with (left in the heat in back yards, no vet care for common issues, left as strays) heartbreaking. So sad people don’t take time to learn clicker training.
I do not agree to put a healthy dog down. There are many other avenues to explore and as a vet practice I don't think it would be much to get the word round and try to find a new home. I think it's a shame that people decide to have a dog without even looking online for some guidance or insight on what's really like to own a dog. They are wonderful creatures, but like people, they do need to be trained and a positive environment in which to thrive. I do not agree with dogs being raised with very young children, because they will pester and tease the poor dog until they snap.
Legally it's the owners decision (animals are property). If a vet goes against it without consent they can loose their license to practice. The law needs to change.
Load More Replies...Please. Please. Please please please do research before you get a dog. Please. My family did many many many long months of research and consideration before we got a dog. Can We provide proper care to this breed? Are we financially prepared? Are the chirren ready? Do we have enough space? We took all these thoughts into consideration and ended up with our dream puppy. We are perfect for her, and she is perfect for us. She gets all the exercise and stimulation she needs, and that is because we did research. We love her and she loves us. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I cannot stress this enough DO YOUR RESEARCH
We're pretty sure our Aussie was a dumped puppy. They look like cute little teddy bears when they're babies BUT they are a crazy, high energy, active dogs when they're grown. Either way, he has changed our lives! He is absolutely crazy & full of energy BUT hes also the sweetest dog who just wants to lick you & be friends with everything! He can be very overwhelming but a bit of breed research made us fully aware of his needs. We spend as much time as we can at the dog park, we play with him at home when we cant get there, and we're hoping to buy a house w/ a fenced yard so he can have it better during bad NE winters. He can get into trouble & drive us crazy but hes ours brat and we love him! Couldnt think of giving him away or putting him down! Its been a year and i still get emotional thinking of him being dumped!
I'm interested to know what should have been done, rather than put the dog to sleep. So many people saying it should be illegal to put an unwanted dog to sleep. What would you have done with the dog instead? There simply aren't enough homes for all of them. What we should be doing is making the breeding of dogs illegal except in the most exceptional circumstances. If you try to make euthanasia illegal, unscrupulous people will simply abandon them, which is much worse.
Where I live, pets are not put to sleep for such reasons. We have animal shelters who try to find a good home for them, simple as that. We even have several tv shows portraying pets that are up for adoption, including difficult cases. Yes, people abandon pets, but how can you say that killing them would be better? I had a rescue dog when I grew up who had been abandoned by her former owner. She lived a happy, long life with us. Did she not deserve that? I agree on the breeding restrictions, but why would ANY creature deserve to die because some human made bad decisions? These are LIVING beings. Are you saying killing them is okay if it’s more convenient?
Load More Replies...Never ever go to a vet that's willing to put down a healthy dog because he can't bring it to a shelter right away. The owners were awful but so was the vet, which clearly the vet knows since the name wasn't displayed. That man/woman doesn't deserve to call themselves a vet since the well being of the pup wasn't in their interest.
The only reason why breeders exist at all is because people are trashy and selfish and won’t just accept that the living creatures on earth right now are perfect the way they are. The person “buying” another living being is not entitled to create a designer dog like it’s some dinner. If you buy from a breeder then you are fueling that immortality when there are millions of homeless normal dogs available. It’s trashy as fûck to do this. Of course a fuçking scumbag breeder wouldn’t care if a person has some dumb kids that the owner will obviously prioritize over the pet. The breeder just wants money. Families with kids are ALWAYS the ones who do this bullshît and they think they sound like responsible parents for rehoming their “aggressive” dogs. No, you’re a shîtty parent and pet owner. You should have hired a trainer for your KIDS, who classically almost never treat pets well. They should make parents jump through hoops, like in human adoptions, before they’re allowed to buy.
Respectably disagree re breeds only wanting money. Reputable breeders spend an enormous amount of time and money investigating the right bloodline, who is breeding with which ones, market demand, food costs, vet bills etc. Yes, there are several of them in it for the money, but I have met many who do it for the love of the breed and wanting to continue good bloodlines, and have homes lined up before breeding takes place. They also have contracts in place (although honestly I doubt they hold any water). I am partial to GSD's- I would look for a breeder who has the type of dog I would like, and if they cannot assist, I will cast the idea out- I won't settle for second best and I won't support a breeder whose ethics I do not agree with. Having said that, with the exception of our GSD who was purpose bred, the rest of our dogs were adoptees. The number of people who complain about the vetting process when adopting is ridiculous. It's in the animals best interests.
Load More Replies...I think vets who put down healthy animals like this should be struck off. There are ALWAYS other options. This disgusts me.
I don't know why you got downvoted because you're absolutely right. The vet had a hand in this as well.
Load More Replies...Then you must be 100 % fake as well because you have no proof that "Matthew Reilly" is even your real name.
Load More Replies...Absolutely disgusting -- this vet! I've been a veterinarian for 16 years and there are ALWAYS other options. I hope someone identifies this person so that he/she/it can have their license revoked and the entire veterinary medicine community can know who this disgraceful, shameful worthless excuse for a human being is. I hope he/she/it has children and I sincerely hope one of them dies one day. Karma is a bitch when you are.
What country do you live in, and what are the legal rights surrounding an owners request vs how an animal is classified in the eyes of the law? It would be great to hear from a vet how they handle such a situation to ensure there are no repercussions. Are owners willing to sign the animal over to you?
Load More Replies...Yes, they can. Depending on the laws of the country, animals considered property and the owner has the right to state whats they want done with the animal. Euthanasia is not abuse, so it's allowed. Unfortunate if the animal can be rehabilitated. Vets have a shitty job sometimes.
Load More Replies...As someone who has found themselves in possession of a "nightmare puppy", I agree wholeheartedly that people should consider very seriously if a puppy is what they want. My dog made my life hell for about 4 years. She barked. all. the. time. She was practically untrainable and had energy for days. I tried to rehome her but in my city they were doing Pitbull Ban Legislation and she looked just enough of a pitbull to turn off any good prospects. So I did the responsible thing. I kept her and now my nightmare puppy is a happy 12 year old doggo napping on a chair next to me.
And this is why I love that I live in a country where puppy mills are illegal, you can't buy animals in pet shops (only pet food and the likes), where there is no such a thing as kill shelters and where it is actually illegal to kill healthy animals (except for meat production), even for vets.
We have a lurcher, we got him from the Dogs Trust when he was about 4 months old. He'd been there since he was a puppy, and adopted once already. They apparently returned him because "we didn't realise how energetic he was." WTF, he's a whippet/dalmatian cross, did they expect him to sleep all day? We also used to have deerhounds before him, as pets rather than for show. 2 of ours were re-homed to us from the breeder. One came from a couple who had a flat in London, who didn't realise deerhounds grew so big (surprise, one of the tallest dog breeds!), and the other came from a large home in Scotland. Lovely big home, massive garden. But they used electric collars to keep the dogs in the garden. She was terrified to even come in to the porch when she first arrived. One of the loveliest dogs you ever met. It takes very little time to read up on dogs, and dog care, especially if you're buying a specific breed. Sighthounds are what I know, so that's what I have.
I'm so glad you were able to take all of them. I had to rescue a puppy from Romania nearly 3 years ago because nowhere over here would let me have one because I don't have a garden. I live across the road from the park. I also knew I could only have a small dog as I wouldn't want a bigger one in a flat. I made sure my dog was from an actual rescue and not a puppy mill & rescuing him was the best thing I've ever done; I really think rescue centers over here should take each persons situation into account; if I'd been able to rescue one in this country it would have made space for them to take another one in, instead people are having to rescue dogs from other countries (where they're treated incredibly badly) and rescue centers over here are having to euthanize dogs due to overcrowding :(
Load More Replies...It seems like a lot of people want puppies because they are cute, without realizing puppies are full of energy and lack training. And that older dogs might actually be a better fit. Either way, f**k puppy mills. F**k breaders. F**k people who buy an animal and then kill it. There should be a database that blocks people that do this from owning a pet ever again.
I seldom cry but this has me in tears of anger. Anger for the couple as irresponsible pet owners and anger for a culture that (in parts) allows this attitude to fester till shelters are full and animals get killed because of it. An Animal is not an object. It is a source of food/clothing and a living being- or it is a working pet or companion. What it is not is to be handled like dead object without any respect. Educate yourself before buying a pet. Plan ahead. Realize possible issues and minimize them by chosing wisely and with foresight.
Seriously, I’ll tell a little tale of my own, about three years ago I got my Husky, she was a really tiny puppy, so we were expecting a little play, when she turned out to need play constantly, guess what, we did it, we didn’t fold under the “pressure” and “intensity” of having a dog, and get it euthanized, no, we actually took the time to figure out the dogs needs, and meet them.
Load More Replies...If I'm informed correctly it's illegal to put a healthy dog down in Germany, even if it was agressiv and that pupper was not agressive, it set a boundary
That's true, and many vets even refuse to put a dog down just because the owner said "it's aggressive". My late boy Lemmy was one of those. He bit the (new) owner very badly, but when he went to the vet, the vet said "No. This dog is friendly and nice and shows no signs of sickness or health-issues and no aggression whatsoever - here's the address of the shelter, go and bring him there." I came along, wanting a fluffy-haired, young (max 4 years) male dog that shouldn't be a labrador and shouldn't have a curled tail (Don't really enjoy always looking at my dog's b******e while walking) and I ended up with a 6year old labrador-mix with a curled tail! Loved him to pieces. Best dog ever in my eyes, even though he did have a problem with stress and yes, he bit me and also my father more than once. But it was our fault, and he lived 10 years with me and I will never not be grateful to the vet who refused to kill him!
Load More Replies...People thought this was heartbreaking, now think of puppy mills filled with hundreds of adorable puppies living in filth and dying. Don't get a puppy if you aren't going to love it every day and take care of it.
I used to be a tech at an emergency animal hospital. This was always the hardest thing to cope with! I remember each time I had to euthanize a litter of newborn puppies or kittens because of irresponsible owners that didn't spay/neuter. I remember each time a healthy animal was euthanized to save on vet bills. I also remember all of the patients that gave their entire lives to their loved ones and in their final moments had someone they've never met being the ones giving them peanut butter, little snausages and belly rubs to ultimately be euthanized alone, without their family, in the treatment area because "it was too hard to say goodbye". It's difficult for me to reconcile the feelings that maybe I could've or should've done more. Maybe called one more rescue, or one more someone/anyone, something/anything! explained care credit
As long as people like you are willing to put down healthy pets, it won't ever stop. At least in my country vets aren't allowed to put down healthy pets.
Load More Replies...Please. Please. Please please please do research before you get a dog. Please. My family did many many many long months of research and consideration before we got a dog. Can We provide proper care to this breed? Are we financially prepared? Are the chirren ready? Do we have enough space? We took all these thoughts into consideration and ended up with our dream puppy. We are perfect for her, and she is perfect for us. She gets all the exercise and stimulation she needs, and that is because we did research. We love her and she loves us. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I cannot stress this enough DO YOUR RESEARCH
Had a customer ask for this when I worked for a Vet. Told her we would take care of it then found the dog a great home on the other side of the state.
I disagree with this from a legal standpoint, but support it 100% because the dog could be, and was, rehomed, which is a win for all- original owner got rid of unwanted dog, dog saved, new family got what they wanted.
Load More Replies...I worry that this is going to become a flood after lockdown ends. I've seen so, so many people online getting cute puppies and kittens "coz we're bored at home during lockdown". Lockdown is temporary, puppies and kittens turn into dogs and cats and need full-time care just like human children, and animals aren't toys for our amusement, they're living creatures whose needs are just as important as those of their owners. As with children, if you don't have time, energy, dedication, responsibility and enough money to be patient with, raise and look after one as a lifetime commitment, get yourself a cuddly toy.
Too many people buy animals on a whim, with absolutely zero thought about the future. This was a problem before the pandemic and will continue to be a problem well after it's contained. Same goes for those "free to good home" ads. Those can be even worse for the animal because the person getting this free pet has zero skin in the game, so to speak, making it even easier for them to just abandon them somewhere.
Bull s**t! Yes people are scamming you with any dog that isnt even pure bred being more than a couple hundrend dollars. All the shelters in my canadian province dont have any issue taking dogs in and than adopting them out or having foster homes. Dont be a f****n idiot saying you had to put a puppy to sleep.
My husband and I took in a 2 month old unwanted christmas gift malinois puppy. 9 and a half years ago. We had no idea he'd be a bit crazy and all over the place but I wouldn't have it any other way. He is now peacefully sleeping on the bed and I can't wait for cuddles later. <3
Animals are for life, not just for Christmas (I cannot recall which UK charity used that). Big kudo's on taking a mali- I have heard that they are super intelligent dogs and need a lot of stimulation and exercise. Love them but they would be a bit much for me to handle :-) (while awake, apparently!)
Load More Replies...This is my philosophy on pet ownership: if you are not willing to put in the work that is required of having a pet then don't get one. Pets are a lot of hard work and if you don't want to put in the work or you are unable, then don't put yourself and the animal in that situation. People need to stop lying about the kinds of animals they are selling because they are putting these animals at risk of being put down. If you a specific breed of animal, go to a reputable breeder and not someone who doesn't care about the animals or know what they are doing.
'Random mongrel breed with stupid 'made-up' name' THIS! Cut the crap with the 'labradoodles' and 'cockapoos'- they are a MIXED BREED. Mutts. I don't care that 'but cross-breeding made the X breed so therefore this is okay'. There are enough pedigree dogs to choose from (not the ones bred for aesthetics), there are enough dogs in rescues to choose from. On the topic, I would rather see a dog put down that tossed out to roam the streets, to suffer, or rehomed with yet another unsuitable person. In an ideal world euthanasia would not be necessary, but money drives to many greedy people, and common sense is not common.
When we went to meet our dog (black lab mix) at her foster she was 6 months old. The first thing I did was look at the size of her paws. They were small and proportional to the rest of her legs/body. So I knew she wouldn't get much bigger. If a puppy has huge paws comparatively...then they will likely grow to be a big dog. If they have small paws they will likely be a small/medium dog. My dog is 45 lbs and the perfect medium sized dog.
My family had a difficult dog (corgi) for 15 years. We all have scars from him and a handful of vets even told us to put him down at first because of his attitude. We finally found a vet that realized he had dietary issues and once that was sorted he was better. Still a huge asshole, but the aggression went down hugely. He growled whenever you pet him, he was a nightmare to feed, but he was also incredibly smart and knew that when the little kids were around he needed to go his kennel and would put himself away. He might have been a total asshole, but he was still ours, and everyone needs an asshole after all. Don't get a dog, or any pet for that matter unless you're ready to deal with everything that goes along with it. They have personalities just like humans do and don't deserve to be tossed away and killed just because they aren't perfect.
I got a Jack Russell puppy because he was so cute and I love dogs. He was yappy and aggressive towards other (bigger) dogs, and anyone except me who invaded his personal space or stroked him. I always told people not to stroke him, or he'd bite them if they touched him. But some fools would just corner him and stroke him anyway, and get bitten. It was totally their fault, as he was absolutely fine around people who kept their hands to themselves. When I fell pregnant people said get rid of my dog or he'd attack the baby. But I didn't. I was sure I could teach my kid to leave the dog alone, and thus my dog wouldn't be fear biting my kid. I was right. I never left them alone together when my son was a bsby, but by the time he was a toddler he knew not to touch my dog, and don't get in his face. My dog is now 14 and my son is 8; they play nicely together and love each other to bits. Difficult puppies and adolescent dogs can change their ways.
The idea that rescues can squeeze another dog in when they are full is a myth. They are subject to laws that limit the number of animals on the property. (For good reason. We wouldn't want hoarder situations) At our rescue, approximately 80% of the rescues are from licensed breeders. They dogs either didn't sell fast enough, they have genetic problems from over breeding or they are simply done using them (most females are done with breeding by 3-4 yrs old, but are often physically geriatric from over breeding). The responsible thing to do would be to put a moratorium on breeding. It's sad to see people willing to pay thousands of dollars for a designer dog, but won't pay $2-300 for the same dog in a shelter.
Wow - really? We don't have many pure-breed dogs in shelters. Sure, some of them are, and there are a few NGOs that focus on a special breed to re-home them, but most true breeders (those with license and actual papers and health-checks and such) keep the older animals as well. I think it would hurt their reputation too much if they just 'threw them away' after they got too old. You're right, there should be more regulations on breeding and who is allowed and where puppies can come from. And in your country, it looks like the puppy-mill-like circumstances are still allowed. Also - in Germany, it's not allowed by law to kill a healthy dog (or any animal that isn't for eating). We actually have nearly empty shelters during covid, because so many people adopted a dog. Hope they'll be patient and keep their new family-member!
Load More Replies...People are stupid and should think before getting a pet, but goverment should step in as well. In many developed countries, putting pets to sleep without reason is illegal. I genuinely don‘t understand how killing them can be legal in a modern, industrial country. And yes, that applies to animal shelters as well. And as for the aggression part: If you abuse/mistreat/beat anyone, human or animal, they will defend themselves at some point. That’s called will to survive, not aggression. There are truly aggressive pets, usually due to bad owners sadly, but many so called 'aggressive' pets simply tried to protect themselves. It makes my heart bleed to think of how many were killed off because of some human messing up.
Why do you think this happened in the USA? The writer referenced purchasing the dog for several hundred pounds. And the post was by the Yorkshire Dog rescue. This leads me to believe this happened in the UK.
Load More Replies...This is exactly one of things I expected when lockdown was eased and when ignorant people found out what they had really acquired. There are going to be many, many more and not only puppies.
Poor little dogs. They had a whole life ahead of them until they got put down. ❤️😥
It's illegal in my country to put down a healthy dog. In the countryside, some vets might do it, but most will refuse. Growling is a warning that simply should be heeded. IF th children are to young to understand that, find a home for hte dog with larger or no children. It cannot be that hard, just put in the f*cking work!
There should be a law for these kind of stupid people to pay fine if they get to this. Its very basic common sense not to keep a large dog in the house.
horrible, absolutely awful, but it's not on the vet, it's on the breeders (for lying and swindling people and peddling animals when there are too many in shelters as it is) and the owners for not doing research. the way my mom brought me up, if i wanted some type of small pet i'd never had before, i had to write her an essay about how they were cared for, what i would do to take care of it, and why i wanted it. too many people buy pets of all sorts without doing research first; this is why there are still one-gallon fish bowls for sale when there are no fish varieties that can live long-term in them, and why the florida everglades are full of burmese pythons. DO YOUR RESEARCH.
It's also on the vet. Here vets aren't allowed to put down healthy animals, they take them instead to bring them to shelters and the owner will get a visit from the police. Vets should never do this.
Load More Replies...Would it be a good idea to make it illegal to put healthy animals to sleep for no damn reason, and/or to fine irresponsible owners for not properly taking care of a pet? "Nightmare dogs" are still trainable and can have their behavior changed. My mother has TWO "nightmare dogs," both chihuahua mixes. One has a lot of anxiety issues, and the other is just completely untrained and undisciplined. Anxious dog has history of snapping at people, children included. As much as both dogs, especially the anxious one, drive me crazy, I would never put them to sleep. Anxious dog has proven herself to be trainable; she just needs more structure and more exposure to desensitize her anxiety.
If you have little space but want a dog, adopt an older one. You can tell which is its maximum size, and they are calmer than puppies
Pugs can be veterinary nightmares bc of diseases they are prone to. With there popularity they are getting in situations they aren’t bred to cope with (left in the heat in back yards, no vet care for common issues, left as strays) heartbreaking. So sad people don’t take time to learn clicker training.
I do not agree to put a healthy dog down. There are many other avenues to explore and as a vet practice I don't think it would be much to get the word round and try to find a new home. I think it's a shame that people decide to have a dog without even looking online for some guidance or insight on what's really like to own a dog. They are wonderful creatures, but like people, they do need to be trained and a positive environment in which to thrive. I do not agree with dogs being raised with very young children, because they will pester and tease the poor dog until they snap.
Legally it's the owners decision (animals are property). If a vet goes against it without consent they can loose their license to practice. The law needs to change.
Load More Replies...Please. Please. Please please please do research before you get a dog. Please. My family did many many many long months of research and consideration before we got a dog. Can We provide proper care to this breed? Are we financially prepared? Are the chirren ready? Do we have enough space? We took all these thoughts into consideration and ended up with our dream puppy. We are perfect for her, and she is perfect for us. She gets all the exercise and stimulation she needs, and that is because we did research. We love her and she loves us. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE I cannot stress this enough DO YOUR RESEARCH
We're pretty sure our Aussie was a dumped puppy. They look like cute little teddy bears when they're babies BUT they are a crazy, high energy, active dogs when they're grown. Either way, he has changed our lives! He is absolutely crazy & full of energy BUT hes also the sweetest dog who just wants to lick you & be friends with everything! He can be very overwhelming but a bit of breed research made us fully aware of his needs. We spend as much time as we can at the dog park, we play with him at home when we cant get there, and we're hoping to buy a house w/ a fenced yard so he can have it better during bad NE winters. He can get into trouble & drive us crazy but hes ours brat and we love him! Couldnt think of giving him away or putting him down! Its been a year and i still get emotional thinking of him being dumped!
I'm interested to know what should have been done, rather than put the dog to sleep. So many people saying it should be illegal to put an unwanted dog to sleep. What would you have done with the dog instead? There simply aren't enough homes for all of them. What we should be doing is making the breeding of dogs illegal except in the most exceptional circumstances. If you try to make euthanasia illegal, unscrupulous people will simply abandon them, which is much worse.
Where I live, pets are not put to sleep for such reasons. We have animal shelters who try to find a good home for them, simple as that. We even have several tv shows portraying pets that are up for adoption, including difficult cases. Yes, people abandon pets, but how can you say that killing them would be better? I had a rescue dog when I grew up who had been abandoned by her former owner. She lived a happy, long life with us. Did she not deserve that? I agree on the breeding restrictions, but why would ANY creature deserve to die because some human made bad decisions? These are LIVING beings. Are you saying killing them is okay if it’s more convenient?
Load More Replies...Never ever go to a vet that's willing to put down a healthy dog because he can't bring it to a shelter right away. The owners were awful but so was the vet, which clearly the vet knows since the name wasn't displayed. That man/woman doesn't deserve to call themselves a vet since the well being of the pup wasn't in their interest.
The only reason why breeders exist at all is because people are trashy and selfish and won’t just accept that the living creatures on earth right now are perfect the way they are. The person “buying” another living being is not entitled to create a designer dog like it’s some dinner. If you buy from a breeder then you are fueling that immortality when there are millions of homeless normal dogs available. It’s trashy as fûck to do this. Of course a fuçking scumbag breeder wouldn’t care if a person has some dumb kids that the owner will obviously prioritize over the pet. The breeder just wants money. Families with kids are ALWAYS the ones who do this bullshît and they think they sound like responsible parents for rehoming their “aggressive” dogs. No, you’re a shîtty parent and pet owner. You should have hired a trainer for your KIDS, who classically almost never treat pets well. They should make parents jump through hoops, like in human adoptions, before they’re allowed to buy.
Respectably disagree re breeds only wanting money. Reputable breeders spend an enormous amount of time and money investigating the right bloodline, who is breeding with which ones, market demand, food costs, vet bills etc. Yes, there are several of them in it for the money, but I have met many who do it for the love of the breed and wanting to continue good bloodlines, and have homes lined up before breeding takes place. They also have contracts in place (although honestly I doubt they hold any water). I am partial to GSD's- I would look for a breeder who has the type of dog I would like, and if they cannot assist, I will cast the idea out- I won't settle for second best and I won't support a breeder whose ethics I do not agree with. Having said that, with the exception of our GSD who was purpose bred, the rest of our dogs were adoptees. The number of people who complain about the vetting process when adopting is ridiculous. It's in the animals best interests.
Load More Replies...I think vets who put down healthy animals like this should be struck off. There are ALWAYS other options. This disgusts me.
I don't know why you got downvoted because you're absolutely right. The vet had a hand in this as well.
Load More Replies...Then you must be 100 % fake as well because you have no proof that "Matthew Reilly" is even your real name.
Load More Replies...Absolutely disgusting -- this vet! I've been a veterinarian for 16 years and there are ALWAYS other options. I hope someone identifies this person so that he/she/it can have their license revoked and the entire veterinary medicine community can know who this disgraceful, shameful worthless excuse for a human being is. I hope he/she/it has children and I sincerely hope one of them dies one day. Karma is a bitch when you are.
What country do you live in, and what are the legal rights surrounding an owners request vs how an animal is classified in the eyes of the law? It would be great to hear from a vet how they handle such a situation to ensure there are no repercussions. Are owners willing to sign the animal over to you?
Load More Replies...Yes, they can. Depending on the laws of the country, animals considered property and the owner has the right to state whats they want done with the animal. Euthanasia is not abuse, so it's allowed. Unfortunate if the animal can be rehabilitated. Vets have a shitty job sometimes.
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