Advice re Healthy dog PTS by vet

Phenix

just been told of someone taking their healthy dog to the vet as they no longer wanted it, and the dog being PTS.
obviously I don't have proof, however is there anywhere to report this disgusting practice that perhaps this would be investigated or am I deluded into thinking this country actually cares about animals?

my blood is boiling

I will not name the vet or practice so please don't ask

Aru

Phenix wrote: »

just been told of someone taking their healthy dog to the vet as they no longer wanted it, and the dog being PTS.
obviously I don't have proof, however is there anywhere to report this disgusting practice that perhaps this would be investigated or am I deluded into thinking this country actually cares about animals?

my blood is boiling

I will not name the vet or practice so please don't ask

it is not uncommon...though most people give a reason for why the dog needs to be put down not all do and its quite possible many people lie and say dogs are biters or sheep chasers when they want rid of them.

the thing is whats the alternative for the dog if the vet refuses....death from neglect posion or a bullet?


if the vet didnt put the dog to sleep..what do you think would have happened to the poor unwanted creature? the rescues are full to breaking point and the pound means a 7 day wait in kennels before meeting the same fate.
at least this way the poor dog just gies to sleep surrounded by people he knows.

the practice I work for doesnt put down healthy pets without reason as we are lucky enough to have a fantastic rescue that steps in in these cases....but if they werent there it would be a possibility because those dogs have nowhere to go.the pounds pts surrendered animals after 24 hours as well.

Inexile

Aru I think has covered it all.

it is not illegal for a vet to euthanize a healthy animal at the request of the owner. the animal has no legal rights and is the property of the owner and therefore relies on the actions of its owner for its welfare.

Yes some vets may refuse and will contact rescues but if the owner insists the dog is to be euthanize the only options for the vet is to either a) do it or b) refuse and in which case the owner will just find another vet or method to dispose of the dog.

As already stated you don't know what reason the vet was given for the euthanasia and if it was either a sheep kill or aggression then it can be argued that the vet acted responsibly in carrying out the procedure.

Some people whose circumstances change and can no longer keep their pet would prefer to have it euthanize while they are with it than allow it to go to a rescue where they cannot influence its fate. While I may disagree with this point of view I can understand it.

Sadly its not really a dogs world.

Phenix

I suppose I never thought of it like that. I think I was initially horrified to hear a vet would put down a healthy dog....I suppose just because he has the as doesn't mean he has the best intentions toward the animals he is treating.
The person who told me the about the dog says he no longer takes his own dogs there as he does not like this vet.
also....I am sad to say the owners didn't bother to bring the dog themselves to offer comfort to him......they sent him off with a relative

anyway thank you for the responses. I think I was just being extremely stupid to think it doesn't happen.
in Dublin so wouldn't have used sheep as an excuse bt obviously have no idea what excuse if any they gave.

Magenta

Aru wrote: »

the pound means a 7 day wait in kennels before meeting the same fate.

It's 1 day for surrenders and 5 for strays.

sillysmiles

TBH sometimes I think it is better for an animal to be PTS by people it knows in a low stress environment rather than end up in a pound which I would imagine are stressful for a dog, particularly one who had a home/family.

Renno123

Magenta wrote: »

It's 1 day for surrenders and 5 for strays.

i got my dog from the pound and they told me he was there nearly a month.

anniehoo

Renno123 wrote: »

i got my dog from the pound and they told me he was there nearly a month.

It honestly depends on the Pound Renno. The Law is a 24hr rule for surrenders** and 5 days for strays. There are many pounds working with rescue organisations who will literally do their best (between the both of them) to hold on to dogs for as long as is feasibly possible. I've seen dogs in pounds for literally months due to legal cases.Heartbreaking.

It depends on what area of the country you live, who operates the pound and whether they are willing to work with rescues.Some are, some aren't. Every county differs which infuriates me no end. :mad:

In Dublin alone, with 4 catchment areas you will NOT get a clear cut answer on pound release fees. 3 weeks ago an owner paid over €200 to reclaim their GSD found in the Fingal area versus a less than €100 "adoption fee" for a Rottweiler surrendered in South Dublin.This is FACT. Despite me asking lots of questions, I'm none the wiser today (with mixed answers on the phone by numerous people) as to why this was the case.

Renno, I would be very confident your dog was in the pound for over a week and fair play to you rescuing a "Poundie", but nobody should be laissez faire about the fact that pounds are government run "animal control facilities", nothing more nothing less.

The rule is and still stands---> 24hrs for SURRENDERS** (not even that in some cases) and 5 days for unclaimed STRAYS.

Oryx

Some people should just never own a dog.

The vet in question was caught in a dilemma with no right answer.

DBB

anniehoo wrote: »

The rule is and still stands---> 24hrs for SURRENDERS and 5 days for unclaimed STRAYS.

Just picking your post out Anniehoo, to illustrate what seems to be a bit of misapprehension throughout this thread.
Surrendered dogs have NO legal right to one hour, let alone 24 hours. The pound is perfectly entitled to put surrendered dogs down immediately. The only legal entitlement to time given to dogs is 5 days for strays. That's all.
It is purely goodwill, and/or space availability, that some pounds give surrenders 24 hours' grace, some of them give surrenders substantially longer.
But do not be lulled into thinking that there's any legal compulsion on pounds to do so. If you surrender your dog to a pound, he could be dead by the time you return home.

anniehoo

DBB wrote: »

If you surrender your dog to a pound, he could be dead by the time you return home.

Yep you're totally correct DBB.

Knine

anniehoo wrote: »

Yep you're totally correct DBB.

This is particularly true for certain breeds/types of dogs. A friend of mine worked in a local pound

meoklmrk91

While I don't agree with this I think it is better than dumping the dog at the side of the road to be run over by a car, dumping them in a remote location to starve to death etc.

borderlinemeath

If there are no other issues at play - history of biting etc, a lot of vets that work with rescues will try and give the owner an option of surrendering the dog to a local rescue. I fostered a dog that was brought to the vet to be pts as the (elderly) owner wasn't aware of any other option. The vet contacted the rescue and the perfectly healthy, 1yr old dog got a second chance. A lot of circumstances worked in the dogs favour, the vet is particuarly good to the local rescue and the owners didn't realise they had other choices.

But some people though do think that their pet cannot be as happy with anybody else and see the choice to be pts as kinder than the alternative of a period of very stressful behaviour for the dog if they go to a rescue/pound (where they have no time)

I know a lady who had her dog put down due to it having an allergic reaction to her new carpet. Homes were offered for it, she didn't want anybody else to have it. Its not uncommon

ra0044

This is what happened in the case of our whippet who we rescued. He had been taken to the vet by his owner at 10 months old to be put to sleep. The reason given was that he chases after cats and small animals and the owner didn't want a dog that did that so he was to be put to sleep. He is a whippet for gods sake. Its what he was bred to do. Any half wit doing a tiny bit of breed research can find that out and go for a diferent breed. He was perfectly healthy and happy so the vet took the money for the deed but instead used it to vacinate and neuter him and rang a friend of ours who finds homes for discarded pets. Three days later we picked him up from the vets and he has been a great pet since.

Some people should simply not have dogs or indeed any kind of pet. I honestly think it is all down to the throw away culture that has built up over the celtic tiger years. People get a pet because it is fashionable or want to keep up with the neighbours / friends and then dispose of them when they realize there is work involved etc. or they don't fit the fuzzzy mental image of them they have in there pathetic little heads.

Appologies for the rant. It really is a pet ( no pun ) hate of mine.

taytobreath

Vets take an oath

vets should not be putting healthy animals to sleep without asking the question have all avenues been exhausted in re-homing the animal