Shelter Gives Away Dog Marked For Euthanization

[Kadie]

Shelter Gives Away Dog Marked For Euthanization
January 26, 2011 5:58 PM




PLACERVILLE, Calif. (CBS13) – A Placer County resident who asked for her dog to be put to sleep because of health problems was surprised to hear the dog was instead put up for adoption.

The El Dorado Animal Shelter made no apologies for seeking a new owner for Sophie, a cocker spaniel, after seeing how playful and healthy the animal seemed.

“We feel like we did the appropriate thing, we saved an animal’s life,” said Animal Services Chief Henry Brzezinski.

snip...
Sophie’s owner claimed she learned her dog was alive when she opened the paper and saw a picture of the cocker spaniel, with the note she was available to a new home. An 81-year-old man responded to the ad and adopted Sophie.

He hasn’t seen any signs of health problems.

more...
http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2011/01/26/shelter-gives-away-dog-marked-for-euthanization/

[tblue37]

1. I am glad little Sophie will be loved instead of killed. nt

[lonestarnot]

2. What a stupid fucker that would take a perfectly healthy dog to be put down on a lie. Sounds like a

CON to me. Good call shelter! :applause: Sophie's owner should have a nice fat kick in the ass!

[tblue37]

17. Notice that the owner wouldn't respond to the news show's

request for a or interview. She knows she would be reviled.

[roguevalley]

29. I want to slap her face. My boy, Robby was thirteen and we had

battled bladder cancer for nearly five months. I had to put him to sleep Monday and I can hardly move to this day. She just didn't want him around. I would take her.

[renate]

69. Oh no! I'm so sorry

Is that a picture of Robby in your sig line? He looks so sweet.

You did the right thing for him, as tough as it was for you. The last and hardest act of love. :hug:

[roguevalley]

145. thank you. the pup in my sig line is Tippy. I had to put him down

four years ago when he fell and broke a vessel in his leg. My boys are my heroes. I love them. I don't understand people like her. Hugs back to you, honey.

[MedicalAdmin]

78. It's a hard call.

With our pets we drew the line at where they were were still having more good moments than bad. We were doing 2 IV and 2 subQ daily at the end. Our vet, a wonderful man, came to our house and visited with the animals for a while before he sent them on their way in our arms.

But that animal was obviously just in the way and the owner was looking at an easy out. There is a special circle of hell reserved for folks who abandon pets.

[roguevalley]

146. I agree. Animals make us better. Obviously that dog's love will

help someone else. It didn't help her.

[MedicalAdmin]

151. You and I define love differently, but I get what you are saying.

[roguevalley]

155. I don't know what you mean but I hug you anyway. :)

[Sheltiemama]

117. I'm so, so sorry.

I lost my Misty to bladder cancer almost four years ago. I could hardly move a few days later, either. Her brother was the only reason I got out of bed. She beat another kind of cancer three years earlier, thanks to surgery and five weeks of radiation, but bladder cancer in dogs is so aggressive. From what I've read, there's just not much we can do about it. My eyes are filling up with tears just thinking about the day we had to let my sweet girl go. I just want you to know that I understand where you are and wish I could give you a hug.

[roguevalley]

147. I wish I could hug you too. It is awful. My boy, robby was so

heroic. He is my hero. His little eyes, pleading little eyes told me we were done. He couldn't eat. It would be about me then if we kept going. I couldn't do that to him. I hug you. You do know and I hug you.

[Kadie]

133. .

I am so sorry roguevalley.

:hug:

[roguevalley]

148. Thank you, sweetness. It is an awful thing that our guys and gals

don't live as long as we wish. I hug you back.

[thanks_imjustlurking]

135. I'm so sorry for your loss.

:hug:

[roguevalley]

149. Thank you, honey.

:hug: :hug:

[DeschutesRiver]

137. Just wanted to say I am so very sorry for your loss.

And send my wishes for you to find peace of mind - the days right after such a loss seem so pointless and empty, esp. after a long period of caregiving, and that is an understatement. I was in your place 3 months ago, and while it was a different kind of cancer, I full well know what you must have gone through in making your Robby's last months as comfortable as you could. You are the best kind of human that a dog can know as a true friend. Sometimes being a real friend isn't about what you do during the good times, but what you must find the strength to do when times go very dark and troubled.

Our older dog had a limp at first, but xray's revealed nothing out of the ordinary - at 15 years old, it was assumed to be some kind of arthritis somewhere (and he was extremely active & happy despite that - so we gave him a massage, heating pad sessions and a ride in the jeep on the ranch every day to sniff in some new spot that no longer had the youth to walk to, some pain relief meds and made sure he went camping and fishing with dh over the summer (seeing all his favorite places, including the beach). End of summer, he fell & fractured his leg, and the xrays revealed a very tiny dark spot - our vet said it might be bone cancer, or if we were lucky, it might just be the arthritis worsening. We decided to give it a shot in the hopes it wasn't the terminal diagnosis, which meant that due to the green fracture (very small), we had to use a harness to give him an assist in doing everything. I am only 140#, and he weighed 70#, so after a few weeks, it was so very hard to do. Dh and I traded off each night sleeping with our boy in another room, because he began to be a bit restless at night (though very chipper during the day) - that way, we each got some sleep. But it meant the person sleeping with our boy got only a few hours at time. And I didn't regret it in the slightest.

After giving us hope and actually making what appeared to be some progress, he went downhill quickly and stopped eating. I knew, but hoped I could make sure so I had dh take him to a specialist 4 hours away in case there was something treatable wrong instead of this being stupid bone cancer. Sadly, his xrays left no doubt whatsoever - the spot had grown and was unmistakable. We took him home to say goodbye, lit a fire in the woodstove & let him spend one more afternoon lying on his dog bed next to the piano to listen to dh play for him one last time while the snow fell (he loved to lie beside it everyday and listen. We'd earlier planned to have the vet come here, but the snow/ice made it impossible, so we took him to town to help him move on in his journey. I didn't wish to be relieved of the "trouble" or the "issues" nor did I consider it a burden, but it was clear that there was only one way left to really help him.

I read the article about this woman, and no, I wasn't able to find a single thing that caused me to empathize or find a shred of compassion for her plight. I am just grateful that the shelter staff did the right thing, and have fingers crossed that she gets some happiness finally, with someone who finds joy in her company, and doesn't have a litany of complaints against her like her former owner did.

[roguevalley]

150. I think its what you do with animals that marks you for the person

you are. Your story is so familiar and sweet. My Robby beat prostate cancer and thyroid cancer. Bladder got him. He was as sweet as they come. Your baby sounded the same. I hug you. I am so sorry. I wish they lived as long as we do. My dogs are so wonderful. I wish you the best. :hug: :hug:

[DeschutesRiver]

152. What a strong boy he was to have made it through all of that

and because you did all you could to be there for him. Stupid, stupid cancers:( My wishes to you that the good memories of Robby's time with you will never fade.

Hugs from us in Oregon (from Becca the wonder dog too) - take care.:pals:

[roguevalley]

154. He was my boy. Hugs back to you and to your Becca too. I loathe cancer.

Rv, from the roguevalley in Southern Oregon, normally known as heaven and now on the Kenai Peninsula

[Lorien]

98. A former friend of mine did that to both of his dogs

He was moving his family from Florida too Chicago and didn't want the "trouble" of moving the family's black lab and lab/ cocker spaniel mix with them, so he had both of them euthanized. He tried to justify it by saying that the dogs were "old" (They were eight and ten years old) then promptly bought his distraught little girls a puppy to "make up for it". I had spent every holiday with his family, but we never spoke again after that.

[jesus_of_suburbia]

156. "......but we never spoke again after that."

I like you.

[thanks_imjustlurking]

157. That's just subhuman, as I understand the term.

Or maybe it's all too human. Disgusting.

[Enthusiast]

116. You know what we call people like that?

Republicans.

[napi21]

3. GREAT for Sophie! Now, idiot, exactly What were these severe

health problems you spoke of? Allergies (that can be controlled) maybe?` I've been a rescue volunteer for over 10 yeas, and the reasns people SAY they can't keep their dogs send me into rage & tears every time!

[lonestarnot]

11. I had a good reason one time.

Two females that had been together, not since pups, but since only 1 was a pup. They were both grown at the time of the incident. They got into a death fight. Scared the crap out of me because I about broke my own damned arm trying to separate them and was very lucky not to be bitten. Once two females fight like that, the probability of it happening again is very high, so one had to go. Talk about heart broken. I just happened to have a friend whose wife ran a no kill for the beautiful dog breed. (I never tell the other one she is not beautiful) :P but anyway she was/is the smartest breed, and beautiful too. I knew she would get a very good home, and the one I kept, well I could never have been sure about her, if I had parted with her, so I chose to keep that one. I hated saying goodbye. It was hard. :cry:

[napi21]

25. I understand, but YOU didn't sentence one to death! The person who

owned the dog in op DID! Or at least thought that's what she was doing.

I didn't mean to say the EVERONE who turns in a dog (or cat) is wrong or doesn't have a valid reason, but you would be shocked at some of the reasons I've gotten over the years. NONE of them were the dog's fault. I only wish people wowuld think when decide to get a pet, and make a concious decision to make that pet part of their family and not disposable like an old shirt!

[shrike]

54. I know someone in your situation who decided to keep both dogs

She keeps them in separate parts of the house, she has them come in to be with her on separate shifts, always apart; it's an insane way to live, IMO. She can never go anywhere, no vacations, she doesn't trust anyone to care for them, unsurprisingly. This has been going on for years. But it's her decision, not mine. Personally, I think you made the better choice.

[smokey nj]

14. According to the article, the dog was incontinent.

I'm glad the poor pup has a new home.

[lonestarnot]

20. Failure on part of owner to spend the time and energy to train the dog.

[smokey nj]

22. Pretty much.

[Kalyke]

76. Cocker spaniels are KNOWN for this trait.

Duh.

People really should research dogs before settling on one to get.

If she couldn't train the dog, she can buy wee wee pads.

My cocker is incontinent due to health issues and we just put wee wee pads down. No biggie.

[MedicalAdmin]

79. Ack - that's why I like mutts.

They are healthier generally and tend not to have the negative quirks that purebreeds do. Plus I'm cheap.

[Kalyke]

84. I grew up in a family that raised cockers.

My last cocker was not incontinent - at least not until he got to be 14. He died a month shy of his 15th birthday.

Not all cockers have this issue, but many do.

And, you're some what correct in your assumption that mutts have fewer negative quirks, but the reason why is because so many purebreds are puppy milled. :(

[MedicalAdmin]

97. I never knew about he puppy milled thing.

But my comment on being a cheap assed bastard holds true. I just don't want to spend the money on a purebreed when the mutts are so nice.

[immoderate]

119. Maybe they should rename them pisher spaniels.

Just trying to help. :)

--imm

[obxhead]

21. Sometimes poor excuses are reason enough.

If someone is making up some BS reason they can't keep a pet it is probably best to get that pet away from that person.

[napi21]

26. I agree, but NOT to a kill shelter! nt

[flvegan]

4. Good for them.

Want to know how many rescues I've run through here that were left to be euthanized at a vet or shelter? I lost count a long, long time ago. My personal great dane was left by the breeder to be killed. Didn't happen, thank God. He's in sleeping on my bed right now.

And you know what? 50% of the folks that left their dog to be put down, I understand. Many times it's a financial problem, or something else problematic and you sign possession of the dog over. It's a terrible thing. To those that just leave them because watching them get put down would be inconvenient? Fuck you. When your dog needed you most...fuck you.

Cheers to El Dorado Animal Shelter. You done good.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

85. Yes, I once had apartment neighbors

a not-too-bright mother and daughter, who got a beagle puppy.

About two weeks later, I noticed that I hadn't seen the dog for a while, so I asked about it. "We got tired of him," the daughter said, "and took him to the pound."

Just like that.

[eilen]

93. We had to put our cat down

she was very sick, we did everything we could for her but she was clearly suffering. I could not believe the vet charged us an extra fee to be there with her when she was euthanized! I thought (especially after the thousands of dollars we paid them to help her) that was very cold. I'll never go to that vet again.

[lukasahero]

96. in almost 50 years of sharing my life w/pets

I have never encountered that.

you should definitely seek another vet.

[a la izquierda]

109. Good grief!

My vet sat and cried with my husband when we euthanized our very sick, senile dog last spring.

[TygrBright]

118. sheeesh, I've never heard of such a thing...

In the course of a long animal-loving life I've had to be a Final Friend to one dog and two cats, and in all three cases the vets ASKED ME if I wanted to hold them while the injection was given, and then someone from the staff sat with me and handed me tissues and so forth until I could see to drive home.

Most of the vets I know are pretty sensitive to the human/animal bond and how it affects their practice.

Ditch that one, definitely.

disgustedly,
Bright

[tammywammy]

138. I had to put down one of the stray cats I take care of

I went to an emergency night hospital, I didn't think he'd make it through to the next morning to visit the regular vet I go to. They were awesome. It was tough, even though it was a stray I had been taking care of him for 6 or 8 months or so. He was very sick and the vet showed a lot of compassion towards him and me, as I decided that it was best to put him to sleep. I didn't stay to see him get put down, I just couldn't do it. They sent a sympathy card the next week.

[Dappleganger]

5. It's not your dog to kick to the curb anymore.

[Raine]

6. Aw what a sweet face, GOOD that she got a home

with someone who will love her! :-)

[LisaL]

8. The dog is obviously gorgeous.

[LisaL]

7. And the former owner is complaining that the dog wasn't euthanized?

OMG.

[BuelahWitch]

9. She needs a good ass kicking

Where's Skittles? }(

[KurtNYC]

24. the owner seems to be complaining that she was lied to

and the shelter is rethinking how they communicate with clients like her.

[LisaL]

53. Somehow I believe that she will live through it.

:eyes:

[KurtNYC]

70. both she and the dog were poorly served by this shelter

I don't believe that lying and separating dogs from owners is what shelters should be doing.

Sophie's owner of 9 years: “We gave her a good home and now it just feels very strange that she is out there somewhere,” said the owner. “I feel more like I have abandoned her now than when I chose to put her down.”

I guess it would spoil all the pitchforking fun for some to consider that just maybe this woman loves this dog and has for 9 years!

[LisaL]

71. The dog was poorly served by the shelter?

Really? So the dog would be better off dead?

[KurtNYC]

89. one sec... need to spit out all the words being put into my mouth...

No. The dog would be better off with its bladder infection treated and living with the person it has bonded with for 9 years.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

99. But that is not what the owner chose, was it ?

The owner could have taken the dog to the vet to be put to sleep (pts), but did not choose that either. Instead s/he chose to bring the dog to a tax payer funded facility and have the taxpayer pay to have the dog pts. The shelter did the right thing. Once you surrender a dog to a shelter or a rescue, THEY own the dog. Its no longer up to you what happens to it.

(I've done rescue for almost 10 years. Don't get me started on irresponsible dog owners.....)

[KurtNYC]

105. That choice was never presented to her. They lied to her.

The CBS story has no info. The newspaper story has more detail.

I just asked a friend 'what would you suspect if a 9 YO female dog suddenly had urination issues'?
A: 'I don't know... bladder infection'

Why the vet didn't come up with that is anyone's guess. Also a 9YO dog suddenly is barfing and the Vet says it (suddenly) is eating too fast?! Time for a different vet.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

106. A surrendered animal is owned by the shelter. They determine

what to do with it. Period, end of story. If the owner wanted the dog pts, she could have taken her to the vet. Who knows, she may have done that and the vet refused to pts (pure speculation on my part) . I have no sympathy for her at all.

[KurtNYC]

108. crappy Vet, lied to by the shelter, her dog now living with someone

else = SNAFU

takes all the fun out of it to feel sorry for her.

[LisaL]

131. Yes, the dog is now living with someone else instead of being dead.

Oh the horror, the horror of it all.

[liberalhistorian]

124. A lot of vets will refuse to put down an animal

if there is no viable reason for it other than the owner just wants it done. That may have been what her vet did, and good for the vet. The owner apparently didn't try too hard to do anything about an incontinence issue, she likely didn't want the inconvenience of it. Animals are not toys or library books you can just take back or put back on the shelf. And they deserve owners who will care for them as a member of the family, which is what they are.

[liberalhistorian]

123. Then why the hell would she have taken her in to be

put down just because she was incontinent? That appears to be the only health issue she had and there are plenty of things that can be done for it that aren't that much trouble. And the dog isn't having that issue with the new owner. Seems like it was the owner's problem and not the dog's, the owner likely didn't take the dog out enough. Some owners are just plain lazy. I've had dogs and cats all my life and I just cannot fathom what this woman did and why she's now complaining about it. If she really loved the dog she wouldn't have done what she did, period. I have no problem joining in on the "pitchforking", she deserves it.

[KurtNYC]

134. She got this dog as a rescue and loves it to this day.

If you read the newspaper account then you saw that the dog was eventually treated for a bladder infection. An obvious cause but the vet said 'eating too fast.'

>>I just cannot fathom what this woman did and why she's now complaining about it. <<

She trusted her vet and her shelter and look what that got her !

[LisaL]

140. The vet said that dog was eating too fast because when the

woman brought the dog in, she said it was because the dog vomited in the morning. The vet isn't psychic, he's not going to know the dog is supposedly incontinent, unless the owner tells him.

[KurtNYC]

143. A dog is 9 years old and is suddenly eating too fast ?

I have never seen a dog eat faster as it gets older. We can definitely rule out psychic.

The new owners are treating a bladder infection found in Sophie:
http://www.mtdemocrat.com/online-features/featured-stories/doggie-double-cross-shelter-takes-euthansia-fee-but-adopts-dog-out/

[LisaL]

144. The vet isn't going to think of a bladder infection if the owner

comes in and complains that the dog has vomited. Vomiting is not a common symptom of bladder infection. Did she even tell the vet that the dog was incontinent?

[catrose]

111. Truly!

I rescue cats from the local "pound," and one day I asked about certain verbiage on the form. "That shows that we told them about the other options they have," said the tech. "And that they said, 'Nah, go ahead and kill 'em.'"

Still trying to get my head around that. And why this woman would have complained.

[CC]

10. Good for the shelter.

"The owner told shelter employees the dog needed to be put to sleep because she was suffering from incontinence." WTF Yet the new owner has no problem. Maybe the dog was suffering from lazy owner. Too lazy to take her out when she needed to go. Can't believe the owner has the nerve to complain.

[freeplessinseattle]

30. yep. maybe the poor dog used to pee out of fear n/t

[Sen. Walter Sobchak]

41. That is my parents adopted dog right there,

He was taken in with the original owners claiming he was aggressive and couldn't be house broken... that was 2003 and my parents have yet to see any signs of aggression or potty trouble.

[SammyWinstonJack]

12. Such a sweet face.

Glad she found a good person to take her in. :-)

[sasha031]

13. thank god for the wisdom of the shelter

now Sophie has a loving home.:loveya:

[Terra Alta]

15. The shelter did the right thing.

What an adorable little doggie.

As for the former owner, she can rot in hell. :grr:

[Raine]

16. On the subject of euthanization and claims that an animal is deathly ill.

Several years ago I found a dog at the shelter (while looking for a friend's lost dog) that I fell in love with. I paid to adopt him, I was to get him the next day. I was called the next morning by the shelter and told he was too ill for me to take and to come in and sign to have him put to sleep. No matter what argument I gave they wouldn't listen and insisted they were putting him to sleep. I even had a vet intervene and they wouldn't listen to them either. I finally thought about who is actually in control of the Los Angeles County shelters ... The Board of Supervisors. I called my supervisor and after they listened to my story they made the shelter release the dog. Ok yeah the dog was sick I took him to my vet. Though it cost me big bucks I got him back and had him as a loving companion for 15 years. Sadly he died from cancer just before this last Christmas but still he had all those years of life and I had him all that time.

[MrsBrady]

34. good on you, and I'm sorry you just lost furry friend

I saw a dog get it just before Thanksgiving.

I took her to the pet ER. Long story short.

She's a great dog, almost healthy now...will be going through heart worm treatment soon.

She'll make a great dog. Some kind of pointer/german shepherd mix. wonderful dog. very very very sweet.
She's not quite 2, we think. Still a puppy. She's a handful.

I could go on and on about the condition she was in when I found her.
I couldn't bear to give her up without helping her. She would have died.
My husband told me not bring her home, and I did anyway. He's melted by now ;)

I may find a forever home for her after we get her well, but I'm not sure if I will be able to.
I can't help myself when she looks at me with those "omg somebody loves me" eyes.

I know what you mean about spending all the money to get them well, but I don't care. I couldn't live with myself if I didn't.

[sweetloukillbot]

42. On the opposite side of the coin...

My wife and I adopted an absolutely gorgeous purebred Siamese kitten from the local Humane Society - the previous owner had given her up because they were moving and couldn't have pets, supposedly.

We got the kitten home and immediately noticed she wasn't particularly active. Took her to the vet the next day and we could see from the vet's look that there was something horribly wrong with her. He did some tests and we found out she was actually full-grown and suffering from feline HIV or something similar, which was causing her to waste away. We contacted the Humane Society and the offered a refund and apologized, but they wouldn't let us stay with the cat when it was put to sleep (something that is very important to my wife and I) - especially since we had bonded with the little girl over the week or so we had her. We ended up refusing the refund and paying for her to be put to sleep ourself, just so she could have some dignity in her death.

While I was upset at the Humane Society for not thoroughly checking out the cat, what was even worse was the previous owner - I'm sure they knew the cat was sick and didn't have the compassion to do the right thing for her so they made up some story and took her to the Humane Society.

[liberalhistorian]

125. About twenty years ago, we adopted a cat from

the shelter that turned out to have feline leukemia, which we discovered a few weeks later. The vet was furious, saying that the shelter should have done testing and should have known its condition but didn't. We ended up putting the cat down, but at least I was able to be with him when they did it. As bad as we felt, we knew we'd at least given the cat a few good, loving weeks with people who cared about it and he had someone with him who cared in the end.

[Exultant Democracy]

18. This is why I honestly hate many dog owner. People treat them like things and not living entities.

[complain jane]

19. Aww what a cute little dog :)

Hope she's found a happy, loving home.

[old mark]

23. K&R- Our first dog together was on her last week in teh shelter- her great crimes...

She was a large, black dog and she was 6 years old. We had her till she was nearly 13, and she died of cancer after many happier years than she had known before. I have her picture on my wall now, and will never forget Sheena.


mark

[slackmaster]

27. That looks like an extremely vicious, dangerous animal!

:sarcasm:

[KurtNYC]

28. They charged her for euthanization: $55. They didn't council her

on the issue -- incontinence -- and they didn't tell her what her options REALLY were. That's fraud. If a vet did this they would be sued easily.

I'm not saying that the shelter was wrong to find another owner for the dog. I'm saying the shelter was wrong because they knew the animal was or at least might be, adoptable and they didn't council the first owner. My heart goes out to anyone who feels overwhelmed by health issues in their pet. What a horrible choice to have to make. And now this woman will be 2nd guessed and villified.

[flvegan]

31. (facepalm)

So this shelter is now a veterinary service, eh? Okay.

Tell you what, go volunteer for...6 months at your local open-intake shelter and then re-evaluate your second paragraph.

Fraud. Jesus.

[KurtNYC]

32. why do they get to lie to her?

They should have told her what was going to happen. They lied to her when she and the dog needed help.

[flvegan]

33. You were there?

When she brought the dog in to have the dog put down, fully informed by her own personal veterinarian of the dog's problems complete with medical test paperwork, you heard what from the intake staff?

[KurtNYC]

35. $55 is the fee for euthanization

that is the deal they made with her

[flvegan]

36. So your answer is yes, then?

Please be clear.

[KurtNYC]

46. what is YOUR answer ? WHY DO THEY GET TO LIE TO HER?

and btw where is your citation for the stuff you seem to have made up about her going to a vet and bringing papers to the shelter.

If you are just going to make stuff up and ignore the facts then I am going to have a hard time debating the reality with you.

[lukasahero]

47. because lying is a lesser evil

than killing a perfectly healthy dog.

sorry if you value the feelings of a woman who tried to have the dog killed higher than the actual life of the dog. I do not.

[KurtNYC]

49. no need to offer a snarky back-handed apology since I never said

that. I trust the shelter to evaluate whether this dog was suffering, adoptable, etc. Basically tell her 'look, the dog is not suffering, you are. you can't handle the incontinence issue. Let us find someone who can.'

Lying was not the shelter's only option and not the best one. I hate to think that people in that area will now turn to some of things that Michael Vick did when he wanted his dogs killed because they now longer trust that shelter.

[lukasahero]

38. $55 for euth is likely cheaper than surrender

They gave her an easy out to benefit the dog

[KurtNYC]

45. They lied and they are rethinking their practices because of this

incident. The shelter did the thing that was "easy" for the shelter.

Cost is not the issue (btw surrender is $40, euth is $55) -- I cite the $55 payment as proof that the shelter lied.

How does having people want to "slap", "kick (her) ass" etc equal "an easy out" ?

[CC]

90. Mistakes happen, people don't always listen.

The shelter did not say the lied, the former dog owner accused. They said they obviously did not make things clear enough so would refund that $15 and review what is told to people.Will probably add even more fine prints to the paper work that most people won't bother to read. You don't put the dogs photo in the local paper if you think you are doing anything wrong.

I will call the dog owner out on why she surrendered her dog and how she has to nerve to be mad it is not dead. I have a problem when carpets are worth more than a life.I know how hard it can be to live with an incontinent dog. There are inexpensive medications out there that help. There is watching them a bit closer. There are doggy diapers and there is Odor Mute for other times. Mine was a 14 year old GSD that died of old age.


The one problem I see is that the shelter should charge a higher price for surrender than euthanization. There are too many that would opt for death for the extra cash which can lead to a situation like this when the shelter puts the animal first.

[liberalhistorian]

128. +1,000,000,000

nt

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

101. So give her her f'ing $15 back and all will be well.

Good for them for charging an intake fee. Shelters around here don't/can't.

[liberalhistorian]

127. No, the shelter did the thing that was best for the dog.

The dog was its primary concern and, frankly, I'll take the welfare of the dog over the feelings of an owner who is fully informed about incontinence, and the many things that can be done about it short of murdering the otherwise healthy dog, and who still chooses not to be bothered and to take the easy way out. Ten to one her vet may have refused to put the dog down; a lot of vets will do that if there's no viable reason for it that they can see other than "too inconvenient for owner."

[Joe the Revelator]

39. She gave the dog up to be killed. She know longer has rights to that dog and hopefully...

any other dog.

Real talk, if the dog was really healthy, fuck her.

[bettyellen]

51. if she lied to them saying the dog had health problems, they were not bound to follow through

[KurtNYC]

58. Sadly this woman was not given good information

3 weeks ago. By either her vet or the shelter.

http://www.mtdemocrat.com/online-features/featured-stories/doggie-double-cross-shelter-takes-euthansia-fee-but-adopts-dog-out/

Her dog had a bladder infection. Common cause for incontinence, especially in older female dogs.

[LisaL]

59. She says she took the dog to the vet for vomiting.

Not incontinence. The vet believed that the dog might have thrown up because she ate too fast. What is that you think the vet told her wrong? And why didn't she ask her vet to euthanize the dog? Why take the dog to a shelter?
And a small dog who is 9 could live years and years more.

[bettyellen]

64. and she didn't try to treat it? and it magically disappered at the shelter

Thanks for the link, the woman seems most concerned about her 55$. Nice,

[KurtNYC]

88. not the money at all

The shelter has offered to refund the difference and she wants it to go to Cocker Rescue.

For whatever reason her vet didn't look for a bladder infection.

People are working awfully hard to hate on this woman. From her comments she feels that she made a lifelong commitment to this dog when she adopted it. The shelter should support that mindset, not short-circuit it.

[bettyellen]

113. both vet and the shelter do not support the "story" she used when ordering the dog put down

and no one- even the woman, claims she actually tried to find help for the issue of incontinance. the vet doesn;t mention it as an issue at all, the shelter said they found no problem.
she claims she felt a life long commitment but is distraught to find out she wasn;t able to end that life prematurely? the shelter should support this midset of not giving dogs adequate care and treatment, and ordering euthanasia on demand?

[KurtNYC]

136. I don't see info from the vet and the dog was treated for bladder infection

got a link to the vet's comments?

[bettyellen]

142. the article linked above says she took the dog in for vomitting, zi didnlt see anything about

the bladder. and that is usually very treatable. Odd. Did that doc think she was chronically ill?

[AndrewP]

55. +1

[BrklynLiberal]

121. +1

[DeschutesRiver]

91. Diagnosing a dog and providing options is what a vet does

I've never seen any county or private shelter or rescue offer veterinary services in the form of diagnosis/counseling to owners who come to surrender ownership of an animal. She wasn't coming to get help for the dog; the article says she signed a "surrender" form, which means the dog is now the property of the shelter.

There is no fraud on the part of the shelter for not offering to be a veterinary clinic that can offer diagnostic services for animals. This former owner of an incontinent dog used her free will to choose to surrender the dog's ownership, asking that the new owners euthanize it. The new owners used their free will to decide the dog could be adopted rather than killed, and they refunded her the $15 on the euthanization fee.

I'm wondering why she didn't take the $55 and use it to have a vet counsel her on whether her dog's incontinence could have been treated or not. Or why she wanted the dog euthanized due to incontinence instead of allowing it a chance at adoption (the shelter dogs that can't be adopted ultimately end up euthanized anyway). Or why not have it euthanized at the vet's office, after a diagnosis/treatment plan has been rejected? Might cost more than $55 (although I know from personal experience that that is always not true), but even so, if she didn't want it languishing at a shelter prior to euthanization, the vet could have taken care of that while the dog was still in her ownership, allowing her to be the decider of its fate. The vet doesn't require you to sign over ownership prior to euthanization.

To my way of viewing it, it was the former owner who knew the animal was or at least might have been adoptable, and decided to have it killed instead of looking at other options. That is the owner's responsibilty alone, and she already made her decision. The very fact that the article describes her reaction not as "overjoyed that her pet still draws a breath and is happy in a new home", but instead "surprised", makes me think she saw her dog as nothing more than her "property", to be disposed of when it became inconvenient to "own" a piece of property that was peeing everywhere. I think she is probably pissed off that someone else ended up with "her" property, and the fact that the old man is doing okay with the old dog that she judged only worthy of euthanizaton might feel like a slap in the face to her.

People like that do exist.

[lukasahero]

95. everyone should read this post

thank you for your rational and well-considered response

[DeschutesRiver]

104. thanks lukashero, and I should probably flesh that out a bit more

I saw in the linked article that the shelter did mention that their contractual language was a bit sloppy and they planned to revise it for the future. So I don't yet know for certain what they contractually agreed to - whether it was first a surrender of ownership, and then a designation of the wishes of a former owner to see a euthanization occur, or whether it was a contractual agreement to euthanize first, followed by the change in ownership to before doing so (thus the charge for a euthanization), which would suggest that they were contractually obliged to complete that euthanization. Either way, if I were the shelter, I would do as they did, and take the consequences.

If I had to choose between an owner who believes euthanization is the answer to her dog's incontinence, and an new 81 year old owner who believes the answer is giving the dog a shot at life, I'm going with the old guy. At 81, he might even know a thing or two about incontinence himself. I had an eldery professor in college who once told me that he was so damned old, that when he got up off his couch after watching tv with his dogs, and found a wet spot there, he didn't know if it was from him or his old dogs, and he just laughed about it.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

102. +1

Another question -Why didn't she contact Cocker Spaniel Rescue ???

[DeschutesRiver]

107. I just read another article that cleared some issues up (and a cocker rescue did ultimately find the

new owner, but at the shelter's request).

In the article, the only thing the former owner mentioned about the 9 years with Sophie was that she didn't like children or men, that she barked nonstop whenever guests came over, hadn't been properly socialized when young, and was incontinent. Sophie's throwing up one morning sounded like the final straw in a her list of grievances about the dog. The former owner took her to the vet with only that complaint (said nothing about the incontinence) and the vet couldn't find anything wrong, so suggested perhaps the poor dog just ate too fast that morning.

The former owner's conclusion? She decided that despite getting a clean bill of health from the vet, she still "sensed it was Sophie's time to go". I'm betting she went to the shelter because she rightfully figured the vet might not put the dog down merely for reasons of convenience. It is clear that she refused to have the incontinence issue even looked at by the vet while she was there, likely because the vet might have given her a product that would help and then she would have had to keep the dog. She mentioned they had been forced to make many accommodations to keep Sophie with all of her social problems. She decided Sophie was "unadoptable". She decided that death was the best option. When there was nothing found at the vet's office that would have justified a reasonable decision to euthanize, she then went to the shelter where she knew they would do it for her, no questions asked, and paid the appropriate fee to have the dog killed.

No one defrauded her - she was just unhappy about someone second guessing her about her property and its disposition - if not, she wouldn't have gone to a newspaper about it, she would have just been happy that she was wrong about the adoptibility of her animal. I'm wondering if the newspaper article about the dog's adoption was seen by her friends, etc, and might have caused her some discomfort when it was revealed that her dog was a happy rescue, and that she might think this reflects poorly upon her.

The good news is that this shelter's Animal Services does retain some discretion over the fate of surrendered animals, regardless of whether euthanasia is requested, and so they did have the legal right to do as they did - which was to evaluate the dog, return the excess portion of the fee to the former owner, and turn the dog over to a local cocker rescue, who found a new owner the very next day. Here is the link again (from a post above) - the shelter and the rescue did very good things. I could find no reasons to excuse the former owner's behavior after reading the article carefully. I hope Sophie's life turns out better than it has been.

http://www.mtdemocrat.com/online-features/featured-stories/doggie-double-cross-shelter-takes-euthansia-fee-but-adopts-dog-out/

[BrklynLiberal]

122. VERY well said...and most likely, 100% accurate.

[jobycom]

112. Vets do do that, and I've heard of one being sued. I agree with part of what your saying

that the woman doesn't need to be villified. She made a difficult choice, even if the article in the OP didn't spell it out completely. The other article gives more background on her choice, and on her reaction to the story. She was clearly not upset by the money, and is happy Sophie found a new home, she just feels deceived. Writers know how to manipulate a reader to keep them reading, to sell their stories. Sales, not reporting all the facts, is their goal. This writer clearly wanted people to be upset with the woman, and chose facts accordingly. None of us know what went into her decision and whether we would agree with it.

I guess where I disagree is in calling it fraud. There's not enough money involved in the deception to make it an issue, and the woman isn't upset over the money. The shelter was obviously motivated by concern for the pet, and in the other story it clearly points out that they didn't know if they could save the dog. They found a Cocker Spaniel rescue service to put her up for adoption, otherwise they would have euthanized Sophie. I don't blame them for the deception, since to keep Sophie's owner waiting to learn of her fate would have been cruel, too, especially if they had had to put her down.

Vets and shelters do do this, and they even go to elaborate means to convince the owners their pets are dead. There was a similar case a year or so ago circulating in the papers about a woman who had watched her dog die, then learned the pet had been adopted out. The vet actually injected the pet with a sedative to convince the family they had watched her die, then adopted her out. It's not that unusual. What's unusual is the family finding out.

Anyway, I don't disagree with your defense of Sophie's owner, but I disagree with some of your comments on the shelter. And it seemed you were getting a lot of blows rained down on you, so I thought I'd give you a little break from that. :) Now let's see if the blows rain down on me.

[KurtNYC]

139. thanks for a considerate response

Didn't mean to villainize the shelter in my broad defense of the owner but the "lied to her" stuff sure sounds that way. I do think they would be in a better position right now if the paper that they had her sign said the dog may be adopted or euthanized.

I want to believe that this woman loves this dog. I might disagree with the timing of 60% of dogs who are put down, too soon, too late but the experience of putting your dog down is devastating. It is as personal and intimate as your relations with the dog. I don't want to think that she, or anyone could adopt that sweet dog as a rescue, live with it for 9 years and not love it.

It is too bad that many people think of their older dogs as being unadoptable. I love older dogs and learned a lot about how to communicate with my present dogs from a deaf, half blind, somewhat incontinent 12 year old boxer. I held her on my lap when the time came and it broke my heart. But I would do it all over again.

Older dogs are adoptable. I wish more dog owners knew that.

[liberalhistorian]

126. First of all, you mean "counsel." And, secondly,

shelters are not vet's offices and shouldn't be expected to be. Third, anyone who's "overwhelmed" by incontinence, which really isn't that big of a deal and there's plenty that can be done for it, and who doesn't even bother to try a little harder to see what can be done (we aren't talking cancer here, you know), doesn't deserve to own a dog. She deserves to be second-guessed and vilified.

[lukasahero]

37. Good!

I'll be making a donation to the shelter in the morning. It's nice to see some good in the world.

Oh and the former owner needs a good smack in the head.

[Joe the Revelator]

40. If this was her companion, why wasn't she in the room with this dog when she thought it was going to

be euthanized. You know, to comfort it and say goodbye. The orginal owner loses credibility based on that alone. She wanted to kill this dog because she was too lazy to train her.

[KurtNYC]

48. According to my vet, most people drop the dog off, pay and drive away

They don't want to watch it die or be there. People deal with death in a variety of ways (IMHO religions are created to profit and control people based on their fear of death and the afterlife). I couldn't do that, but I understand people loving another creature too much to watch it die. I'm not going to assume that everyone who has their animal euthanized is "lazy" -- plenty of animals reach a state where their quality of life is very poor and they suffer constantly. That is a hard thing to deal with and the decision about when to end an animal's life is a very difficult and emotional experience. If the shelter disagreed with her decision then the ethical thing to do is tell her so and tell her what options they recommend.

If incontinence is caused by a medical condition then training is not the answer. And I should mention, neither is euthanization.

[bullwinkle428]

57. A pretty shitty commentary on a lot of pet owners, assuming the

vet's observations are accurate. I can't imagine not wanting to spend my pet's last moments without him or her. Beyond sad that people can regard their pets as last week's trash! :mad:

[the other one]

43. 3 to 4 million healthy pets killed per year

A sweet and loving pit mix would have been dead by dinner time.

[delightfulstar]

44. Awwww...what a beautiful little girl!

I'm happy she has a second chance, and hope that she brings many years of love to the man who adopted her. :)

[cbdo2007]

50. Awww, good doggy!!!! Good story, though she should get her $$ refunded since they didn't

go through with the execution.

[dembotoz]

52. i do hope the dog was checked out and not a huge vet bill waiting to happen

some dogs look healthy right until the moment they die.

[LisaL]

56. The dog's health issues supposedly are incontinence.

[HillWilliam]

60. So many dogs are just thrown away

I'd cut off both arms and starve (have done!) for my dogs. When HillbillyBob and I were at our most desperate (homeless, unemployed, trying to deal with HBB's cancer and other long-term disabilities) our dogs never knew it.

HBB's canine assistant, Dora, is now 10 and thinking about retiring from active service. She has a few more years left and a wealth of knowledge and experience to pass along. We've been in contact with two rescue organizations locally who have been fantastic. We're about to have our home visit from a volunteer from one of the organizations this weekend to see if our environment and the new furkid are a good fit. So far, everything looks perfect, but we're thrilled to have these organizations take the time and effort to study our case and work with us side-by-side. I can't say enough good about Carolina Border Collie Rescue and Blue Ridge Border Collie Rescue. They're careful and considerate; I would recommend either group (and they do work closely with one another).

A rescued dog is almost always grateful. They know they've been in trouble and they're so glad when someone extends a heart and a home.

We probably have the right new kid picked out according to the volunteers. It's nice to have guides and helpers from two different organizations to make sure we're going on the right path.


Wish us luck!

[renate]

73. what a cutie pie!

She looks and sounds like a delight. Have fun!

[HillWilliam]

100. Thanks!!

Her caregivers are evaluating her now for a possible future in service work. We really hope she's the one. I've already lost a piece of my heart! Dogs who have the ability and temperament to be someone's assistant are pretty rare. It's been a long search. Julie looks promising so far. We'll have our first face-to-face visit with a volunteer this weekend. I'm SO excited!!!

[Dappleganger]

130. I have several throw-aways...

they're the best pals, ever.

[TwilightGardener]

61. You know, having volunteered at a shelter, I don't get down on people who turn animals in

to a shelter when they can't handle them anymore, for whatever reason. It's the right thing to do, rather than beating/neglecting them or dumping them on the side of the road. This woman probably very much believed that the dog couldn't or shouldn't be adopted out, and thus requested euthanasia in an effort to spare the dog a miserable shelter existence or a failed adoption. Maybe she was wrong, maybe the dog isn't having issues now, but I can't see any other logical reason for her to have requested the dog be put to sleep than concern for the dog (rather than simply turning her in--and paying less--for re-adoption).

[LisaL]

62. If she believed the dog couldn't be adopted out, she obviously

believed wrong. The dog was adopted out.
The dog has such an adorable face it's no surprise it was quickly adopted out. By the way, the woman had a vet. Why did she take the dog to a shelter instead of asking her vet to euthanize it, if she believed the dog was so sick?

[Bunny]

63. Maybe money is a factor?

The shelter charged her $55 for the 'euthanization'. My vet would have easily charged twice or even three times that much. Maybe she simply couldn't afford the difference.

[LisaL]

65. But she could afford a vet visit before she took her dog to a shelter?

And heartworm check?
How much is heartworm check?

[liberalhistorian]

129. Or maybe the vet refused, or she believed he would refuse,

because there really was no viable reason other than the owner requesting it. Not all vets will put animals down simply at the request of the owner.

[bettyellen]

66. Vet didn;t seem to think the dog was so sick, no euthanasia on demand maybe?

and they would charge more, and this woman really cared about thay 55$

[LisaL]

67. She took the dog in for vomiting. The vet apparently told her

the dog might have eaten too fast. So, yes, I would say the vet did not appear to believe the dog was so sick.
And I'd say neither did the shelter.

[Bunny]

68. I appreciate that you have some compassion for this woman.

None of us were there, we don't know the full story or all the factors that went into her decision. But most of the posters on this thread are ready to kill her, anyway. :eyes:

I have a cat with congenital cardiomyopathy. He's about three years old now. When he was diagnosed with this condition last June, the vet told me that it was a fatal condition, there is no possible cure, and his lifespan will be significantly reduced because of it. I was literally told that he could have two weeks left, maybe two years at most, but that's about it. I was told to expect the end to come at any time, and that it will be quick and there's no point in rushing him to the vet or animal hospital because there is nothing they can do for him. I live with the knowledge that every day when I come home (or worse, when my kids get home) that we may find him dead or dying and there's nothing to be done for it. I accept that because I can manage his disease so far, he seems comfortable, and I love the stuffing out of the little dude. There may be other people who just can't deal with this, and would want him euthanized right away to spare themselves and the cat from sickness and early death. I won't judge someone who might make that decision. We all have our emotional cut-off points.

[LisaL]

72. What deadly condition did her dog have?

[lukasahero]

80. no one wants to "kill" the woman

:eyes:

but neither do we believe the dog should have been killed on demand

I work w/a rescue group - this woman had options.

[Bunny]

87. Sigh. Okay, no one actually called for her death.

But here are some of the comments in this thread, ALL of which were made by people who have NO personal knowledge of the situation:

"Sophie's owner should have a nice fat kick in the ass!"
"I want to slap her face."
"She needs a good ass kicking"
"As for the former owner, she can rot in hell"
"fuck her."
"the former owner needs a good smack in the head."

My apologies. I guess these are all much more acceptable comments. :eyes:

Congratulations on working in a shelter - really, it's a great thing to do. Unfortunately, not everyone has the perspective or knowledge of the options that you do, and not everyone will make the same choices that you would.

[lukasahero]

92. more acceptable than being dead? yes

or do you also equate calling Sarah Palin names with using gun-sights in ads targeting your opponents?

not everyone has to make the same choices I do but they don't (or shouldn't) have the right to demand the death of an animal just because they don't want it any more when someone else is willing to accept it.

[TwilightGardener]

82. I can't judge--I have been on all sides of the shelter deal, as a surrendering pet owner,

as a pet adopter, and as a worker. I can't be holier-than-thou and judgmental--sometimes pet owners just get in over their heads with either medical, training, or family issues, or have financial problems, or can't have pets in a rental, or take new jobs and won't be home enough, or become ill and the pet becomes too much for them. But always better to take them to a shelter than dump them or neglect their needs, even though it's a sad and guilt-inducing situation.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

103. I agree -but once you surrender an animal to a shelter or a rescue

group, they own the animal. Its no longer up to you what happens to it. They are property in the eyes of the law(not a good thing, but it is what it is) and once you give up your property rights, they are gone.

[TwilightGardener]

132. I agree with that. What happens is ultimately up to them, and hopefully

their decisions are in both the animal's and the adopting public's best interests.

[TBF]

75. I agree - we had to rehome a puppy once

and I have rescued two dogs and given them happy homes. It was just a bad fit - we took a puppy (great dane) from a lady at work who had an unexpected litter and had one left. When we figured out it wasn't going to work out with our 18 month old I called a few rescues (not kill shelters obviously) and was eventually hooked up with a volunteer who wanted to take the puppy. She loved danes and was thrilled to get a young pure-bred for free. We paid for all the shots (which the accidental breeder had neglected to do), gave her the crate we had bought, etc... to make it an even sweeter deal for her.

Just being semi-responsible goes a long way in this world.

[lukasahero]

77. If she believed the dog couldn't be adopted

why didn't she ask her vet to euthanize?

[TBF]

81. Probably didn't want to spend the money (or maybe didn't have it?) -

we had a dog we had rescued (had over 8 years) and eventually it got pancreatis and the Vet recommended euthanasia. So we did as he recommended although it was heart-breaking and of course it is an expense. Maybe she couldn't afford it or bring herself to do it? :shrug:

[lukasahero]

83. she brought herself to do it w/the shelter

and yeah, probably because it was cheaper. or possibly because the vet wouldn't euthanize a healthy dog.

[TBF]

86. Good point. Unless the Vet talks I guess we won't know. So glad

that shelter was able and willing to re-home the dog.

[Kalyke]

74. OK... break my heart why don'cha??

I adopted a cocker spaniel with health problems and love him to death.

Hugs for Sophie from my Charlie (his is Chihuahua pal Gordy!)

[Orsino]

94. Substitute "vet" for "shelter," and this is how I met one of my pets. n/t

A previous owner paid for euthanization over an alleged behavioral problem, and I did a back-door adoption.

[Obamanaut]

110. The former owners need to be slapped 'til they pee. Kudos to the shelter

and the new guardian.

Now, I'm going to hug my five furkids.

[Mnemosyne]

114. What a sweet puppy! As my great-grandfather used to say, "First, you have to be smarter

than the dog."

Lazy owner.

[remember2000forever]

115. The Sometimes Answer For All Of Us Animal Lovers Is To

FOSTER!!! If you are queer for a breed, have room in your home, and have a local "NO KILL" shelter, offer to Foster a dog. When my beloved Rottweiler died I found out that:
1....They have a bad rap with the public
2....They don't do well in cages in the shelters
AND
3....All they need is love and rehabilitation

My job was to get them accustomed to cats, (my Siamese did this very well)
And make them acclimated to family life.

I'm looking right now at "Junie". I loved her so much that after many "Fosters" she is my adopted dog after rehabilitating 7 dogs. I still take Rottweilers in, Junie immediately sets them straight.

BTW, Usually the shelter pays for the Foster's Meds and Vet Bills At Their Clinic. Some Even Pay For Food !!!!

[BrklynLiberal]

120. GREAT for that shelter!!!!!

My vet had a cat for 18 years that someone brought into her to be put down.
When she told me the story, she added that the cat actually outlived the woman who would have had her euthanized.

That is what shelters are supposed to do...SAVE lives, not kill animals.

[adigal]

141. 90 dogs/puppies were killed the other day in a shelter

in Georgia. Gorgeous puppies, whose pictures show such hope in their eyes. People don't spay/neuter in many southern and rural communities. I am glad this dog, at least, had a happy result.
Adigal
Dog Rescuer

[tinkerbell41]

153. My Puggle Lula adopted same way

My kid frantically texted me that the 14 mo old puggle given to the vet where she works, for euthanasia was going to be put to sleep. the reason? She could not be potty trained.
My response, just bring her home. I had 3 already, but jesus, a 14 mo old puppy?
Best thing I ever did. She is my beagle's best bud. She is an absolute joy. The potty training thing? It took a LONG time. But the accidents were confined to the runner by the back door, I could live with that.

[Jamastiene]

158. Score a major one for Sophie!

I'm too late to Rec this beautiful story, but not too late to say I love it. Such a beautiful face on that little dog. I hope she lives many happy, healthy years to come. So sweet to see one get a home instead of a hideous gas chamber.