I Can't Believe She Meant This

**Freedom** · 12-17-2014, 06:19 PM

"I can't believe she meant this" - that is actually quite common, for folks to have this in their wills. And sadly, many healthy pets are euthanized when the owner passes, due to the terms of the will.

I am rather surprised you have not encountered this before, it is so common.

**Asiel** · 12-17-2014, 07:15 PM

Freedom is right--- this is very common , at least around here. And it has been done a few times that I know of. From the looks of this Shepherd it isn't a young dog, Shepherds are usually a one man dog and they don't adapt well to another home when they are older.
Don't mean to sound heartless but I would recommend that the woman's will be followed and the dog be euthanized, especially since " the friend" has not come forward to give the dog a home.
People might find it cruel but believe me if that dog could speak it would ask to follow it's master.
Being in the house when his owner died will make it very difficult for anyone to get near the dog, if not impossible, that dog has to eat and drink and be put out--- doubtful this will be able to get done without someone getting hurt.

**Litterati** · 12-17-2014, 07:42 PM

I don't want to turn this thread into an argument but the article makes me sick at heart. Of course we don't have every detail. That said, I hope that the friend who was left in charge of Bella tries everything else within the realms of possibility before having a healthy animal killed. Sadly I too have heard of this sort of instruction being put in a will. There is the route of specifying that one's pet be taken to a well-reputed no-kill shelter for the rest of pet's natural life, and if possible leaving the shelter as large a donation as possible. In my area there is such a shelter and this is a more common request than I would have thought and it is adhered to. Where I once worked a woman had her healthy cat killed because her new condo didn't allow pets and she felt her cat didn't have a friendly personality to be re-homed. I never spoke to her again, not that it mattered, and a vet who would honour this request equally disgusts me. OK, rant over and blessings for a decent outcome for Bella.

**mon** · 12-18-2014, 10:47 AM

Oh pleeeeease.... I'm sure the dog will adjust with some time and patience. All this drama and no one has even passed yet. Ridiculous

**Taz_Zoee** · 12-18-2014, 11:29 AM

Originally Posted by mon

Oh pleeeeease.... I'm sure the dog will adjust with some time and patience. All this drama and no one has even passed yet. Ridiculous

What do you mean no one has even passed yet? Bela's owner passed away in November. And now the dogs fate is up in the air. And yes, I agree, the right person would be able to work with this dog and let it live out the rest of his life. They just need to give him a chance.

At ARF, the shelter I volunteer with, we have a program called the Guardian Program where elderly or ill people can sign up and they have to make a tiny donation each month (I think) and when they pass away we will take the animal and find it a home. It has happened several times and each time the pet(s) found wonderful new homes to live out there lives. One was two senior dogs and they went to a home together.

**chocolatepuppy** · 12-18-2014, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by Asiel

People might find it cruel but believe me if that dog could speak it would ask to follow it's master.
Being in the house when his owner died will make it very difficult for anyone to get near the dog, if not impossible, that dog has to eat and drink and be put out--- doubtful this will be able to get done without someone getting hurt.

It's a German Shepherd, not a shark! The dog is at a shelter and they say he's doing fine. At nine years old, he deserves to live! Many dogs get rehomed and do just fine.