I'm going to chime in here as the owner of a seriously dog aggressive dog. Kayleigh is a mal-GSD mix. She hates any other female dog and anything smaller than her is prey. Keeping Kayleigh safe from herself & keeping other dogs safe is a full time job. I can never let my guard down for a second with her. Until you've watched another dog, a dog you love, try to kill another dog you love, you can't fully understand what it's like. I don't mean a simple dog fight. An attack is a whole different ball game from a regular fight. It's HORRIFYING!

I can only support JC's decision--maybe Arthur could have been rehomed or retrained, but having spent thousands on Kayleigh--training, behaviorist, Tellington Touch, and massive vet bills with limited success, I understand why she choose to euthanize Arthur. I have spent many hours in tears over Kayleigh. Once two years ago, I spent the night sitting in the snow with her, sobbing, convinced it was the last night I'd ever have her. She had bit my husband that night. Fortunately, once he calmed down, we were able to work out a different plan for her. Our situation is different in that we don't live in a city--I have enough land that I can give Kayleigh room to play and keep my other dogs safe. I have a husband who can build the most amazing fences! There are areas around us where I can take Kayleigh and let her roam a bit without too much worry.

In terms of rehoming, I have placed one dog--Kayleigh's sister--who had a temperment like this. She went to a trapper who lives ten months of the year in a fly-in only camp with only Summit for company! Homes like that are not going to happen very often.
If Arthur had been taken to a shelter, even a no-kill, shelter and JC had told them the full truth, he would have been euthanized anyway. At least she had the guts to make that decision herself instead of leaving it to strangers! My husband is the administrator of our local no-kill shelter and I'd guarentee he would euthanize a dog with this kind of temperment. Aggressive dogs can't be safely adopted out. The liability risk for a shelter is huge.

I'm not sure what the law is in JC's area, but where I live, any dog involved in a fight can be declared dangerous and euthanized by Animal Control. Doesn't matter who started it or why the dogs were fighting. Fight=dangerous dog=dead. It's why Kayleigh is rarely off our property, unless we are way back in the bush. One bite to someone else's dog and she's dead.