R.i.p.

[lute]

That is just horrible. I get pretty peeved when people bring animals to the shelter along with the excuse 'I don't want them anymore', but I suppose at least they're giving them a shot at a better life. How harrowing for you to have to witness irresponsible ownership in full swing. I found euthanasia surprisingly easy to bear witness to whilst I was working at a vets, but I know that if I'd have seen it performed on perfectly healthy animals, then I too would have felt horribly guilty.

Oh I do feel guilty. It was the last thing I wanted to do.

[Miss Z]

He didn't HAVE TO he could have refused and made the other vet do it. He could have called the local shelters and seen if they could take them. What a lame excuse

Now I'm not condoning putting healthy animals down, but...

He may have had to, as lute said, he works for another vet. Turning clients away is bad for business, and I know that it's wrong, but that can be a difference between being in a well payed profession or out hunting to get it back. Making another vet do it makes no difference. The dogs are still PTS.

Yes, he could have called the shelters, but what if he could only get them into a kill shelter? Then they'd have just suffered in cages, and 99 times out of one hundred it would result in the same outcome - euthanasia. Even in a no-kill, shelters are not pleasant places for animals to be. Sure, the workers do their best, we are always slaving away at the shelter I volunteer at to make things as best as possible for our animals, but the result is no where near perfection. Dogs can stew in their kennels for months, even years. My heart is torn another inch every time I walk down the corridors of my shelter and see all the sad faces behind bars.

Plus, if he had refused, what's to say this woman (who sounds an absolute headcase anyway) would have just abandoned the dogs onto the streets that evening? Or worse still, 'disposed' of them herself?

It is tragic that these animals lost their lives prematurely and it shouldn't have happened. But their blood is on the hands of the woman, NOT the vet. At least these dogs are now free from any further suffering they might have had at the hands of the woman.

OK, off the soapbox now. I just don't see why people are so quick to blame the vet when far worse things happen in veterinary surgeries all the time. Quite frankly, if most pet owners knew what goes on in the practice outside the consult rooms, quite a few people would be a little surprised.

[inlovewithanimals]

R.I.P. sorry for your loss.


Justin,

[elizabethann]

That is the saddest story I've heard in a long time. RIP sweet pups. I hope you find peace at the rainbow bridge.

[lizbud]

Our dogs are considered "property" under the law & Vets sometimes have
no good options available. Yes, there are some Vets who refuse to put down
a healthy animal, it won't stop stupid people who want to end their lives.
There are others Vets who will do it.

In a perfect world, every pet would have a loving home & a place to grow
old gracefully. Maybe someday.

[loveallfurryfriends]

I can't stop crying!! Anyone who could do such a thing is a monster!!! I would not have been able to do it. I would have taken them home with me until I could find a place for them. That woman is without a soul!! Those sweet puppies are @ the RB now! RIP

[K9karen]

I don't care what the circumstances were. I will never, ever forget this as long as I live. Almost 24 hours later, I'm still sick. I have a sensitive stomach and haven't eaten since yesterday. This was wrong, plain wrong.

[dukedogsmom]

I agree. I can't stop thinking of the poor dogs and how they must have felt when they were there. There's no reasoning to condone this inhumane behavior.

[kallisto4529]

OH MY GOD!!! This is just horrible, what a friggin witch!!!!! I just can not wrap my brain around people like that, I wish they would make more things a crime to be punishable by jail, etc against animals then what they do. So many people have no clue how loving and sensitive they are. Lute I can not imagine how you do the job you do sometimes. God Bless You.
My vet would never do what your's did, he even told me of a situation once where he had a couple that brought a 1yr old cocker spaniel that was very aggressive, and they wanted the dog put to sleep because of this. The aggressiveness was not something that with the proper training and the right person could not be taken care of. So he made an offer to them to buy the dog instead of putting it to sleep, he actually kept the cocker himself and he had that dog for 15yrs. When i first started going to him, she would run around the office, she was red and just the best dog, she is what made me fall inlove with cockers.

[crow_noir]

At least I have some peace of mind knowing these were her dogs and that more than likely this is one of the kinder fates they were likely to have.

Lute, don't ever be too hard on yourself. This job will get emotionally draining very quickly. Look at all the positive things you will be able to do and all of the animals you can help.

The longer you are there and the more experience you get, the more "credibility" you'll get. Hopefully the main vet will give you a good review and a letter of referral.

When you get to that point maybe you can offer a few suggestions on how to better the practice.

If you do really good there and "pass" with flying colors YOU can start interviewing other clinics and finding out their policies and how they handle certain situations. Maybe you can find a few that you like and see if they need anyone else on their team with similar views.

Or maybe you'll be the thread of moral support that others like you are the current clinic need to stand up and make changes happen at the current clinic.

For now though just get a feel for how things work around there. Stay strong and keep your chin up. If you need to come to PT and vent about your worse days (of course we'd love to hear about your great ones too! ...while still respecting patient confidentiality of course.)

I'm sorry for the lame excuse. I've only worked at this vets for a little over a week. This is just what I was told. I don't agree with it either.

We knew the dogs were hers because she had brought them in before for their vacc. and a couple minor problems.

[krazyaboutkatz]

This is horrible!!!! I never expected to read that this had happened. I wish that the 3 dogs were able to be saved. RIP sweet puppies.

[Pawla]

DISGUSTING!!! If she did not want the dogs what was wrong with a No Kill shelter? Maybe the dogs had belonged to a worthless husband who left and she thought she would "show him". Whatever the reason she should have at least given the dogs a chance. People never cease to amaze me!

[IRescue452]

That is horrible. I'm so sorry you had to go through this. You actually can call some humane societies and have her name blacklisted incase she tries to get a new pet.

[Sudilar]

That just brought tears to my eyes. I would have taken the three into the back.. removed their collars, but the dogs in my car and took them home. Then I'd have come back and handed the lady the three collars..

Me, too.