Ran over my dog today

deere755 · Feb 6, 2011

When my son was 3 (he is 17 now) a stray cocker spanial showed up at our house. I didn't want to keep him because we all ready had a dog but my son just fell in love with him and his mom had just left us so I thought it would be good for him. We have now had him for 14 years and he is almost blind and hard of hearing. Today as I was pulling in the driveway he ran out to greet me like always but before I could get stopped I ran over him.I felt the truck run over him and heard him yelp. He managed to crawl across the road but didn't die. I knew from the injuries he would not live to get him to the vet which is about 14 miles away. I ran over his head and he couldn't see because his eyes had popped out of their sockets but he was trying to get to me. I went and got the 22 pistol and shot him point blank behind the ear and he was still trying to get up so I shot him again and he was still trying to get up. The gun jammed before I could fire a 3rd round and finally he passed away. I feel really bad but I didn't know what else to do. I just knew I didn't want him to suffer anymore. I figured the vet would just put him down if he was still alive when we got there and that would have been that much longer he would have had to suffer. I am glad my son was gone and didn't have to see it. Did I do the right thing?

k0ua · Feb 6, 2011

Yes, as hard as it was, Yes you did the right thing. I am sorry for your loss.
When the time is right, in his honor, rescue another.

James K0UA

AGGIE00 · Feb 6, 2011

Man I feel for you. I had good loyal dog that I had to shoot for safety reasons and my first shot only wounded. I felt terrible. Just be grateful it was a dog and not one of your children that ended up under your truck.

SARG · Feb 6, 2011

A real heartbreaker. Just know it was probably more traumatic for you than it was for the pup........... A blessing of shock & what it does.

I suggest you go out as soon as possible to get another ....... it will heal your heart much..much faster.

milkman636 · Feb 6, 2011

You did the right thing. You would have felt just as bad driving him to the vet. It would have just taken longer.

I had to take my 16 yr old dog to the vet last spring to be put down. It was a terrribly long 20 minute ride. I felt horrible knowing that I wasn't bringing her back home with me. After so many years of having her along side of me, it was sad to know it was over.

yankeerider · Feb 6, 2011

You did the right thing. I know how it feels. I had to put down my sisters' (that meant my nieces' and nephews') dog when I was about 16 years old after it got hit by a train behind our houses. I loved that dog, and it was all the worse because my nieces and nephews didn't understand. My condolences to you.

General Lee · Feb 6, 2011

My goodness, I couldn't imagine going through what you did. With that being said, I probably would have handled it the same way you did. In my experience in losing pets, getting another one helps ease the pain of the loss.

First one · Feb 6, 2011

It may as well have been my own dog. That's how much it hit me to hear your loss, so sorry. I've come close to backing over my dog a couple of times with my tractor, and I know just how it scared the **** out of me . Like your dog mine is getting old too, and wants to be with me every minute I'm out side.
You did do the right thing in putting him down. We would all, I'm sure do the same thing if it was us, no matter how much it hurt.
Truth be known he probably never knew what happened, or felt anything due to shock. Sounds like he had a great life and couldn't have been loved more.

Mace Canute · Feb 6, 2011

Yes, you definitely did the right thing. I'm so sorry for your loss. My Mickey (GSD) is getting up there in years and has really gone downhill these past few months. Every time I read of someone losing their companion for whatever reason, it reminds me that "That Day" is coming closer and closer and I always tear up.

deere755 · Feb 6, 2011

Thanks for all the replies. I doubt we get another dog anytime soon as we adopted my golden retriever form the pound a couple of years ago and this past spring we found out he had pups down the road and my wife brought one home against my will. I told her 2 dogs was plenty but she told me that Puffy our Cocker was getting old and it was just a matter of time before he was gone and we would be back to 2. I agreed and so we kept the pup. I just hate the way he had to die. I was hoping he would just go to sleep and not wake up but I guess that is the way we would all like to go. Last summer he ran under the bush hog with it running but luckily it was high enough he didn't even get a scratch. He has had a lot of close calls in the past few months. My son took it pretty well when I told him about it. I am going to see if I can chip away at the frozen ground to get him buried with a pick axe. I tried with a spade today and had no luck at all. I may even see if the vet can dispose of him for us. Not sure what to do there either.

lectro88 · Feb 6, 2011

Deere755.
I am so sorry for you and your loss. !
You did do the right thing.
We had to put our 175# Great Dane down the 18th at Thanksgiving. It was so hard to be thankful. Our hearts still ache and we miss him so much. We did adopt another dane, and bought another fawn dane puppy, and we still have our mastiff(all inside with us)

Wishing you the very best.

rrrkkk · Feb 6, 2011

I had a simular situation, and shot a dog a car had hit on the highway my 6 yr old son saw me do it. I tried to explain and he said dad I know you just shot the pain away.

Mace Canute · Feb 6, 2011

rrrkkk said:
I had a simular situation, and shot a dog a car had hit on the highway my 6 yr old son saw me do it. I tried to explain and he said dad I know you just shot the pain away.

I'm occasionally surprised by how some kids can come out with something like that. Wise beyond their years, as the saying goes.

texasjohn · Feb 7, 2011

Yes, you did the right thing... I've had to euthanize numerous pets that were unavoidably and irreparably injured...hurts to put a friend down, but it is the right thing to remove the suffering as quickly as possible. Each was done with a .22 and sometimes more than one was required.

westbrooklawn · Feb 7, 2011

You absolutely did the right thing... it is so very hard, but it's also the most loving thing you could do in that situation.

jayste · Feb 7, 2011

Pardner, I can understand more than you know! I posted a link to a similar situation I had last year after doing the same thing. I didn't put our dog down and she had to suffer the 17 miles to the vets office only to have him put her down. As hard as it may have been I should have done what you did. Like others have said he was probably is shock anyway and was numb to the situation. We also have a Cocker Spaniel who is 16 yrs old and in the same situation. He's deaf in both ears and blind in one eye. He still gets around but we're thinking this might be the year we have to deal with him.

My condolences and don't second guess yourself. You did what you thought to be the best for the circumstances.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...ents-notices/166451-wish-i-could-have-do.html

JDgreen227 · Feb 7, 2011

deere755 said:
Thanks for all the replies. I doubt we get another dog anytime soon as we adopted my golden retriever form the pound a couple of years ago and this past spring we found out he had pups down the road and my wife brought one home against my will. I told her 2 dogs was plenty but she told me that Puffy our Cocker was getting old and it was just a matter of time before he was gone and we would be back to 2. I agreed and so we kept the pup. I just hate the way he had to die. I was hoping he would just go to sleep and not wake up but I guess that is the way we would all like to go. Last summer he ran under the bush hog with it running but luckily it was high enough he didn't even get a scratch. He has had a lot of close calls in the past few months. My son took it pretty well when I told him about it. I am going to see if I can chip away at the frozen ground to get him buried with a pick axe. I tried with a spade today and had no luck at all. I may even see if the vet can dispose of him for us. Not sure what to do there either.

Bless you for your caring, and you did the right thing. I am so sorry for you and the loss you suffered. The hardest thing about losing a pet to me, and we have lost many, incliuding one to a hit-and run, is that our pets love us unconditionally for what we are, warts and all. They don't make unreasonable demands or undue expectations...if only the people in our lives would be so easy to live with. Again, I am sincerely sorry.

beenthere · Feb 7, 2011

deere755 said:
When my son was 3 (he is 17 now) a stray cocker spanial showed up at our house. I didn't want to keep him because we all ready had a dog but my son just fell in love with him and his mom had just left us so I thought it would be good for him. We have now had him for 14 years and he is almost blind and hard of hearing. Today as I was pulling in the driveway he ran out to greet me like always but before I could get stopped I ran over him.I felt the truck run over him and heard him yelp. He managed to crawl across the road but didn't die. I knew from the injuries he would not live to get him to the vet which is about 14 miles away. I ran over his head and he couldn't see because his eyes had popped out of their sockets but he was trying to get to me. I went and got the 22 pistol and shot him point blank behind the ear and he was still trying to get up so I shot him again and he was still trying to get up. The gun jammed before I could fire a 3rd round and finally he passed away. I feel really bad but I didn't know what else to do. I just knew I didn't want him to suffer anymore. I figured the vet would just put him down if he was still alive when we got there and that would have been that much longer he would have had to suffer. I am glad my son was gone and didn't have to see it. Did I do the right thing?

Tough as it was, you did the right thing.
And sometimes the brain is so small, getting the 22 bullet the right place is not easy and is not easy to see happen. Been there with other small animals in my traps.
Sorry to hear you had to go through this. Not pleasant at all.

Mace Canute · Feb 7, 2011

beenthere said:
Tough as it was, you did the right thing.
And sometimes the brain is so small, getting the 22 bullet the right place is not easy and is not easy to see happen. Been there with other small animals in my traps.
Sorry to hear you had to go through this. Not pleasant at all.

I'm going to hijack this thread a bit (sorry deere755) to expand a little on beenthere's observation. When the time comes, if you are going to use a gun to send your faithful companion on their way to the Rainbow Bridge, please, for their sake, study up a bit on their anatomy so you can give them as quick and painless send off as is possible.

Wacky · Feb 7, 2011

k0ua said:
Yes, as hard as it was, Yes you did the right thing. I am sorry for your loss.
When the time is right, in his honor, rescue another.

James K0UA

Well said, and like he said rescue another. God bless.