Loose dogs and owner responsibilty

[dmccarty]

GreatRandini,

So let me get this right. My dog gets injured. Lets say a tree fell on the dog. But it could have been hit by the tractor, a car, whatever. The dog is suffering. The dog is going to die. I have seen this happen.

Sooo, its going to be a felony and cruelty to animals to shoot the dog and put it down myself?

Or is it more cruel to wait for the vet to show up to put the dog down?

If the vet can even get there to put the dog down.

Or do I put the suffering dog in the car, drive 45 minutes to the nearest 24 hour emergency clinc, we are lucky enough to have one, so they can put the dog down? If the dog lives that long.

Tell me where the cruelty lies.....

Or is "cleaner" to just let someone else do the job? Ken's point is that it is OUR responsibility as the pet owner to do the right thing. Being put down by a shot of drugs or a slug provides the same end. One is just cleaner.

Later,
Dan

 

[greatrandini]

I am not the police in your town. Odds are if you put it like that the local LEO would agree with you; the dog being injured and all. There was a case recently where a guy shot his own dog and was charged with animal cruelty in Missouri. I think he was just mad at the dog and shot him. Kansas Legislator is trying to make cruelty to animals a felony. I think in most cases it is better to take your animal to the vet to be put down with drugs then to shoot them. I stand by that part of what I said. I would shoot any suffering animal if I could not help them some other way.. I don't think you have to be John Wayne to take responsibility for your pet though. Argue with that?

 

[Freds]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( BTW, the whole analogy was to show individual responsibility -- not to pass on that responsibility for either (a) enforcing behavior of the pet or owner, or (b) doing the "dirty work" of putting down the animal if it can't be controlled... You must have not understood the "Old Yeller" context. )</font>

I agree with everything you said, but this part.
Anyone who has ever taken a beloved pet to the vet to be put down knows they aren't passing the responsibility. They are just choosing a different method.

 

[KentT]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Kansas Legislator is trying to make cruelty to animals a felony. )</font>

Cruelty to animals doens't necessarily equate to shooting an animal... or vice versa.

In fact, shooting can be humane as DMC just described.

BTW, death by firing squad for humans is still legal in at least one state -- Utah...

I guess you've never seen nor read "Old Yeller"... /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[greatrandini]

Well said, Fred!

 

[greatrandini]

Utah? Alot of things are still legal in Utah! I can't believe u would bring Utah into this discussion to make ur point! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Utah? Ha!

 

[KentT]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I agree with everything you said, but this part.
Anyone who has ever taken a beloved pet to the vet to be put down knows they aren't passing the responsibility. They are just choosing a different method. )</font>

Fred, I agree that you're still acting responsibly by taking a pet to the vet to be put down, and choosing a different method.

But, having done it both ways, I'll also say it is much tougher to look them in the eyes and pull the trigger -- that was my point in saying earlier that the more painful the lesson, the more it endures....

Certainly makes you think long and hard before you take on the responsibility for another pet....

 

[dmccarty]

Never mentioned John Wayne. I don't understand the reference.

Why is putting the dog down yourself worse than having a stranger do it. Frankly it does take more guts to do it yourself. I don't won't to do it. But if I had to I would. Again, that was the point of the previous post.

Later,
Dan

 

[KentT]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Utah? Alot of things are still legal in Utah! I can't believe u would bring Utah into this discussion to make ur point! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif Utah? Ha! )</font>

Why did you bring up Kansas? Ha!

Probably because you were trying to relate real world examples...

BTW, in case you didn't know bigamy is illegal in Utah, if that's what you're referring to. If not that, I'm not sure what it is that you find so comical...

 

[greatrandini]

Method is the difference!