Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I would not recommend guns as a method of euthanasia except as an emergency or extreme case. To many mistakes can happen - for one thing, except for movies, bullets are not an effective method of killing instantly, at least with one shot. Even a bullet to the brain my miss and hit a non-vital part that may leave the poor animal alive and suffering even greater pain. One may need more than one shot, or may end up burying an animal alive that otherwise appears dead but is continuing to suffer.
In the extreme, a bullet may richochet and hurt the person firing or someone else, or over penetrate (which is the main reason it's illegal to fire weapons in an urban area).
This is the 21st century, we don't shoot animals to end there suffering anymore (except for emergencies). Go to the vet and get it done the right way.
What non-vital part of the brain?
Dead is dead and yes people do shoot animals to end suffering. Of course usually people who can handle a fire arm.
I had a horse euthanized. The vet was out and determined the horse would die so. Watching it done the "right way" was horrific for me. She did not die instantly, she stiffened, stumbled and make a horrible noise before she finally fell and then it took several minutes for her to financially pass. I regret that we didnt shoot her instead.
Lots of people can't afford such a cost, and there is really no reason to do that if you don't have to. I would think that those folks that have to put down their animals themselves, know how to handle a gun.
I wouldn't always assume that. It's like assuming a parent who has a kid "knows how to handle/bring up kids".
I read the story and while I don't think a bullet is best way for most dogs to be put down, it sounds like this was the best option in this case.
In the story, the man said how his dog was stuck in a seizer. I had a dog more than a year ago who, at 16, was getting seizers out of the blue. I brought her to the vet of course and learned that my dog had brain lesions and there was nothing that could be done and that they would continue to happen more often and get worse. The vet also warned me that the seizers are very painful and that it's possible for a dog to get "Stuck" in a seizer and be in extreme pain/fear while it's happening.
I decided to arrange for at home euthanasia for my dog for the next day and took that day off work. I didn't want to leave the house and come home to find her stuck in an agonizing seizer. What a horrible way to go. And knowing it was inevitable and only getting worse with no cure, I felt it was the humane choice.
In any case, it sounds like this is what this man is claiming happened to him. That his dog got into a seizer and couldn't snap out of it. On top of that, he couldn't get it to a vet so he shot it to quickly end the dog's misery. I don't see where he had choices other than shoot it or let it die slowly, in agony seizing to death.
Now burying it on a beach? That's something I think he clearly did wrong. He should have brought the body in to the vet instead to have the dog disposed of or cremated. Or buried it properly on his own property.
I would think under the circumstances he will go to court and be found not guilty of animal cruelty. I think he might be found guilty of whatever law there is that doesn't allow someone to leave a dead animal on a public beach though.
I had a horse euthanized. The vet was out and determined the horse would die so. Watching it done the "right way" was horrific for me. She did not die instantly, she stiffened, stumbled and make a horrible noise before she finally fell and then it took several minutes for her to financially pass. I regret that we didnt shoot her instead.
Thank you for confirming what I said earlier in this thread: chemical euthanasia does NOT always go as planned and is NOT a 100% guarantee of a swift and painless passing. (Sorry you had to see it firsthand, though.) No method of ending an animal's life can guarantee an absolutely 100% pain-free end, unfortunately. All the best methods can do is to see to it that any final suffering is brief. Both gunshot and chemical euthanasia, when properly performed, can do that.
I would think under the circumstances he will go to court and be found not guilty of animal cruelty. I think he might be found guilty of whatever law there is that doesn't allow someone to leave a dead animal on a public beach though.
I agree. He might also be guilty of discharging a firearm in an area where that is not permitted (though given the circumstances surrounding the discharge, I'd hope they'd waive that charge). But he's not guilty of animal cruelty because he emergently shot a suffering dog to quickly end its misery rather than watching it slowly die.
Stevek64,
Personally the things that don't make sense to me are why he shot it and then buried it. I think he buried it on a public beach, right? It seems that if he truly cared even if he were broke he would call vet after vet and offer a payment plan, work in exchange or find some other way to humanely let the pup go. Then leaving it in a public place (body) makes no sense.
I don't know all his personal details, but I am feeling he did this to save money.
That being said sadly there are cases of animal cruelty in which I feel people are not publicly outed or penalized that I would prefer the attention be focused on. I think this guy did get his wake up call that what he did was wrong, I would not put him on the same level as an abuser.
NG
If you read the article and look at the picture of him with a nice watch(the dog has on a fancy collar) and he mentions taking the dog for rides on his motorcycle, being hard up for money doesn't seem to be the issue.
I don't fault him for wanting to take his pet out of the pain it was in.
What I don't get is saying how he had no one to help him get the dog in the car to the vet, yet he carried it to the beach by himself.
As one poster said earlier she had to put her St. Bernard in the car by herself to get to the vet. This wasn't that large of a dog and the man looks to be at least 6 ft tall.
And you don't bury an animal on a public beach, talk about a health hazard.
I agree. He might also be guilty of discharging a firearm in an area where that is not permitted (though given the circumstances surrounding the discharge, I'd hope they'd waive that charge). But he's not guilty of animal cruelty because he emergently shot a suffering dog to quickly end its misery rather than watching it slowly die.
I expect a veterinarian is going to take a look at that to be sure it was actually done in a way that did not create misery. For all we know from the report (which said only "small caliber") he may have botched it, and that might actually be the cause of the cruelty charge.
Last edited by Ralph_Kirk; 03-30-2017 at 01:54 PM..
It seemed to me that this guy did love his dog. However I would call my vet and do it with a needle, not shoot my dog. That dog is small, not difficult to carry to the car to the vet. Then burying the dog on a public beach is weird too. the thought of burying my dog somewhere she loved to play has crossed my mind though but it isn't appropriate, especially a beach where the sands are constantly shifting.
overall this doesn't seem worth pursuing , maybe give the guy a fine for the public burial.
sometimes death is more humane than living, sometimes it is compassion to end a life with no hope,,
sometimes love is ending suffering not prolonging it
sometimes a mans best friend .....needs to be put down..
we don't "kill" our pets,,,,we love em so much we cant see them suffer any longer,,,,,,we end their pain,,
I took my 14 yr old retired racer greyhound to the vet to put her down,,,she was the best dog ive ever known and I believe she knew what was going on when I brought her in,
my eyes were filled and she came over to lick my face one last time then went to vet...
I considered that a thank you I heard her suffer and whimper too much
lots of folks around here will shoot and bury their pets.....not on a beach ..
I have no problem with someone shooting their pet if needed
in fact I'm a firm believer that we should be able to decide our own mortality is we are terminal......we should be able to die with dignify
if its compassion for a dog it should be compassion for us too
This, and also, can you imagine a child (or adult even) encountering this horrid scene?
The owner should be heavily fined. There's something weird about the story. Why a public beach? Why such a shallow grave which is subject to tidal variations? Was it a rash decision, was he just very depressed?
Was his dog not worth going to the vet for painless and quiet and meaningful (for the owner, striking the fur of their pet and speaking soothing words until death) euthenasia? Our vet made paw casts of our old cats, and wrote us a handwritten letters about how wonderful our cats were, how different each cat was, etc.
It was very sad, but very meaningful, and utterly painless.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
