I honestly don't think I could, and haven't with any of the dogs I've owned. A very personal thing I guess. I don't think there's anything wrong with it, and I understand the reasons, but I just couldn't get my head around shooting a dog that has spent it's life giving me so much love, devotion and loyalty. Having to make the decision that it's time is hard enough. I say let the vet do it and at least you know there's going to be no mistake. As RD says, be there for them at that moment.
Legality of destroying your dog.
- Thread starter Silverfoxfintry
- Start date
A think a lot has to depend on the temperament of the dog as well as the mind set of the owner.
Most of my working dogs have been very much "one man dogs", won't have anything to do with other people - very stand-off-ish - and also never been indoors. Going to the vets is a pretty stressful thing for some. Have to more or less drag them over the threshold. Most will never have been to the vets in their lives apart from eye testing when puppies. Vaccinations I do myself.
So, you can see why a quiet last walk and a merciful bullet (fired by someone who doesn't fill their last moments with stress and fear) is in many cases the most fitting ending when it comes to it. And if they ever reach the decrepit stage of not being able to take a last walk then it'll be done in bed in their kennel.
Most of my working dogs have been very much "one man dogs", won't have anything to do with other people - very stand-off-ish - and also never been indoors. Going to the vets is a pretty stressful thing for some. Have to more or less drag them over the threshold. Most will never have been to the vets in their lives apart from eye testing when puppies. Vaccinations I do myself.
So, you can see why a quiet last walk and a merciful bullet (fired by someone who doesn't fill their last moments with stress and fear) is in many cases the most fitting ending when it comes to it. And if they ever reach the decrepit stage of not being able to take a last walk then it'll be done in bed in their kennel.
The tramp
Well-Known Member
I had the hard decision to make over my late lurcher, he'd been with me after being rescued off the plain ten years prior, we did everything together, work, shooting, and even dating !!
When he had a bad stroke that left him blind and incapable of standing, and crapping himself, literally, I had no car on the road at the time, and the vets wouldn't be able to come to me for at least four hours, I wasn't going to try and stick him in the crate on the back of the quad and ride the 12 miles to the vet, so took the painful decision to end his suffering myself, went to the cabinet, loaded up a few .22 subs in the 10-22, and did it myself, in the back garden, hardest trigger pull ever, and never used that rifle again.
It was a single shot to the brain, and I held him till his heart stopped beating.
Do I feel good about killing my dog ? No, he'd been a big part of my life for ten years.
Do I believe I did the right thing ? Yes, I couldn't watch him suffer.
Did I worry about the legalities ? Hell no, I just wanted to end his suffering.
My Licencing dept were made aware of it as I'd told them when I sold the rifle, and used the slot for something else.
Would I do it again ? I don't know, it's one of those 'need to be there' times.
Regards
Pete
When he had a bad stroke that left him blind and incapable of standing, and crapping himself, literally, I had no car on the road at the time, and the vets wouldn't be able to come to me for at least four hours, I wasn't going to try and stick him in the crate on the back of the quad and ride the 12 miles to the vet, so took the painful decision to end his suffering myself, went to the cabinet, loaded up a few .22 subs in the 10-22, and did it myself, in the back garden, hardest trigger pull ever, and never used that rifle again.
It was a single shot to the brain, and I held him till his heart stopped beating.
Do I feel good about killing my dog ? No, he'd been a big part of my life for ten years.
Do I believe I did the right thing ? Yes, I couldn't watch him suffer.
Did I worry about the legalities ? Hell no, I just wanted to end his suffering.
My Licencing dept were made aware of it as I'd told them when I sold the rifle, and used the slot for something else.
Would I do it again ? I don't know, it's one of those 'need to be there' times.
Regards
Pete
Been there several times and felt better for knowing how twas and that there was no stress or pain.
regards WB
Wife has threatened to shoot me when I'm old and can't put my own socks on ( don't where she gets that from lol)
regards WB
49ERIC
Well-Known Member
YES ,, THAT Shivering in the waiting room , may not last long for your Dog BUT lasts a life time , for many OWNERS
i had a lurcher got to near 20 years old ,never been to the vet's and never needed fastening up had free run , well he started staggering around the smithy then went to his bed ,in the morning he had lost use down one side ,but he still knew me ,i put him down ,and my son went with me to bury him on hill ground on the croft,that was for my son very hard as at 19 years old he had been with him all is life , he now is 35 and runs the croft ,and has been stone picking ,well clearing boulders ,and i see he has piled them on the spot and made a cairn ,was i right to put him down myself ? ,of course i was ,and it still hurts to write about him ,you only get one good horse and one good dog in a lifetime , and they both start of as the most difficult to get through to until it clicks,
My ex had a chocolate lab, a lovely dog but his back end went and rather than do the "Right thing " and take him to the vets she let him suffer for 4 months until he heart gave out. Cruelist thing I've ever seen, thank god I divorced her 15 years ago! I hope the same sort of thing happens to her.
pheasant sniper 1
Well-Known Member
I dont disagree with sentiments Klenchblaize or Geordieh.
For us id dug the hole ready for when the vet arrived.
In her chair in her home she was put to sleep.
Dont think i could personally cope with the aftermath of using a shotgun.
For us id dug the hole ready for when the vet arrived.
In her chair in her home she was put to sleep.
Dont think i could personally cope with the aftermath of using a shotgun.
I'd agree that it's not illegal (making allowances for FAC conditions) and that the concern would be if injury was caused rather than instantaneous death. I've put down too many animals too count and, as with every vet I know, take potentially more care over this single act than many other aspects of my work. My practice had a dedicated room, minimal visible equipment, carpet on the floor (as many folk like to sit down with their dog). If it's going to get stressful, I'll use a sedative.
Just thinking as I type this, I couldn't shoot mine. I'd rather I could sit beside them, hand on head and, yes, thank them for their steadfast loyalty and companionship before letting them drift away.
Just thinking as I type this, I couldn't shoot mine. I'd rather I could sit beside them, hand on head and, yes, thank them for their steadfast loyalty and companionship before letting them drift away.
I agree that in a perfect world that would be preferable with an ideal outcome, but we do not have access to the drugs so that we can see them off gently, dogs generally know something's up if a stranger came to the house.
Its a tough call whichever path you take and not at all easy to say goodby, then there's the empty kennel next morning.
Regards WB
My FAC came back once, conditioned for killing dogs that were endangering livestock, wildlife or people. I never asked for it and on the next renewal it had disappeared. A .22 rf in the back of the head and a couple more though the heart to make sure, is much more humane than all the stress and fear of being taken to a vet's surgery, but I always have tears in my eyes as I do it.
Buchan; Just thinking as I type this said:
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Could not put it better myself. I rather think of it as putting to sleep rather than destroying
howa243
Well-Known Member
Watched a program by Hugh Falkus many years ago, where described an occasion when (having been told that his old dog had no chance of survival) he took his old dog out to sit on the river bank with him as she had done so many times before. He shot her, dug a hole, wrapped her in his barbour and placed a slab on top of her with her name upon it. He used to go back to that spot and fish and remember her. Always struck me as better than being put down by a stranger and put in a skip.
whatwouldscoobydoo
Well-Known Member
I completely understand your viewpoint here it may be conceived to be crude and there is a reasonable argument to change it,
BUT
"Destroying" i believe is the correct legal term (currently searching for evidence either way now see edit) and as the is a question about the legality and not morality of the act, it could be argued that is the correct phrasing.
Therefore i would suggest the thread title be changed but the phrasing should be used when asking legal questions so if required can be used but should not be brandished as emotive language.
Scooby
Source- University lectures on "expert witness" and "legal proceedings"
Edit
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2006/45/pdfs/ukpga_20060045_en.pdf
page 12 section 18 a "destroy the animal where it is or take it to another place and destroy it there,"
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