If your pet is sick, do you have the right to kill it in your backyard? .?

Question

I need an honest answer to prove a point to someone..

Trust me I assure you I didn't do this or would ever think about it..I had a decussion with someone and I disagreed with her,she said you can if they are sick I said no way..I want to prove to her you can get in trouble..

This really bothered me that she would even think she could..I love all animals and I treat them as my children in my home..but I could never hurt them..She says if they are sick, she could and I really don't see how anyone could myself,,the humane thing to do is to take them to the animal control..let them dispose of them the right way..

Answer 1

Ah, those of you that live in a perfect world!!! Where all vets are wonderful and you live right around the corner and you have plenty of money.....

Reality is this. If you live near a vet, then it is the second most humane way of euthanizing an animal. The best is to have the vet come to your home, so that the animal doesn't have to go thru the trauma of leaving its home for one last trip to the vet, which they all hate.

It's humane because too much can go wrong with "Do It Yourself." Which is illegal in most states, but is still done quite often in rural areas everywhere.

Reality is this. We have an animal shelter way out in the boonies in a poor rural county. People don't have money to feed their kids, much less get their animals spayed and neutered. We have tried to work with the vets to get a special program to help indigent families get their pets fixed, but no deal.

We have local families who had dozens of unwanted pets, which in turn kept the pound overloaded. We had to raise funds of our own, thru our shelter, to get these animals fixed at the regular cost.

So, faced with this cold financial fact, what do you think these folks do when their old mama dog's hips give out, but she still tries to drag herself after the kids when they play? When their 18 year old cat has its final stroke, but still breathes, still whimpers? What if you're a disabled widow whose 14 year old, 110# shepherd breaks her hip one morning, you can't pick her up, and the county's only vet has an office full of animals needing his attention? Oh, and you're 30 miles from his office. Do you let your shepherd lay there for eight hours until he can come euthanize her?

You call a neighbor to take care of it, since you can't. You call the neighbor who has had to do away with sick or injured animals on his farm or ranch. You pick the one who knows anatomy, who gives his own animals injections, who knows CCs and how to measure.

That's reality. IT doesn't make those people cruel or evil or love their animal any less. This is not a perfect world. The horror stories are from those people who are desperate to end the animal's suffering, but screw it up. At our shelter, we have two dogs rescued who were shot in the head and left in the woods for dead. Another rescue is a cat who was given an overdose of human tranquilizers, and now has seizures.

Yes, a vet knows the perfect amount to inject to cause instant death, without seizures or pain. But vets aren't always there, or won't be there, or people can't get to them.

I wish this was a perfect world, and certainly that all our blessed animal friends could be released without pain. But people don't always have the options that others assume they do. Like the old song says, Walk a Mile In My Shoes.

Answer 2

Unless you are a practicing vet there is no humane way to end an animal's life without medical assistance.

As an owner of the animal you do have rights and the law cannot stop you or have you charged from ending the life of your pet, however, given the trauma associated with ending a pet's life I'm not sure why someone would want to do it.

Good for you for standing up for what you believe in. And thank you for being so humane.

Answer 3

If you have a pet then apparently you care for it very much. Why in the world would you want to disregard it in such a matter as to personally or have someone kill it whether it is sick or not? This is what Vets are for. To kill something, anything, is inhuman and proves you have no consience. You are no better than taking your kid out there and killing it. If it is sick, give your pet some dignity and have a Vet medically put it to sleep. Nothing should be treated in such a matter.

Answer 4

If a vet has deemed the poor little guy unrecoverable then your friend should make the humane and responsible decision to h ave the vet put her down HUMANLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is against the law to KILL any animal and is barbaric. Please do not allow him/her to do so. It is too terrible to even imagine.

If they are lying and the kitty is not fataly sick then take him to the no kill shelter to find a responsible new Cat Mom or Dad.

Report her to the ASPCA if she needs convincing. Maybe sometime in Jail will prove it to her..... Hope she never becomes a mother she may want to ease her child illness with stupid ideas like that one.

Answer 5

My question to many of those who answered is, how can you take it to the vet if there is no MONEY to pay the vet?? Everyone has good ideas, but sometimes it costs and some people don't have the funds to "do the right thing". I have not had to deal with this, but I can certainly see where someone would be in that predicament. Then what can they do??? Sit around and watch their poor dog or cat suffer until they die?

Answer 6

that is not legal. the only way that you could is if the animal's death would be a mercy killing and not just because he is sick because you could surrender animal to a vet who would treat the animal then adopt it back out to a different owner and to do any type of mercy killing you have to be in an area where shooting a gun is legal

Answer 7

of course not...there are animal cruelty laws. Have the pet put to sleep huamanely at the vet if this is the ONLY alternative to getting the pet treated.

Answer 8

No it needs took to the vet.or at least the dog pound.The someone you are trying to prove a point to ask him if he gets sick do you need to kill him in the front yard.Sounds like a dumb as* ARE YOU ALL SO.

Answer 9

You do, but it would be a lot more humane to take it to the vet to be euthanized. Also it would be easier on the owner of the pet to take it to the vet too.

Answer 10

No do not kill the precious cat, take it to the vet. One sure get into trouble for animal cruelty and murder is even worse.