what is your opinion on euthanization with vicious dogs?

Question

do you think that if a dog has killed 2 other small dogs and a cat in less than a year it should be humanely put down?

hold on a minute,it's not my dog. I agree that it should be humanely put down. I just wanted to know if I'm the only person who is thinking like this.

Answer 1

I do rescue so I have to deal with this issue a lot. Unfortunately, it is sometimes necessary. We simply cannot put "loaded guns" into other people's houses and can not keep all the vicious dogs and work with them ourselves. Keeping them in a kennel for their entire life is also not an option as I see that as a fate worse than death, especially for the breed I work with (austr. sheps and border collies), they can and will go insane in a kennel environment.
We do try to do all that we can before making that decision, but the truth is that there are so many well trained and tempered dogs out there that will be euthanized while you hold on the vicious one (and endangering yourself as you do it) that there is really only one logical choice to make. It is a sad reality, but you can not save them all, and the vicious ones must be the ones that you "pass" on taking into rescue or advise the owner to have them PTS.... :(

If the owner of this dog is unable to contain him or her, and unable or unwilling to train the dog, then yes, it is more humane to have it PTS than to have it shot by someone or beaten to death as it is attacking a child. Bad situation all around... and I am not even getting into the legal issues here.

Answer 2

It depends on the situation. Was the dog given a chance? I mean, was it ever trained, taken to obedience classes? What were the circumstances that lead to the three other animals being killed. Did if have rabies? Distemper?

Most so called "vicious" dogs are the result of owners who don't know what the hell they are doing and don't properly care for the animal and don't properly train them. At the end of the day, the OWNER of this animal is the one responsible for the other animals deaths.

This dog may need obedience training, and rehoming. I always vote for placing the animal with people who know how to handel it, and then if it still exhibits agressive behavior then euthanizing it.

Answer 3

Euthanasia is definitely in order. Those small animals could've been small children.

Also, a shot with a needle is much nicer than a shot with a gun which is what it would get if it was caught around here in the country doing those things lol.

Plus, nowadays, owners are held responsible for any bodily harm an animal inflicts on a person, so I would take old meany to the vet for a peaceful trip to doggy heaven. No need for the owner to go to jail and THEN the dog is still put down, so the dog should be put to rest before that happens.

Answer 4

If the owner can not contain the pet to keep him from doing this then yes. He should have had him in behavior modification training after the first. His neglect to attempt to fix the behavior shows he should not have the pet and with its history it would be impossible to re-home.

Added

Mustang is right there is a difference between protecting a food dish and killing. I have spats all the time with new fosters. I feel bad for my dogs that wait till everyone else is done cause they don't want to get snapped at. Some of the dogs I bring in are not used to having food available to them anytime they want so they get testy with others around. But in no means would any of these animals kill. They don't even bother the cats.

Answer 5

It depends on the circumstances. I cannot decide with the information you have provided. Were the other animals invading the "vicious" dogs territory? What were the other animals doing? Each case that revolves around a "vicious" dog needs to be treated independently and a decision made from all the facts.

Answer 6

What is this "once it has tasted blood it becomes a killer"? Animals do not kill because they have tasted blood or because of whatever. They are animals and as such they kill for VERY SPECIFIC reasons. For food and for survival, period. They are not like human that kill for sport, for pleasure, for fun, for sex or whatever. Just because a dog acted like a dog, should we kill him? NO. Unless that dog has serious mental problems. A dog is a dog and will do what comes naturally to him. We tend to give them too many human characteristics and then we get in trouble. So, if a dog kills another animal, in the pursuit of being a dog, well, let's treat him like one and train him and give him more options. Oh, and one more thing. What is it with the "vicious guard dog" comments. All of my dogs were trained in bite work, or how to engage a human, none of them are vicious.

Answer 7

Yes - why wait for a lawsuit (& cause more deaths)?

Dogs can have psychotic personalities just as humans can. We put down several when I worked for vets - some by the owner's choice, some by state order.

p.s to some answerers comments: a dog protecting it's territory, food, etc. may fight to protect it, but should not KILL another dog over it!

Answer 8

Yes. I hate to answer that way, but I have 2 grandsons, and where they live, there are stray dogs running at large all the time, that my daughter has not been able to get anything done about.

If it has killed 2 small dogs, who's to say it wouldn't go after a small toddler.

Otherwise someone is going to get seriously hurt or someone else will end up shooting it or poisoning it.

Answer 9

yes.

its one thing if its just an accident. but something that is out attacking other animals is different. and really, the whole dog/cat thing is a tough one, i mean, its a little animal thats running, of course a dog is going to chase it and try to get it, its natural. my dog killed 2 birds, does that mean she should be put down? and my neighbors cat killed squirrls and chipmonks by the dozen and then left the carcases on the front stoop. but it isnt vicious.

but a dog that jumps a fence to attack another dog in its own yard, thats different.

Answer 10

If the dog was unprovoked and the dog has been looked at by a vet to insure that no health problems has caused the aggression then yes I do believe euthanasia is the best route.