Would you humanely "get rid of" an older pet...?

Question

...that was sick/incontinent/less friendly towards family or visitors?
I don't mean putting it to sleep or abandoning the animal, but finding a shelter or pet rescue versus keeping the financial and daily responsibility if you felt you really couldn't do it long-term.

Answer 1

If your dog is that bad you should probably just euthanize it. That way your dog knows you still care and that you are doing it out of love for it. If you put it in a shelter it will be in a noisy kennel and wonder what it did wrong. It will be stressed out and could become even less friendly and if it is older the odds of being adopted to a home that is willing to take care of a sickly dog are slim to none. Then once it doesnt get adopted (if they arent a nokill shelter) it we be euthanized anyway, but with out the family it knows and loves. If you cant handle it and no one in your family or friends will take it then you should probably euthannize it. That would be humanely getting rid of it in my opinion. I mean just think about what the dog might go through if you leave it in a shelter. Would you like to be dumped at a noisy shelter for no reason and then be put to death alone and scared and wondering what you did wrong? I know I wouldnt. I dont mean to sound hateful, but I think your pet would be happier if you euthanized it and you were there and were the last thing your pet saw before passing on, rather than leaving it at a shelter.

Answer 2

No, never.

I have a 17 year old cat who is deaf and just now developing health issues that require medication day and night. I love her with all my heart, and I could never abandon her.

Of course, it is not easy to get her to take 8 pills and 4 ccs of liquid a day, but I love her and want her to be as healthy as possible. Helping her is one way I can show her I love her.

I have spent a lot of my savings on her in the last 2 weeks, but I know in my heart I am doing the right thing.

If your animal has loved you and been good to you all of its life, how would it ever understand why you left it with strangers? It would probably be heartbroken and die sooner than it would have.

If your animal is incontinent, you need to just keep it in an area without rugs or carpet. It is more work for you, yes, but isn't your pet worth it?

If the animal is sick, you need to consider if it is suffering. If it is, then putting it to sleep is the humane thing to do. If you simply find the caretaking of a sick animal an inconvenience, perhaps your vet can work with you both financially and in administering medications.

Keep in mind that if your pet is that sickly, it is not going to be around forever. Be the best friend to your pet you can be.

Best of luck, and I hope this helps. :)

Answer 3

No. By the time my pets are elderly, I am head over heels madly in love with them. I couldn't part with them. My dog, right now is almost 11 years old. She is incontinent sometimes (pees right on my bed, as she sleeps with me). She has arthritis (but maintains her perkiness). She also has a non functioning thyroid and will be taking thyroid medicine for the rest of her life.

She is my right arm.

But I don't make that much money. My vet knows I love my dog and they (the vet staff) work with me. My dog doesn't get the care of a millionaire... But then, neither do I. We'll just keep plugging away, taking it one day at a time.

If your pet is not in so much misery that it requires euthanasia, then don't turn it over to a shelter or pet rescue. That would just burden them even more. They are there to rescue abused and homeless animals.

If you no longer wish to care for your pet, see if your vet would help you adopt your pet out to a family willing to take care of it. YOU do the legwork... don't put that on an already overburdened pet rescue agency.

Answer 4

FYI - older owner turn ins are first on the euthanasia list. They are usually put down within 24-72 hours. When a person gets a dog, they should be responsible for the dog for the REMAINDER of their lives. It can be a 15-20 year commitment. They age just like people do and to get rid of one beacause they now require a little more maintenance is pretty cruel. The animal needs to be checked by the vet to rule out any health issued that may be causing the changes in behavior. Pets are family members who unselfishly love us. We should only be so gracious as to return the favor.

Answer 5

A shelter for an older animal is a death sentence. If it is sick, take it to the vet. If it is incontinent, take it to the vet. If it has a sudden change of behavior, take it to the vet. These are all signs of diseases that can happen with an older pet. Bringing an animal into your family is a lifelong commitment, and should not be taken lightly.

Answer 6

if the pet is old and sick, then take it to the vet and get an exam. if the vet cannot help with what is going on, ask them for some advice about what your possible solutions could be if there is no medical fix. older animals will be put to sleep quickly in a shelter, they are harder to find homes for and if they are aggressive they will certainly not find a new home. when you got the animal, you knew there would be a responsibility to take care of it through its entire life, if you can't handle that then you shouldn't have gotten it to start with. but if there is no other reasonable way to handle the situation, you should have it put down. but i hope you find it in your heart to continue to love this animal and try to help it with the aggression towards other people.

Answer 7

Of course you can find a rescue to give them a new home. I just got a 10 year old Maltese from a rescue the person gave up 2 dogs to the rescue and maybe they just couldn't care for them right any more.. In any case that is what rescues are for.. btw the Maltese adapted in less than a week and great little guy! p.s. we also adopted a 2 year old siamese who is just a sweet heart. People who adopt animals have to fill out applications and some rescues even have home inspection to make sure the adopter is okay. Animals are way more resilient than you think. You can find rescue organizations in your area at petfinder.com.

Answer 8

It would be much better to euthanize the pet because this is what will happen to him eventually anyway. If you put him in a shelter, no one will want to adopt him, plus he will have to spend the last days of his life in a strange environment with starangers, is that fair?
Personally, I would never do either unless the pet is suffering. As long as my pet has any kind of life, he will have the security of his famaliar surroundings and the people that he loves.

Answer 9

No one will want to adopt an old, sick pet. If you send it to a shelter it will be put down.

Part of owning a pet is caring for it when it is old and sick. If you can't do that, you shouldn't have gotten one in the first place. Shame on you for getting rid of your poor pet.

Maybe you can have a friend or family member adopt the dog if you offer to pay for at least half of the costs.

Answer 10

would it not be wise to have your pet put to sleep if its sick and incontinent rather than passing the burden and responsibility so someone else?

When you make the commitment of getting a pet its for life not just for when its in good health