Is this illegal? If not, it should be.?

Question

A co-worker told me that they put there dog to sleep because she was 10 years old. She was a German Shepherd dog. He said he didn't want an elderly dog. I think that sounds very cruel. I understand why people put terminally ill pets to sleep. But why put one down just because they are getting old? I havae a 7 year old GSD. I would never even consider putting him to sleep just because of his age. I would if he was terminally ill or suffering badly.

Answer 1

It is not illegal, sadly.

He should've given the dog up for adoption.

Answer 2

i don't see how anyone can put a dog down just because of the age. if the dog was suffering from being hit by a car then i would put him/her to sleep as for him not wanting to have an old dog is sad. i have a gsd mix & shes 17 yrs old and i love her more than anything

Answer 3

Illegal? No. Heartless? Yes. Would I do it? Not on your life, I would do anything and everything to keep my senior dogs happy and as healthy as possible till the end comes.
Cruel? Well I'm not sure if it was cruel. It may have been better than the alternative life that poor dog may have led. Obviously it was heartless and if your co-worker would put down a dog JUST due to age we would have to think that she wouldn't be bothered with the health and welfare of the dog if she had allowed it to live through old age. That means that if that dog had developed some painful disorder such as arthritis, lupus, cancer, etc, she probably wouldn't have taken the dog for treatment and would have allowed that poor animal to suffer. I'm thinking money may have been her motivator, put the dog down before it develops the diseases of old age, kind of thing.
So where I think it was heartless it may have been the lessor of two evils.

Answer 4

And you have the right to that decision -- while you may not agree with what those people did, and a lot of people wouldn't agree with it, do you want to loose the right you have to make decisions regarding your pet? If it is made 'illegal' for that choice to be made (that is basically one of the animal rightser's agendas to move towards elimination of all companion animal ownership) then you too could lose the right to decide that your dog is suffering and needs to be humanely killed. The option that these people had might be eliminated but so could yours and the options to these would be rather inhumane ways of eliminating an animal. While I don't necessarily think someone is correct in putting down their animal simply because it is old, we don't know the entire circumstances and even if we did, what would you have prefered? That they keep an animal that they felt burdened with and simply didn't interact, love or care for? or would you have prefered they rehome it - the animal being removed from its 'family' of ten years only to be put with someone totally different that might not understand its ways or might have subjected it to God knows what? I figure it could have been put in rescue or a shelter but then the old dogs often languish in shelters/rescues for long periods of time before either succumbing or being humanely killed anyway... while it is easy for you, me and others to sit in judgement of these people's decision - we don't know how hard it was for them to make and basically we don't know what the alternatives might have meant for the dog either. I hope I die before I have to 'suffer badly'....

Answer 5

Nope, not illegal. Unfortunately, our laws identify dogs as 'property' rather than living beings, so as long as no cruelty is involved, it is not against the law to put a healthy dog to sleep. Just wrong if you ask me. I am willing to to do whatever it takes to keep my dogs around as long as possible and these people aren't willing to deal with a totally healthy, elderly dog. Those kinds of people don't deserve to have a dog at all.
I am all for putting a dog to sleep if it is suffering, but people that are willing to euthanize a totally healthy animal just because they don't want an older dog should never be allowed to get another one.

Answer 6

It is not illegal. And yes, for that reason alone, it is cruel. A dog should only be put down when it is very ill and suffering. My aunt and uncle had a dog that lived for 21 years and they put her down eventually. She started to suffer from minor seizures...although it probably could have been fixed, I think 21 years is a very long life for a dog and the seizures were only getting worse.

Answer 7

Nope, not illegal whatsoever. Very, very sickening, though. Poor dog, probably a lot happier in dog heaven than he ever was with her! I'm going to care for my Shih Tzu until she's .. 50! Ok, I wish, but, I'll care for her as long as possible. I'm not going to care if she ever has to have really expensive meds, diapers, and fed special food every hour through the night. I love her.

I accepted PET OWNERSHIP and I'm going to take full responsibility. :)

She's only 10 months, so it will be a while, but I'll be ready!

Answer 8

Hi
Yeah Illegal NO but I wish we could all pass a law that it is in the dog community
I wish we could torture the owner for doing it Such a nasty person Watch I bet she goes out and gets another one real soon
So stupid and cruel
Sincerely
Anne

Answer 9

I can't believe that. What a stupid person. I think we should have them put down when they reach a certain age too, just because. And what vet agreed to that? GRRRRRR Pets aren't commodities that are for show or status and can be thrown away when they aren't "useful" any longer.

Answer 10

unfortunately not illegal but i think the vets should have to talk them into just placing the dog in a different family instead of putting them down

Answer 11

I have heard of more than one kind hearted Vet placing the dog with a breed rescue group who will find it a home where it can live out the rest of it's days.

If the dog is sick and in pain it is one thing, but hey we all get old! GRRRRRRR