Why is it accepted practice to "put down" dogs?

DigDug

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Mar 21, 2002
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This is just killing them, often because they've become inconvenient. For all the times they are euthanised because of the pain they are in, there are countless people who have them offed because it's just too much of a bother. If you take in a pet, it should be treated LIKE FAMILY. Even for those who euthanise out of mercy for the dog, let me ask you, would you do the same for you mother, father, sister or brother in such a situation? Hmmm?
 

dullard

Elite Member
May 21, 2001
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Even for those who euthanise out of mercy for the dog, let me ask you, would you do the same for you mother, father, sister or brother in such a situation? Hmmm?
I treat my cats exactly like my family. They stay alive as long as reasonable. My last cat that died had severe diabetes and went from 20 lbs down to 6 lbs. He couldn't walk anymore and was in obvious, intense pain. We put him to sleep - I'd do the same to my mother, father, sister, or brother in the same situation if it were legal. And I'd hope they would do it to me as well if I were in that situation.
 

pulse8

Lifer
May 3, 2000
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often because they've become inconvenient.
Define inconvenient with how it relates to this thread.

Any dog my family has had to put down was incabable of walking, seeing, hearing and/or all of those (if not more).
 

BDawg

Lifer
Oct 31, 2000
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If someone in my family were suffering in pain, I would have no problem letting them go to the next life.
 

clamum

Lifer
Feb 13, 2003
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it's one thing to put a dog out of its misery if he/she is sufferering and in pain (i would want it if i was sufferering), but to "put it down" due to the dog just being a mere inconvenience is murder.
 

bunker

Lifer
Apr 23, 2001
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Do you have any facts or statistics to back up your "just because they're inconvenient" statement?? Or is this just your opinion. I've had to put two dogs down, one because of a broken back and the other for cancer.

Even for those who euthanise out of mercy for the dog, let me ask you, would you do the same for you mother, father, sister or brother in such a situation? Hmmm?

This is comparing apples to oranges. If they were on their death bed with no chance of survival, then yes, I would pull the plug.
 

PunDogg

Diamond Member
Jan 15, 2002
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What about euthanising your cat?? You don;t hear much about that. Maybe cuz they have 9 lives. But i know what u mean, u have to treat the dog like family, but if he/she is terriable pain, then i would do the same to my human family, cuz of sickness or what not.

Dogg
 

agnitrate

Diamond Member
Jul 2, 2001
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If I go blind and can't help from crapping my pants, I'm pretty sure the dog would have me put down if it had the option. I know I'd do put myself out of my misery at that point if I could find where I hid the damn gun.

-silver
 

Jzero

Lifer
Oct 10, 1999
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Perhaps the question should be "Why is it NOT accepted practice to 'put down' humans?"

We'll force a terminally ill patient to suffer at death's door for years, but we'll spare our pets the misery?
 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
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This thread = flamebait.

Explain to me why an animal that is blind, in pain, deaf, and without bowel control should be kept alive? Hmmm? WTF kind of existence is that? I had to put my last dog down when she went into liver failure. By your logic, I should have let her die a slow painful death as she became more and more jaundiced and went into a coma.

And yes, I'm all for assisted suicide and "pulling the plug" on a person when they are brain dead or terminal.
 

yowolabi

Diamond Member
Jun 29, 2001
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If a family member was on the way out, and that's what they wanted, I'd help.

The problem is, dogs have no way of expressing that they'd rather die than go on living in pain.

On another note, stray dogs get put down at shelters after an amount of time, and no one would advocate doing this to homeless people. There is obviously a different standard between humans and dogs.
 

DigDug

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Mar 21, 2002
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Woah, woah, woah. Defensive aren't we? Perhaps its because the decision to kill them doesn't sit so well after all? All I was saying is that there are people (And here is my evidence) close to me who have put down dogs on the grounds that they were suffering, when it was clear that their suffering COULD have been alleviated to a large degree by operation or therapy. They real "suffering" was on the owner, namely that he'd have to spend a few hundred, even up to a thousand dollars to perform that surgery, an amount I'm sure would fly out of their pocket if it was required to help one of their sons in the same situation. Is it fair then for me to say that he didn't treat the dog like family? That on some level it was inferior and less deserved of such a surgical procedure?
This is what I was getting at. For those of you who would euthanize your human family as well, I applaud you for your consistency. To me that shows that it is truly the suffering and not checkbook accounting that is guiding your decision. I hold the same position.
 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
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Originally posted by: BlipBlop
Woah, woah, woah. Defensive aren't we? Perhaps its because the decision to kill them doesn't sit so well after all? All I was saying is that there are people (And here is my evidence) close to me who have put down dogs on the grounds that they were suffering, when it was clear that their suffering COULD have been alleviated to a large degree by operation or therapy. They real "suffering" was on the owner, namely that he'd have to spend a few hundred, even up to a thousand dollars to perform that surgery, an amount I'm sure would fly out of their pocket if it was required to help one of their sons in the same situation. Is it fair then for me to say that he didn't treat the dog like family? That on some level it was inferior and less deserved of such a surgical procedure?
This is what I was getting at. For those of you who would euthanize your human family as well, I applaud you for your consistency. To me that shows that it is truly the suffering and not checkbook accounting that is guiding your decision. I hold the same position.
Nice backtrack. Maybe you should have spelled out your position in the first post.
rolleye.gif


 

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
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Originally posted by: Jzero
Perhaps the question should be "Why is it NOT accepted practice to 'put down' humans?"

We'll force a terminally ill patient to suffer at death's door for years, but we'll spare our pets the misery?

Excellent point, and actually worthy of it's own post.
 

MikeO

Diamond Member
Jan 17, 2001
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Originally posted by: BlipBlop
Even for those who euthanise out of mercy for the dog, let me ask you, would you do the same for you mother, father, sister or brother in such a situation? Hmmm?

What the hell? I guess it would be little bit harder to "put down" YOUR PARENTS WHO RAISED YOU than a fscking pet. What kind of a stupid question is that?
 

DigDug

Guest
Mar 21, 2002
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Backtrack? Blow me. If I remember correctly you aren't even old enough to have pubic hair. Don't presume to tell me what I am doing.
 

psydancerqt

Golden Member
Mar 31, 2003
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i had a puppy... she got a rope knot stuck in her intestines... my mom paid $1500 to have it removed... she made it through the surgery... the next day she started having seizures.. she didnt make it through the recovery and they put her down.. she was almost 7 months old... :( i still miss her...
 

Fausto

Elite Member
Nov 29, 2000
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Originally posted by: BlipBlop
Backtrack? Blow me. If I remember correctly you aren't even old enough to have pubic hair. Don't presume to tell me what I am doing.
You remember incorrectly AND I was a vet tech for several years. You watch an animal roll around in it's own excrement because it can't stand any more and then tell me to my face that putting it down isn't the right thing to do.
 

AreaCode707

Lifer
Sep 21, 2001
18,447
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I put a dog down because the dog has no choice and it's my responsibility. Another human has their own ability to choose, and I would not usurp that. That goes for if they're in a "comatose" or "brain dead" state, because a friend of mine is rebuilding his life slowly after the doctors having written him off and recommending pulling the plug.
 

calpha

Golden Member
Mar 7, 2001
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LOok, I love my dogs more hten anything else, but spending insane amounts of $ on them isn't worth it.

PPl dont' always treat animals like family. TO my father they're just a posession he likes. To my sister, she'd no sooner put an animal down then she would step out of a flying airplane. (She's got a blind horse, and a lame horse, both of whom the vet said it'd be better to put down...but they're not in pain....just require a LOT of attention....and she just couldn't do it).

So saying that ppl that put their animals down don't treat them like family isn't fair. My dogs are like children to me. They're sisters, fur palaces, and I love em to death.

I don't agree with just putting a dog down out of inconvenience. But if it's sick, and the vet gives euthanasia as a viable alternative due to the cost of surgery...medicine. I don't have any problem with ppl that choose euthanasia. They are animals, not humans. Even though my dogs are like kids to me......I don't hold it against those that don't feel that way.
 

GasX

Lifer
Feb 8, 2001
29,033
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I believe that it is a mixed blessing that society allows us to put down pets. If you have a blind arthritic dog with cancer, you are doing him a favor. If you can't be bothered to take care of your dog and have him put down, you are going to hell.
 

0roo0roo

No Lifer
Sep 21, 2002
64,795
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but i doubt most pets are being put down because of health. shelters seem to do it because they simply run out of space!

no protests about them being murderers eh? :)
 

rahvin

Elite Member
Oct 10, 1999
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Originally posted by: BlipBlop
Woah, woah, woah. Defensive aren't we? Perhaps its because the decision to kill them doesn't sit so well after all? All I was saying is that there are people (And here is my evidence) close to me who have put down dogs on the grounds that they were suffering, when it was clear that their suffering COULD have been alleviated to a large degree by operation or therapy. They real "suffering" was on the owner, namely that he'd have to spend a few hundred, even up to a thousand dollars to perform that surgery, an amount I'm sure would fly out of their pocket if it was required to help one of their sons in the same situation. Is it fair then for me to say that he didn't treat the dog like family? That on some level it was inferior and less deserved of such a surgical procedure?
This is what I was getting at. For those of you who would euthanize your human family as well, I applaud you for your consistency. To me that shows that it is truly the suffering and not checkbook accounting that is guiding your decision. I hold the same position.

An animal above all is still an animal. Although we are emotionaly attached to them that does not put them on equal status with other human beings. Cost is a factor in any vet decision I make. The thousand dollars spent saving one sick pet can be spent much more effectively in saving many more pets or even providing more for your own family. Why would I waste a thousand dollars saving a sick pet and putting it through a painful surgery with extended recovery time that it doesn't understand? It is much more humane in my opinion to end the suffering and not subject a pet to extensive medical procedures. I think people that put their pets through chemotherapy or other expensive invasive surgeries care more about their own feelings than that of the animal involved.

Above all an animal is still just an animal, it does not equal a human or the same protections we afford humans.