Earlier this week, I posted about the decline in euthanasia in pet shelters, but I want to ask today about the broader question of euthanasia. I have a relative who is absolutely against it under any circumstances, while I tend to think it can be a humane solution when a dog is suffering. My son, who works in a nursing home asked me the other day why we can’t euthanize old, suffering people. I tried to explain how that’s a slippery slope, but I’m not sure he heard me.
Have you checked out Grounds & Hounds yet? They sell organic coffee beans, but they also have a mission of eradicating unnecessary pet euthanasia, and they donate 20% of every sale to rescue organizations.
From the Facebook page of Shelter Dogs Rock: I died today. You got tired of me and took me to the shelter. They were overcrowded and I drew an unlucky number. I am in a black plastic bag in a landfill now. Some other puppy will get the barely used leash you left. My collar was dirty and too small, but the lady took it off before she sent me to the Rainbow Bridge . Would I still be at home if I hadn’t chewed your shoe? I didn’t know what it was, but it was leather, and it was on the floor. I was just playing. You forgot to get puppy toys. Would I still be at home if I had been housebroken? Rubbing my nose in what I did only made me ashamed that I had to go at all. Continue reading The Reality of Shelter Euthanasia…AKA…No Dogs Under the Tree!→
Photo from Rescue Dogs MatchFrom Fox32 in Chicago:
Lana, a 3-year old yellow Lab, gained fame as the Saddest Dog in the World when a picture of her in her kennel was widely circulated in 2015. She was adopted after that, but was returned to the shelter less than a year later when she snapped at her adoptive mom. She’s now on a short list for euthanasia due to over-crowding at the shelter and has until May 20th to be pulled from the shelter. Continue reading Do you remember Lana the Labrador?→
If you’re a regular reader, you know my Shelter Sunday feature usually focuses on one particular dog at one particular shelter. However, as I was scrolling through my Facebook feed today, I came across this story, and it really touched me so I wanted to share it with all of you. The author is Steph King Phenix, who works with Last Hope K-9 Rescue in Boston. She really hits the nail directly on the head.
I usually like to focus on happy rescue stories, but given recent discussion around rescue dogs on my Facebook I feel like I need to go in another direction this time. Thirty one people from our rescue just got back from a 5 day trip to Arkansas. We paid our own airfare and expenses and stayed in the homes of AR fosters and volunteers. Thank you to my friends and family who donated for our projects, without you we would not have been able to do as much work as we did. Continue reading Shelter Sunday: Steph’s Story→
Daniel with his family, Joe and Geralynn Dwyer, courtesy DogIsGood.com
Do you remember Daniel, who won the 2012 American Humane Association’s Emerging Hero award? He was the lone survivor of a mass euthanasia attempt in a carbon monoxide gas chamber in Alabama. Continue reading Daniel the Beagle: Still a Hero→
Wow! This article from the Columbus Dispatch is worth reading, even if you don’t live in Ohio. It compares euthanasia rates between shelters run by the dog wardens or sheriffs in each of Ohio’s counties. At the “good” end, only 1% of dogs are put down, while one county actually puts down over 80% of the dogs it takes in. That’s so disturbing! Continue reading Ohio County Shelter Euthanasia Rates→
Thanks to Friend-of-the-Blog Frank for sending this article from the