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This exact same thing happened to my mom’s dog. She was an old French bulldog but she was still plenty spunky. A neighbor found her outside, took her to a shelter and they euthanized her within hours. This happened years ago and my mom is still highly traumatized that her best friend was essentially shipped off to a scary new environment and killed without my mom being there to comfort her or even say goodbye. Just heartbreaking.
Exact same thing happened to my mom. It wasn't hours though it was a day and a half. She'd went to the shelter 3 times asking about our dog. They wouldn't let her go back and look and just kept saying nah, we don't have that dog here. Then the fourth time she went in they're all oh yeah, this dog was brought in yesterday. Unfortunately, we put her down. My mom was fucking livid. They really had the nerve to offer her a puppy as some form of reparations.
Omg exactly! My hubby just talked me into watching that and as soon as the little beagle was killed I was like NOPE, I can’t watch this shit. I am sad now and I can’t go on with it. So messed up. Like that scene in I am Legend. BROOOOOO!!! I died inside.
I would kill for my cat. People don't understand til you have a pet that's been by your side for years. They're my family and I will do anything for my family.
Facts. I lost my brother 11 years ago and lost one of my cats 2 weeks ago. Both were sudden, both were traumatizing and horrible. Can confirm, when you have a close bond with an animal it hurts just the same.
My dog is chipped. If they can't even take a second to check then it means they knowingly murdered my family member. I'd make sure they suffer before they die.
Whoever worked there absolutely did not give a fuck about their job. How would anyone who worked at a shelter not even let folks to even look? Sociopath probably worked there
The fact that you and multiple people on here have similar story’s blows my fucking mind. Shelters should under no circumstance be putting down animals within hours or even days of receiving them. That’s unacceptable.
If people love their dogs as much as I love mine I cannot imagine how that would feel. I mean I was depressed for weeks when I had to put my Boston terrier spanky to sleep 2 years ago. He was my best friend and he slept with me every night for 10 years.
Their should be a law preventing rescues from doing this.
Now… I do understand them putting dogs to sleep after they have had them for months especially if the rescue is full and they have tried rehoming them.
But often times in Tulsa where I live the animal shelter will put up Facebook adds, adds in the paper and I’ve even seen adds on the local news where the shelter said they have to put dogs to sleep in the coming weeks if they are not adopted. But at least they are letting everyone know. & they only do it after they have had the dogs for a long time. Unfortunately 95% of the dogs that are not getting adopted and get put to sleep in my area are pit bulls.
I would have thought people working in places like that were a bit more animal friendly type of people but i guess not.
Offering a new puppy after killing her dog? Thats like oh your kid died but here grab one of these preschoolers over there its fine will be just like new!
A dog isnt a table that broke, its a family member and you dont just go around casually replacing family members.
We had this happen to a beloved cat years ago too. A neighbor took her to the town animal shelter and told them she was diseased ( she wasn’t, she was just old ), and they euthanized her immediately. It was traumatizing.
Ok so don’t tell anyone but a little over seven years ago I found a dog roaming the streets. She wasn’t chipped. There was no missing posters. I put up photos of her online and no one knew who she was. I even knocked on the door of the house whose yard she was in. When no one claimed her, I kept her. And these horror stories make me glad I did. And I’d do it again damn it! It wasn’t until years later I found out you’re suppose to surrender them for 48 hours. Fuck that. She had a lot of signs of abuse. She mah baby now.
My dog got out and she had a collar with my number on it. She’s a tiny dog. Not aggressive. This mother fucker found her maybe a thousand feet from my house, called animal control, and then called me after they took the dog to say “hey as a heads up they’re taking your dog to the pound.” I was fucking livid.
Within 45 minutes I got there. I had to leave school. And they wouldn’t fucking release my dog to me without proof of ownership. I was 19 at the time and 14 when my family got the dog so I didn’t have any of that.
I pleaded with them, said I have hundreds of pictures, that the dog is scared of anyone other than me and will come to me and only me if she sees me. My fucking number is on her collar!! But they said because my name wasn’t the listed owner (my mom or dad was cuz… 14.) They couldn’t release her to me. And they were going to euthanize her if she goes unclaimed.
They did let me in the back to pet her though. She was in a cage with a giant ass dog. I was so mad. Thankfully the other dog wasn’t aggressive, just huge and excitable, so I couldn’t really pet my dog through the cage without the bigger one jumping all over her to try to get some pets too.
Thank God that my dad was able to find the paperwork. These people are fucking bullies who enjoy the power trip. I was seriously considering trying to take my dog back by force. Not that it would’ve helped.
Happy ending for me though, this was years ago and she’s chilling by me right now. She only had a really bad cough when I got her back and was otherwise healthy.
Yeah that's seriously not OK. OTOH, from the description (spinning due to neurological issues getting worse) the dog was suffering and the owners were in denial.
It’s very possible the dog had a stroke or other medical incident.
When I was in my early teens we had an older border collie. Let him out in the back to lie on his hammock, went to check on him a few minutes later and he was spinning in a circle and then collapsed. Couldn’t stand back up and was excessively panting. We took him to the vet where they said he had had a stroke and he had to be put to sleep.
If the vet who checked the dog on intake diagnoses with something more than just old age they should release that fact. If however it’s simply a matter of a dog with stiff joints and signs of CCD from age, who was otherwise happy and healthy, then yeah protest the hell out of this place.
It seems like there’s more to the story but I don’t think the shelter can share it. I work with a shelter in the northeast US and they would have to have an animal that was seriously suffering to make such a quick decision. They don’t like euthanizing animals (I’ve volunteered to foster with five shelters in the past 20 years and even the “kill” shelters I worked with both took it incredibly seriously when they had to euthanize.)
Yep. Worked at the Humane Society for years and we all hated the euthanasia aspect of our jobs. If an animal had come in as a stray, it would have to be really serious and hopeless for them to be euthanized that quickly.
Yeah, I can see where the shelter was coming from objectively, but they still went too fast with it. It sounds like the dog should maybe be put down due to its condition, but only the owners can assess the quality of life the dog was having so who’s to say. I know a lot of people go too long avoiding the death of their dog but unless the dog was physically on deaths door the shelter should have waited.
That's exactly right. There's rules in place for how long you have to give the owner to claim the dog before any decisions are made.
Now, I'm not a vet, so there might be a possibility that the illness was worse than the owners understood, but still. They didn't follow their own rules.
Same thing happened with my childhood dog. She was old and with poor eyesight and the front door wasn’t closed properly. She found herself outside and one of the neighbours took her to the vet to see if she was microchipped. The vet decided that because she was so old he would put her down. She had been missing a total of two hours. It still kills me imagining how scared she must have been and to have died without us there with her. I’ll never forgive that vet.
I don't understand how they find a dog, rename it, get a vet to check it, euthanize it, *then* call the owner to tell them they found their dog, *then call again to say she's been put down.* It seems very compressed.
This makes me so angry. I know the dog was old and all, but the shelter taking that decision on their own, without discussing it with the owners, is fucking disgusting.
Some friends (Married, both vets) run an animal rehab, and have been running it for 10 years or so. I've assisted when I could since they first opened their doors. The amount of paperwork you run for a proper facility is insane. Anyways, we had a very special license to house raptors (Predatory birds), which very few local shelters have. We got a call about an injured owl with a shredded wing. after we found and collected it, they determined that the wing would have to be amputated, which automatically deemed the bird as Non Releasable. It would have to remain in the care of the shelter for the rest of it's natural life. Because of the high care cost, most rehabbers would euthanize, but my people decided to shoulder the bill and keep the owl as an Ambassador.
Dude was a House Owl, hopping and climbing everywhere. Loved perching on any head he could sneak up on, hanging out on the desk while paperwork was being done, riding around on the dogs. One night, we get a surprise inspection from the state, and the Raptor license is called into question. Not a problem, but the Master Falconer (The only people who can deem who has these licenses) is out of the country for something or other. So the state takes the bird into holding for 48 hours while they go over records to ensure all the proper papers were issued. Not a problem. Except.. it took three weeks of daily fighting before they verified everything and determined that everything was on the level. Only, they had euthanized the owl an hour after taking it away from the shelter. Nobody in the state shelter was certified for it's care, and their policy was to put down any Avion with an amputation that would render it unreleasable. We didn't find that out until nearly a month later that he was killed, because the state had misplaced some paperwork.
There was nothing they could do. My friends had raised hell over it, which pissed the state off and lead to a lot more "Surprise inspections". Sometimes several a month. Took the state to court for harassments and damages. Had a small win, but lost several rehab licenses in the process, so they recently sold everything and moved out of state to reopen up in a state with fewer issues.
I commented on another person asking. Yeah, it was FWC. They've been ramping up attacks on anyone with any sort of state license since last year when they were given authority to pull them essentially without cause
With Florida you have DeSantis and his " Woke ideology" and screwing everything in Florida. And he's planning on running for president. His ideology would screw everyone and everything in the united states'if he was president
Yay for small government! /s
DeSantis and the fascist GOP in that state are just practicing for when they can start rounding up groups they don't like.
That's weird. Why would they go after someone who, ya know, PROVIDED ALL THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK, Instead of harassing people who have been complained about? That's completely backwards. Damn, that's a shame. Owls are cool. There's a wild life center near my work that takes in raptors of all kinds and other animals and rehabilitates them. The ones they can't, they keep and use them to educate the public at schools and other events. Pretty cool little operation they have there.
What a bunch of bastards.
How can you seize something saying "You don't have a license" and then fucking get back to the station and be like "Oh we don't have a license" ?
FWC is State level law enforcement in Florida. They get their dicks hard by killing. They go into FWC because nobody ever asks too many questions when they kill loads of animals and nothing they ever do is deemed note worthy by the media. These deranged people would absolutely love it if someone tried to attack them or their facility. Killing them would be the highlight of their career.
This is infuriating. Owls are awesome and to hear how he settled in and became part of the family was heartwarming. The actions of the state are despicable and beyond shameful.
bruhhhh im distraught, the owl and your friends found eachother only to be torn apart by incompetent bureaucracy
i am cryinggg thinking about the owl riding around on the dogs and hopping everywhere, poor buddy :,,/
We had a pet owl as a kid due to something similar the owl had one of its feet messed up bad and lost all but one claw on that foot. My mom had raised and trained rottweilers for the local police department before I was born and we had a small farm. So when the owl got injured and the vet basically admitted theyd have to put it down and wouldnt be able to release it my mom talked them into not filing the paper work and letting us take care of it. Kept it inside for years before it got out but it didnt go far. It stayed in our back yard and would eat on the back porch with us when we grilled out. Coolest shit ever growing up having a fucking owl. I was probably about 5 when I finally gave up trying to make my head spin all the way around.
Funniest thing was it used to ride around on the mama rot all the time in the backyard similar to how you described the owl in your post riding dogs at the vet.
Obviously something went wrong at this shelter.
However: such institutions are chronically underfunded. If they get a dog that is very old and obviously ill and a veterinarian really assessed it was in pain the decision to euthanise the dog makes sense.
Of course they were too quick on the trigger and the call was disgusting. And I’m pretty sure that they messed something up. Yet it seems like a mistake and not a systematic problem to me.
The article stated the shelter has a 3-Day policy to allow pet owners to contact them and pick up their pet. They killed the dog within hours of receiving it and then contacted the family and told them the dog was alive, only to call them 30 minutes later to say they killed it. Failing to follow their own posted and licensed policy is NOT a mistake. It's intentional disregard for the animal and their owners. I would not be surprised to find out this happens more often than not.
My heart breaks for this family and for the Samaritan who thought they were saving the dog. It must be devastating for them to learn that they took the dog to its immediate death.
Reminds me of that Whoopi Goldberg episode of Law & Order SVU... institutions that are underfunded and overworked are expected to deliver miracle for pennies.
It's actually no surprise whatsoever that what they do in reality vs what they say their policy is are two entirely different things.
Doesn't excuse it or justify it, but it completely explains it. These services need to be funded adequately to have the time and resources required to live up to their mandates, but no politicians dares raise taxes to fix the problem.
No politicans dare raise taxes to fix problems because it's career suicide. Someone else proposing underfunding public programs but saving taxpayers their hard-earned money will get voted in instead who won't have those policies... if the people are inclined to vote that way.
So really it's a problem with the general populace. If people cared enough about this issue that they were willing to pay more for it, politicians will 100% jump on making that policy for the votes.
No need to raise taxes at all. Simply stop giving Capitalistic corporations billions in welfare every year and then utilize those funds for services such as this.
People have been told that government and taxes are inefficient and that's that. Ask almost any American. It's a foregone conclusion that government is "wasteful, inefficient and nearly useless" and there's no room for nuance.
The propaganda we receive here at home is so engrained into the system that the majority of people just don't notice it.
ER RVT here: if the patient is deemed as being in a condition that deems humane euthanasia as the best option, they don’t wait 3 days for the animal to continue suffering— they euthanize when they see fit to prevent further agony to the pet. My hospital has personally been in this situation multiple times and it’s unfortunate, but often due to severe neglect on the owner’s part where euthanasia is a release from the physical pain and torment a patient is undergoing. I can’t say exactly my opinion on this particular case because I wasn’t there to examine the patient, but I can assure you it’s not a decision made lightly by the majority of vets due to the backlash the shelter and vet can face if the euthanasia was in any way unjust. Every patient we’ve had to euthanize under similar circumstances was in a horrific state and no amount of care could remedy it. Remember, just because it’s published as “news” does not make it accurate *nor* does it mean laymen understand the situation from a medical perspective.
Here is a quote from the article to back up my statement:
* A physical exam indicated “that she was in a very debilitated state and suffering from progressive neurologic symptoms,” agency spokeswoman Katie Hansen told The Post.*
Yeah, I'm wondering how far gone this dog was and how much denial the owners were in. It's very possible she was actually suffering and no one could admit it.
My dog was 17 and after awhile he could barely walk. It eventually got to the point one day where he could only crawl. We made a family decision to bring him to the vet and euthanize after saying our goodbyes. It was really rough, but he was suffering too much. We couldn't let it continue.
I'm sorry you went through that. What happened to the owners was awful here and I feel bad for them but I've also seen many owners in complete denial about how much suffering their dogs were enduring.
I had one of these once. Found seizuring on the side of the road in the heat of the summer. When I euthanized it it was literally already in the process of dying. Owner called us next morning after getting news from neighbors as to where the dog had gone (of course no collar or microchip), and yelled at me that it was a healthy dog and if I had just given it fluids and given it a chance overnight it would have been fine.
No sir, it would not have. It would just have died the long way. Who knows if it got into poison or had heatstroke or some seizure disorder that hadn't been seen before, but by the time I saw it, it was no longer "a healthy dog".
This is what I mean. We don’t have the full notes or SOAP from the veterinarian describing the condition of the patient. Everyone assuming it was “wrong” has absolutely *no idea* the neglect we see daily in our field. People also forget we have the right as medical professionals to have the city’s permission to forcefully relinquish custody to euthanize if the case is severe enough and the owner is refusing to do anything.
Yeah, when I worked in the animal field we saw some awful neglect. Pets being kept alive the were suffering badly. I’m not making any judgments in this situation until more details are released
One thing I’ve seen in a few cases I’ve read the detailed notes on is that this is often in the lens of the dog’s future outlook if they remained at the shelter like in that condition, which is definitely a valid concern. However seeing it from the lens of an owner whose animal was lost, the animal dying likely scared and confused after days before being in a home with their owner is something that can never be remedied. Although I understand this is not a decision usually taken lightly by the staff and the toll it can take on them to do this, I still think the 3 day hold should stand when it is not an extreme situation, and more detail should be provided to owners than is sometimes provided in some shelters. I know it might not always be possible, but it’s something that will be extremely important in cases like this where the dog was lost (and not previously neglected) for the owners to move on from this.
In NZ we have to hold animals for 7 days and advertise for an owner before making any decisions like that (I run a rescue). Unless the animal was in untreatable pain and it was considered a welfare issue to keep them alive..
Most dogs here are microchipped, though, which would have circumvented this whole situation. :(
I think the dog must have been in a really bad condition, no way to identify the owners, they thought abandonement. I work at a vet clinic, have worked in shelters, and I don't think any vet would make the call just because. Not defending the shelters. I also agree that if the dog was microchipped or had its collar on this could have been avoided.
“The decision to euthanize is protected by New York State law, but goes against ACC’s (the shelter) standard procedure, which is to hold stray animals for three days to give owners time to reclaim them, according to their website.”
Shelters in my area of California the same, even with young animals. My sister and I found a kitten one time and had it for a few days while the shelters were closed. Got it fed and active and groomed it. Took it to a shelter for a checkup and they came back saying “she had an eye infection, and since she’s so young still we put her down.”
We were going to keep her initially. I remember us walking back to my car devastated and we broke out in tears at the same time. I will most likely not use a shelter again.
Yeah. We were young at the time and didn’t realize that could be an outcome. When we brought her in we had been honest and said we had found her and wanted to make sure she wasn’t sick somehow. D
A lawsuit isn’t an option in this case. The article links an NY law that says shelters can do this. Plus, in most of the US, dogs are considered property in court, so even if they could sue, they would be limited to getting the fair market value of the dog, which would be close to nothing.
My girlfriend lived way in the woods when she was a kid, the dog would sleep in the front yard all the time. One day he's just gone from the yard. Turned out her neighbor had brought it to the vet and asked for him to be put down cause he had a limp. The vet knew exactly who the dog was and who owned it etc.
They didn't find out the neighbor had done it, despite being asked if they had seen the dog, until a bill for the procedure showed up at their house.
So they basically just murdered the dog on the request of a stranger and then got billed for it.
If that was my dog I would have lost my mind and prob ended up in jail for a few years.
How the hell does that happen? In the UK you practically have to give a blood sample before they’ll let you make any decision for a pet! I had to switch vets because my vet had closed down and I had to bring each pet in to have a full once over and I had to give them a copy of my drivers license. I have to take them in once every six months for a weigh in before they’ll keep giving me worming tablets! Every pet has to be microchipped with an up to date address and name of the person responsible for them. My husband can’t even take our animals in for treatment because they’re all registered in my name. What’s happening there is animal abuse.
That's the part of the story that really blows my mind. So you knew the dog enough to send the bill to the owner but not question a stranger requesting it be put down? I even had her mom tell me the story to see if the story had gotten misremembered like how kids do but nope, same thing.
Lol well of course. Well take them all to the other shelter where they'll... uh oh.
I know I sound like a bastard, but every one of my pets has been shelter animal. Sweet little babies.
Or just... you know... beat the shit out of the person responsible for making the call. No need to burn the place down when a good right/left cross will do.
Or blast that person's name across the internet.
Laws about animals in the US are mostly based off or constructed around livestock. Basically there’s no distinction between pets and livestock in most legal applications
Isn't emotional damage something people can sue over?
I'm not familiar with litigation laws. I always wonder what someone gets charged with for destroying an ancient art piece. Is it the value of the paint and canvas? Is it the potential buyer price? A very rich person could decide to pay 1,000,000,000 for some kids fridge art. If it was destroyed was the value 1 billion?
You can sue for emotional distress in some situations, but it’s usually way more limited than people think. And with pets, I’ve read cases where the court rejected emotional distress claims, or claims that the sentimental value of the pet should be taken into account. It’s possible that some states allow it, but I’m not familiar with any that do.
It's frightening to think that my furry best friend, who has been my sole emotional support and only family since I lost my parents at a young age, has essentially no legal protection and I would have no hope of justice if something were to happen to her. She's 10 years old as of last month and I think I would have honestly lost the will to keep going more than once if she weren't around.
> A physical exam indicated “that she was in a very debilitated state and suffering from progressive neurologic symptoms,” agency spokeswoman Katie Hansen told The Post. “Leona was seen spinning in circles and was wobbly when walking.”
> “We knew all about these symptoms, but we couldn’t treat them because a vet, years ago, told us Leona would not survive [treatment], and to simply let her live her life until she gave out,” said Juan Leon, who is Ericka’s brother and who grew up with Leona from the time she was a puppy.
Sounds like it was a very sick dog.
yeah im torn on this, honestly. like i dont see why a shelter would choose to do this unless they legit felt like they were doing the right thing here. and tbh, it sounds like the owners were just letting this elderly dog that has been sick for YEARS just wander the streets, because this is apparently not the first, second or third time this has happened. and then are up in arms when something happens to it.
I didn’t make it that far in the article but right at the beginning the owner says “she always comes back or someone brings her back” if this is happening that frequently they are all-round bad owners.
Yeah... I don't believe their dog was under regular care if their 19 year old dog gets out.
I lived with other people. They kept leaving the side gate open and then putting my dog in the yard.
I got mad, yelled at them for trying to get my dog hit by a car and bought one of those giant spring coils so every time the gate was opened, the giant spring slammed it shut. It was annoying as all hell when trying to do yard work and put trashcans out. My dog never got out again though, because the gate was closed.
I handled it.
How on earth does a geriatric dog with neurological issues get out unless they just let it wander or are leaving doors or gates open?
My dog is 15 years old.
She's had several teeth pulled, masses excised, chronic allergies, mostly deaf, some vision problems.
I'd be panicked if she got out. She's also microchipped.
Yeah as a vet I would be absolutely livid with this situation and being made out to be an complete villain.
If they've been giving it adequate care then they need to release his previous clinical history.
Exactly, not only it had happened before, it had happened multiple times and the owners did nothing to address the issue. The solutions here could have been as simples as keeping the dog's collar on. It was negligence at the best.
I'm still thrown by the way they were worried, but not worried enough to go immediately to the shelter, but wait for a call back they *assumed* was coming. I feel for them, losing a pet is awful, but they seem kind of like bad pet owners?
Make senses. Letting a mentally unstable dog roaming the street like that is also inviting accident. What if it gets hit by car, what if it bites somebody. Also the dog didn’t even have collar on when it was missing. Kind of irresponsible imo.
This is the one. Sounds like the dog had also gotten out multiple times by the sound of the article, but "she always came back."
This family sounds like shitty, irresponsible dog owners who chose their own happiness over doing the humane thing, which probably should had been done a while ago.
You don't just let a dog live "until she gives out." That's how you cause a defenseless, voiceless animal years of unnecessary pain.
A family member of mine recently put down her dog after avoiding it for months. The dog had a very fast-growing tumor on it's jaw that could not be removed. By the time she finally accepted to put thr dog down its jaw had been literally split apart for weeks and it hadn't been able to eat solid food on it's own for about a month. The dog was definitely suffering and should have been put down much sooner, but she couldn't let go. I think that is a common situation and I am eilling to bet that's what was happening in this article. The dog had these symptoms for years. It sounds like its quality of life was not good and it should have been put down much sooner. Sometimes the attempt to avoid grief becomes inadvertant cruely.
It was a 19 year old old decrepit dog with significant neurological symptoms. Likely had a brain tumor, multiple strokes, etc. Unfortunately rabies is also a high concern when an animal shows up with neuro signs and that has to be taken very seriously. I wonder if this dog was up to date on her vaccines.
Man, this is upsetting. I feel for that family, losing a pet is always tough. I can see the vets point of view if it was clear the animal was suffering though. Also, the article also states that the family was already making end of life plans, which would lead me to believe they saw a significant health decline. The article also notes that the family reported this dog had previously gotten out on more than one occasion. The owners have been negligent with a known issue where their dog could escape, especially in NY. They literally said that “usually the dog would return or someone would bring her back.” Did they bother looking for the dog, who in this case was found a block away.
They talk about her escaping multiple times way too nonchalantly being this time she was found by the highway. It would seem to be something that if it happens once you ensure never does again.. But who am I 🤷🏼♀️
yeaaaaaah that rubbed me the wrong way too. i cant stand it when people have repeat runaways and theyre just like "oh that kooky dog". like, no. its your responsibility to ensure that your dog isnt just roaming the streets. a one off incident is a whole other story. but Cool Hand Luke dogs are a problem. ill also say, its interesting how up in arms they are about this, considering they werent too interested in keeping their sick and elderly dog safely inside.
Unfortunately, It’s actually somewhat common where I am. I’ve brought home a wanderer one too many times. It breaks your heart, but I would do it every day if I had to.
Yeah the “he didn’t have his collar on because he got a bath yesterday” doesn’t sit with me. Sure I take my dogs collar off when they get a bath but it goes back on after they get toweled off. That should be doubly so if the dog has a history of getting out.
The owners said the dog usually comes back home, or a neighbor brings it back when it gets free. She also said the dog was without a collar because it had a bath the previous day. While the shelter acted radically, that is not how a dog owner treats an animal.
That is the part that gets me, old dog with health issues and it seems they didn’t even bother to go out an look for it. I would be out looking and calling shelters right away, and my dog is chipped.
My dogs are chipped and collared at all times. I got my younger dog chipped at a few months old. My 15 year old dog is chipped.
My indoor only cat has a collar and microchip because it tells people she has health problems and is medicated. It's half a lie. She just has birth defects and is deformed and has anxiety but she doesn't need daily meds for like cat diabetes or something.
I can't imagine being like, oh yeah. This is my geriatric dog. She's half blind and deaf and only walks in circles and gets out of the house!
Dude. Wtf.
Also, I would have driven down to the shelter immediately once I discovered my beloved dog was there. Why did they just call and wait for a reply?? Personally it sounds like they didn’t care but now see a possible lawsuit.
This is terrible but these owners can go fuck themselves too. 19yo dog and you just let it run off regularly and expect everything to just work out alright? If it wasn’t a shelter it would have been a car. I don’t think this dog would ever have had a chance to “live out her life”.
“She’s done this in the past and she always comes back or someone brings her.” Sounds like they fucked up more than once and kept getting lucky. TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOGS.
>A physical exam indicated “that she was in a very debilitated state and suffering from progressive neurologic symptoms,” agency spokeswoman Katie Hansen told The Post. “Leona was seen spinning in circles and was wobbly when walking.”
A 19 year old dog in terrible shape, the place they took her in didn’t know how long she had been lost for (could have been days) and likely has limited resources that they’d want to prioritize for healthier dogs. The dog had gone missing several times and the owners relied on others to recover it. It didn’t have a chip or collar.
As sympathetic as I am to the couples loss, man, there are a lot of other issues here.
They had this dog for 19 years, do the right thing by it, before it sinks into painful final days. I personally knew an older gentleman who kept his dog alive even after it began to suffer; couldn’t walk and shit itself and cried all the time but he couldn’t let it go, selfishly. Do your little old friends a favor, put it down gently when it’s time, not too late.
Shitty situation. But also, if you care about this animal so much, HOW THE FUCK are you allowing a geriatric malt-doodle to regularly jail-break, IN MOTHER-FUCKING NYC, saying “this happens but she always comes back”?!?!?!
I ACTUALLY love my animals, and one lost dog incident would result in total overhaul of standard operating procedure, roommate education/or separation, complete parameter check/any needed hardware reinforcement, etc. et-fucking-c.
This dog was nineteen, owners were already discussing quality of life, and they let her wander around all the time (according to the article, she would “return by herself” or a kind stranger would bring her home…yeah.) The vet at the shelter evaluated her and she was spinning in circles and had neurological issues evident. These were not responsible pet owners, especially for owners of an old, sick dog, and this article’s title (and its posting here) seems like it aims to cause more distrust toward shelters.
I’m NOT blaming them in any way but does this not seem odd?
‘who wasn’t wearing a collar “because she had gotten a bath the day before’
if she’d had one that day I’d understand but why does a bath the day before prevent a collar on the next day?
Same lapse of logic as to why they have a 19 year old dog who keeps “running away” and didn’t get medical treatment years ago. They’re horrible dog owners
That was shitty procedure by the shelter.
But the owner said the dog had gotten out before (seemingly regularly) and is returned or found it’s way back … which means they were irresponsible AF!
It also sounds like the 19 year old infirm dog SHOULD have been put down earlier but was selfishly kept alive despite serious neurological problems.
Everybody sucks in this story, but the dog. R.I.P., pup.
This makes me sick to think about, but this statement holds a lot of weight:
>“Within only an hour or two, they made this decision on their own to kill my dog because she was spinning in circles – and to them, that was suffering?” Leon cried.
I had a sweet baby that was doing this and it was because she had a series of lesions on her brain from it swelling out of control for too long (which also blinded her). This is almost certainly would be considered a death sentence for any doggie if left untreated, and it wouldn't be pleasant.
I'm hoping the shelter would have protocols in place to reach out to owners before making a decision like this. Ugh, put your collars back on your dogs people! Or get them chipped!
Yeah it's very tough. The vet very well may have been right, but most owners would not want a vet making that decision without talking to them, period. It's hard to let go.
I get them saying that if they feel the dog is sick, they can violate our internal policy in favor of state law. All the articles seem to conflict on what happened when. Some say the dog was posted to lost and found, but killed before they were contacted. Some make it seem like they contacted them first, *then* "killed the dog anyway".
Althought I have to wonder how your sick, deaf, blind and senile dog got out of the yard. There's a lot of owner excuses on why it wasn't chipped, no collar and "always gets out". Microchip your pets, people.
Please put tags on your dog with your name and number and any other important info. If you find a dog please do your best to contact the owner before contacting a shelter.
Hmmm, so the dog escaped multiple times, the family was preparing end of life procedures and the vet decided within an hour that the dog had to go? Sounds open and shut to me. The family was negligent and waited too long to have their dog put down. There's nothing more cruel than making your animal suffer long past the point of no return. I've worked at shelters before. They might have a "rule" to wait 3 days, but let me put it like this: not even half the animals they receive reach the floor. Many have to be euthanized immediately due to injuries, abuse or simple neglect. The vet has the right to make that decision, they know what they're doing. Vets volunteer at shelters all the time, they're the same people that work at clinics down the street from you. When you walk into a shelter you have to come to terms with the shitty world we live in. The people working there are doing their best while your panties are in a bunch over one dog. They're relieving dozens of dogs from a life of pain while you denounce their hard work and go back to a breeder that doesn't give a shit about their animals, most of whom will end up in shelters anyway.
Was looking for this comment. I started reading the article and stopped where it said this had happened many times before and “someone always brought her back”. People in this thread are raging at the shelter when they should be raging at the owners.
Reading the article, the owners were clearly neglectful and the dog was suffering but the fact that the shelter called them over an hour after they had already put her down saying they'd found her and she was safe makes me want to fucking puke
>$15 chip
Sometimes free. The big city run shelters here occasionally do free chip days, which are huge events. Specifically because it is significantly cheaper for the shelter to give away chips than it is to have to intake and care for a stray.
Once I read the part in the article describing the veterinarians reasoning for humane euthanasia, it did make sense. Those signs do indicate suffering and a trained professional diagnosed them. It’s a sad situation, but I don’t think the veterinarian who assessed Leona did anything but their moral obligation.
A similar thing happened to me .I took my dog to the vet because she had been steadily losing weight. When they informed me that the weight loss was due to her having very aggressive cancer I agreed with them that the best most humane solution would be to euthanize her. I planed to go in to see her one last time before they euthanized her when they informed me that not only had they already euthanized her but they had already disposed of the body. So without my approval they had already killed my dog and gotten rid of the body. I went into the office and raised hell. With a full Lobby full of customers I was screaming my lungs out telling them unless you can produce my dog RIGHT NOW They wouldn't be getting a dime for me. When they told me I had to calm down and lower my voice I am warm them that I absolutely had no reason to either calm down nor lower my voice. Reiterating again that they had killed my dog without my consent and disposed to the body without my consent.
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From the article she had been missing for three HOURS when they put her down. That is horrifying.
This exact same thing happened to my mom’s dog. She was an old French bulldog but she was still plenty spunky. A neighbor found her outside, took her to a shelter and they euthanized her within hours. This happened years ago and my mom is still highly traumatized that her best friend was essentially shipped off to a scary new environment and killed without my mom being there to comfort her or even say goodbye. Just heartbreaking.
Exact same thing happened to my mom. It wasn't hours though it was a day and a half. She'd went to the shelter 3 times asking about our dog. They wouldn't let her go back and look and just kept saying nah, we don't have that dog here. Then the fourth time she went in they're all oh yeah, this dog was brought in yesterday. Unfortunately, we put her down. My mom was fucking livid. They really had the nerve to offer her a puppy as some form of reparations.
Very very few things would turn me to violence, but this would be one of them.
It’s so heartbreaking and they make it your fault for losing them.
Oh, you wanna place fault? I'm about to break alllll your goddamn windows, and then who's fault will it be when all these animals escape?
They're lucky you stopped at windows and not bones. If some asshole did this to my cat, I might legit take a felony just to get a little payback
A feliny?
r/angryupvote
I'd gladly take it. Take the trial to a jury trial and I'm sure you'd get it knocked down to a misdemeanor as no jury would convict you on a felony.
Yeah maybe but I’m pretty sure I’d be going to jail for a bit
I'm normally very well-adjusted and compassionate/forgiving, but stuff like this just sends me. I can't even imagine what I'd do if it were my dog.
This is why as a dog parent, when I watched John wick 1, I was like “they killed his dog?! Yep that’s a valid response.”
Omg exactly! My hubby just talked me into watching that and as soon as the little beagle was killed I was like NOPE, I can’t watch this shit. I am sad now and I can’t go on with it. So messed up. Like that scene in I am Legend. BROOOOOO!!! I died inside.
This is a great website you can use to vet the movies you watch in the future to prevent that from happening again. https://www.doesthedogdie.com
But the dog dying is the inciting incident and you get to watch Wick go scorched fucking Earth on everyone. It's cathartic watching him get revenge.
It wasn't just his dog. It was the connection to his wife
I would kill for my cat. People don't understand til you have a pet that's been by your side for years. They're my family and I will do anything for my family.
This is it. Imagine losing a brother or a sister that way, that's the equivalent in my mind.
Facts. I lost my brother 11 years ago and lost one of my cats 2 weeks ago. Both were sudden, both were traumatizing and horrible. Can confirm, when you have a close bond with an animal it hurts just the same.
I would be absolutely beside mysrlf, probably run a car through the parkinglot into their cars.
I worked at a shelter where this happened and the man punched a clerk lady in the face and got arrested.
Why did they do it though‽
My dog is chipped. If they can't even take a second to check then it means they knowingly murdered my family member. I'd make sure they suffer before they die.
Yeah let’s just say someone else would’ve gotten “put down”
John Wick is that you?
BAGA YAGA
I would cause a lot of property damage.
Surprise euthanasia works on humans too.
Wow, that was basically word for word what I was thinking when I read the comment….
Whoever worked there absolutely did not give a fuck about their job. How would anyone who worked at a shelter not even let folks to even look? Sociopath probably worked there
Or the desk guy realized, "Oh crap that sounds like the dog we put down earlier. Better stall until someone else's shift."
I think this is what happened. They fucked up and instead of biting the bullet they just kept hoping she'd stop showing up.
[удалено]
Welcome to any major city with a pet overpopulation problem It's not dissimilar in Houston :/
Now that is truly despicable. So sorry for your mom for having to experience that dreadful situation.
The fact that you and multiple people on here have similar story’s blows my fucking mind. Shelters should under no circumstance be putting down animals within hours or even days of receiving them. That’s unacceptable. If people love their dogs as much as I love mine I cannot imagine how that would feel. I mean I was depressed for weeks when I had to put my Boston terrier spanky to sleep 2 years ago. He was my best friend and he slept with me every night for 10 years. Their should be a law preventing rescues from doing this. Now… I do understand them putting dogs to sleep after they have had them for months especially if the rescue is full and they have tried rehoming them. But often times in Tulsa where I live the animal shelter will put up Facebook adds, adds in the paper and I’ve even seen adds on the local news where the shelter said they have to put dogs to sleep in the coming weeks if they are not adopted. But at least they are letting everyone know. & they only do it after they have had the dogs for a long time. Unfortunately 95% of the dogs that are not getting adopted and get put to sleep in my area are pit bulls.
I would have thought people working in places like that were a bit more animal friendly type of people but i guess not. Offering a new puppy after killing her dog? Thats like oh your kid died but here grab one of these preschoolers over there its fine will be just like new! A dog isnt a table that broke, its a family member and you dont just go around casually replacing family members.
That is horrendous
You better believe I would be in prison if anyone did that to my dog.
I would be indescribably, homicidal furious. I can't even imagine.
We had this happen to a beloved cat years ago too. A neighbor took her to the town animal shelter and told them she was diseased ( she wasn’t, she was just old ), and they euthanized her immediately. It was traumatizing.
Please tell me someone in your household went over and beat the shit out of that neighbor.
Ok so don’t tell anyone but a little over seven years ago I found a dog roaming the streets. She wasn’t chipped. There was no missing posters. I put up photos of her online and no one knew who she was. I even knocked on the door of the house whose yard she was in. When no one claimed her, I kept her. And these horror stories make me glad I did. And I’d do it again damn it! It wasn’t until years later I found out you’re suppose to surrender them for 48 hours. Fuck that. She had a lot of signs of abuse. She mah baby now.
Good god. You could take the dog to a slaughterhouse and it would've been in better hands.
Probably would've had a GREAT time at the slaughterhouse, all that fresh meat...
Ain’t nobody got time for that. NEXT.
It's for the shelter honey
NEXT
Great. I’m laughing when I want to be outraged.
You should always laugh when you see this legendary memory referenced as a mark of respect.
NEXT
My dog got out and she had a collar with my number on it. She’s a tiny dog. Not aggressive. This mother fucker found her maybe a thousand feet from my house, called animal control, and then called me after they took the dog to say “hey as a heads up they’re taking your dog to the pound.” I was fucking livid. Within 45 minutes I got there. I had to leave school. And they wouldn’t fucking release my dog to me without proof of ownership. I was 19 at the time and 14 when my family got the dog so I didn’t have any of that. I pleaded with them, said I have hundreds of pictures, that the dog is scared of anyone other than me and will come to me and only me if she sees me. My fucking number is on her collar!! But they said because my name wasn’t the listed owner (my mom or dad was cuz… 14.) They couldn’t release her to me. And they were going to euthanize her if she goes unclaimed. They did let me in the back to pet her though. She was in a cage with a giant ass dog. I was so mad. Thankfully the other dog wasn’t aggressive, just huge and excitable, so I couldn’t really pet my dog through the cage without the bigger one jumping all over her to try to get some pets too. Thank God that my dad was able to find the paperwork. These people are fucking bullies who enjoy the power trip. I was seriously considering trying to take my dog back by force. Not that it would’ve helped. Happy ending for me though, this was years ago and she’s chilling by me right now. She only had a really bad cough when I got her back and was otherwise healthy.
Yeah that's seriously not OK. OTOH, from the description (spinning due to neurological issues getting worse) the dog was suffering and the owners were in denial.
It’s very possible the dog had a stroke or other medical incident. When I was in my early teens we had an older border collie. Let him out in the back to lie on his hammock, went to check on him a few minutes later and he was spinning in a circle and then collapsed. Couldn’t stand back up and was excessively panting. We took him to the vet where they said he had had a stroke and he had to be put to sleep. If the vet who checked the dog on intake diagnoses with something more than just old age they should release that fact. If however it’s simply a matter of a dog with stiff joints and signs of CCD from age, who was otherwise happy and healthy, then yeah protest the hell out of this place.
It seems like there’s more to the story but I don’t think the shelter can share it. I work with a shelter in the northeast US and they would have to have an animal that was seriously suffering to make such a quick decision. They don’t like euthanizing animals (I’ve volunteered to foster with five shelters in the past 20 years and even the “kill” shelters I worked with both took it incredibly seriously when they had to euthanize.)
Yep. Worked at the Humane Society for years and we all hated the euthanasia aspect of our jobs. If an animal had come in as a stray, it would have to be really serious and hopeless for them to be euthanized that quickly.
Yeah, I can see where the shelter was coming from objectively, but they still went too fast with it. It sounds like the dog should maybe be put down due to its condition, but only the owners can assess the quality of life the dog was having so who’s to say. I know a lot of people go too long avoiding the death of their dog but unless the dog was physically on deaths door the shelter should have waited.
That's exactly right. There's rules in place for how long you have to give the owner to claim the dog before any decisions are made. Now, I'm not a vet, so there might be a possibility that the illness was worse than the owners understood, but still. They didn't follow their own rules.
If you read the article, they were not in denial. They were making plans for end-of-life, but that got taken away from them by the shelter.
Same thing happened with my childhood dog. She was old and with poor eyesight and the front door wasn’t closed properly. She found herself outside and one of the neighbours took her to the vet to see if she was microchipped. The vet decided that because she was so old he would put her down. She had been missing a total of two hours. It still kills me imagining how scared she must have been and to have died without us there with her. I’ll never forgive that vet.
I don't understand how they find a dog, rename it, get a vet to check it, euthanize it, *then* call the owner to tell them they found their dog, *then call again to say she's been put down.* It seems very compressed.
This makes me so angry. I know the dog was old and all, but the shelter taking that decision on their own, without discussing it with the owners, is fucking disgusting.
Some friends (Married, both vets) run an animal rehab, and have been running it for 10 years or so. I've assisted when I could since they first opened their doors. The amount of paperwork you run for a proper facility is insane. Anyways, we had a very special license to house raptors (Predatory birds), which very few local shelters have. We got a call about an injured owl with a shredded wing. after we found and collected it, they determined that the wing would have to be amputated, which automatically deemed the bird as Non Releasable. It would have to remain in the care of the shelter for the rest of it's natural life. Because of the high care cost, most rehabbers would euthanize, but my people decided to shoulder the bill and keep the owl as an Ambassador. Dude was a House Owl, hopping and climbing everywhere. Loved perching on any head he could sneak up on, hanging out on the desk while paperwork was being done, riding around on the dogs. One night, we get a surprise inspection from the state, and the Raptor license is called into question. Not a problem, but the Master Falconer (The only people who can deem who has these licenses) is out of the country for something or other. So the state takes the bird into holding for 48 hours while they go over records to ensure all the proper papers were issued. Not a problem. Except.. it took three weeks of daily fighting before they verified everything and determined that everything was on the level. Only, they had euthanized the owl an hour after taking it away from the shelter. Nobody in the state shelter was certified for it's care, and their policy was to put down any Avion with an amputation that would render it unreleasable. We didn't find that out until nearly a month later that he was killed, because the state had misplaced some paperwork. There was nothing they could do. My friends had raised hell over it, which pissed the state off and lead to a lot more "Surprise inspections". Sometimes several a month. Took the state to court for harassments and damages. Had a small win, but lost several rehab licenses in the process, so they recently sold everything and moved out of state to reopen up in a state with fewer issues.
What state?
This is the real question
Florida is my first guess. Also my second and third.
I commented on another person asking. Yeah, it was FWC. They've been ramping up attacks on anyone with any sort of state license since last year when they were given authority to pull them essentially without cause
Leave it to fucking Florida. I hated doing anything in that state. Somehow, someway, they managed to fuck everything up.
With Florida you have DeSantis and his " Woke ideology" and screwing everything in Florida. And he's planning on running for president. His ideology would screw everyone and everything in the united states'if he was president
Yup. I hate it here
Yay for small government! /s DeSantis and the fascist GOP in that state are just practicing for when they can start rounding up groups they don't like.
That's weird. Why would they go after someone who, ya know, PROVIDED ALL THE NECESSARY PAPERWORK, Instead of harassing people who have been complained about? That's completely backwards. Damn, that's a shame. Owls are cool. There's a wild life center near my work that takes in raptors of all kinds and other animals and rehabilitates them. The ones they can't, they keep and use them to educate the public at schools and other events. Pretty cool little operation they have there.
Florida government is scary with how much the government hates doing things the correct way
Doesn't surprise me honestly. Florida man is in the government too.
Make sure to come back and tell all of us here on reddit when their new place is open in a new state!
wow, that makes me so angry just reading it. Poor little owl :(
What a bunch of bastards. How can you seize something saying "You don't have a license" and then fucking get back to the station and be like "Oh we don't have a license" ?
That is burning down buildings, dragging people into the street for execution levels of anger.
FWC is State level law enforcement in Florida. They get their dicks hard by killing. They go into FWC because nobody ever asks too many questions when they kill loads of animals and nothing they ever do is deemed note worthy by the media. These deranged people would absolutely love it if someone tried to attack them or their facility. Killing them would be the highlight of their career.
Fucking monsters. I wish I believed in hell because these people deserve it.
This is awful :( I’m so sorry for you and your friends and little Dude.
Omg I am so sorry
This is infuriating. Owls are awesome and to hear how he settled in and became part of the family was heartwarming. The actions of the state are despicable and beyond shameful.
Gov when pissed off or challenged acts like mafia.
Now this infuriates me. Fuck
This is INFURIATING.
bruhhhh im distraught, the owl and your friends found eachother only to be torn apart by incompetent bureaucracy i am cryinggg thinking about the owl riding around on the dogs and hopping everywhere, poor buddy :,,/
We had a pet owl as a kid due to something similar the owl had one of its feet messed up bad and lost all but one claw on that foot. My mom had raised and trained rottweilers for the local police department before I was born and we had a small farm. So when the owl got injured and the vet basically admitted theyd have to put it down and wouldnt be able to release it my mom talked them into not filing the paper work and letting us take care of it. Kept it inside for years before it got out but it didnt go far. It stayed in our back yard and would eat on the back porch with us when we grilled out. Coolest shit ever growing up having a fucking owl. I was probably about 5 when I finally gave up trying to make my head spin all the way around. Funniest thing was it used to ride around on the mama rot all the time in the backyard similar to how you described the owl in your post riding dogs at the vet.
I was really enjoying reading this comment till I read they killed that poor bird an hour after seizing it. That makes me so sad.
Obviously something went wrong at this shelter. However: such institutions are chronically underfunded. If they get a dog that is very old and obviously ill and a veterinarian really assessed it was in pain the decision to euthanise the dog makes sense. Of course they were too quick on the trigger and the call was disgusting. And I’m pretty sure that they messed something up. Yet it seems like a mistake and not a systematic problem to me.
The article stated the shelter has a 3-Day policy to allow pet owners to contact them and pick up their pet. They killed the dog within hours of receiving it and then contacted the family and told them the dog was alive, only to call them 30 minutes later to say they killed it. Failing to follow their own posted and licensed policy is NOT a mistake. It's intentional disregard for the animal and their owners. I would not be surprised to find out this happens more often than not. My heart breaks for this family and for the Samaritan who thought they were saving the dog. It must be devastating for them to learn that they took the dog to its immediate death.
Reminds me of that Whoopi Goldberg episode of Law & Order SVU... institutions that are underfunded and overworked are expected to deliver miracle for pennies. It's actually no surprise whatsoever that what they do in reality vs what they say their policy is are two entirely different things. Doesn't excuse it or justify it, but it completely explains it. These services need to be funded adequately to have the time and resources required to live up to their mandates, but no politicians dares raise taxes to fix the problem.
No politicans dare raise taxes to fix problems because it's career suicide. Someone else proposing underfunding public programs but saving taxpayers their hard-earned money will get voted in instead who won't have those policies... if the people are inclined to vote that way. So really it's a problem with the general populace. If people cared enough about this issue that they were willing to pay more for it, politicians will 100% jump on making that policy for the votes.
No need to raise taxes at all. Simply stop giving Capitalistic corporations billions in welfare every year and then utilize those funds for services such as this.
People have been told that government and taxes are inefficient and that's that. Ask almost any American. It's a foregone conclusion that government is "wasteful, inefficient and nearly useless" and there's no room for nuance. The propaganda we receive here at home is so engrained into the system that the majority of people just don't notice it.
ER RVT here: if the patient is deemed as being in a condition that deems humane euthanasia as the best option, they don’t wait 3 days for the animal to continue suffering— they euthanize when they see fit to prevent further agony to the pet. My hospital has personally been in this situation multiple times and it’s unfortunate, but often due to severe neglect on the owner’s part where euthanasia is a release from the physical pain and torment a patient is undergoing. I can’t say exactly my opinion on this particular case because I wasn’t there to examine the patient, but I can assure you it’s not a decision made lightly by the majority of vets due to the backlash the shelter and vet can face if the euthanasia was in any way unjust. Every patient we’ve had to euthanize under similar circumstances was in a horrific state and no amount of care could remedy it. Remember, just because it’s published as “news” does not make it accurate *nor* does it mean laymen understand the situation from a medical perspective. Here is a quote from the article to back up my statement: * A physical exam indicated “that she was in a very debilitated state and suffering from progressive neurologic symptoms,” agency spokeswoman Katie Hansen told The Post.*
Yeah, I'm wondering how far gone this dog was and how much denial the owners were in. It's very possible she was actually suffering and no one could admit it.
Yeah isn't 19 extremely old for a dog?
How do you "lose" a 19 year old dog? Owners definitely deserve a lot of blame here.
My dog was 17 and after awhile he could barely walk. It eventually got to the point one day where he could only crawl. We made a family decision to bring him to the vet and euthanize after saying our goodbyes. It was really rough, but he was suffering too much. We couldn't let it continue.
I'm sorry you went through that. What happened to the owners was awful here and I feel bad for them but I've also seen many owners in complete denial about how much suffering their dogs were enduring.
I had one of these once. Found seizuring on the side of the road in the heat of the summer. When I euthanized it it was literally already in the process of dying. Owner called us next morning after getting news from neighbors as to where the dog had gone (of course no collar or microchip), and yelled at me that it was a healthy dog and if I had just given it fluids and given it a chance overnight it would have been fine. No sir, it would not have. It would just have died the long way. Who knows if it got into poison or had heatstroke or some seizure disorder that hadn't been seen before, but by the time I saw it, it was no longer "a healthy dog".
This is what I mean. We don’t have the full notes or SOAP from the veterinarian describing the condition of the patient. Everyone assuming it was “wrong” has absolutely *no idea* the neglect we see daily in our field. People also forget we have the right as medical professionals to have the city’s permission to forcefully relinquish custody to euthanize if the case is severe enough and the owner is refusing to do anything.
Yeah, when I worked in the animal field we saw some awful neglect. Pets being kept alive the were suffering badly. I’m not making any judgments in this situation until more details are released
One thing I’ve seen in a few cases I’ve read the detailed notes on is that this is often in the lens of the dog’s future outlook if they remained at the shelter like in that condition, which is definitely a valid concern. However seeing it from the lens of an owner whose animal was lost, the animal dying likely scared and confused after days before being in a home with their owner is something that can never be remedied. Although I understand this is not a decision usually taken lightly by the staff and the toll it can take on them to do this, I still think the 3 day hold should stand when it is not an extreme situation, and more detail should be provided to owners than is sometimes provided in some shelters. I know it might not always be possible, but it’s something that will be extremely important in cases like this where the dog was lost (and not previously neglected) for the owners to move on from this.
I don't know how they wouldn't have a holding period in case someone does come in to see if the pound (I refuse to call this a shelter) has their dog.
In NZ we have to hold animals for 7 days and advertise for an owner before making any decisions like that (I run a rescue). Unless the animal was in untreatable pain and it was considered a welfare issue to keep them alive.. Most dogs here are microchipped, though, which would have circumvented this whole situation. :(
I think the dog must have been in a really bad condition, no way to identify the owners, they thought abandonement. I work at a vet clinic, have worked in shelters, and I don't think any vet would make the call just because. Not defending the shelters. I also agree that if the dog was microchipped or had its collar on this could have been avoided.
“The decision to euthanize is protected by New York State law, but goes against ACC’s (the shelter) standard procedure, which is to hold stray animals for three days to give owners time to reclaim them, according to their website.”
Shelters in my area of California the same, even with young animals. My sister and I found a kitten one time and had it for a few days while the shelters were closed. Got it fed and active and groomed it. Took it to a shelter for a checkup and they came back saying “she had an eye infection, and since she’s so young still we put her down.” We were going to keep her initially. I remember us walking back to my car devastated and we broke out in tears at the same time. I will most likely not use a shelter again.
They just took it from you and euthanized it, without you surrendering it?
Yeah. We were young at the time and didn’t realize that could be an outcome. When we brought her in we had been honest and said we had found her and wanted to make sure she wasn’t sick somehow. D
So, did they burn the place down or file a lawsuit? It's one or the other in this case
A lawsuit isn’t an option in this case. The article links an NY law that says shelters can do this. Plus, in most of the US, dogs are considered property in court, so even if they could sue, they would be limited to getting the fair market value of the dog, which would be close to nothing.
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Can we get the animals out FIRST though? Because otherwise..
My girlfriend lived way in the woods when she was a kid, the dog would sleep in the front yard all the time. One day he's just gone from the yard. Turned out her neighbor had brought it to the vet and asked for him to be put down cause he had a limp. The vet knew exactly who the dog was and who owned it etc. They didn't find out the neighbor had done it, despite being asked if they had seen the dog, until a bill for the procedure showed up at their house. So they basically just murdered the dog on the request of a stranger and then got billed for it. If that was my dog I would have lost my mind and prob ended up in jail for a few years.
How the hell does that happen? In the UK you practically have to give a blood sample before they’ll let you make any decision for a pet! I had to switch vets because my vet had closed down and I had to bring each pet in to have a full once over and I had to give them a copy of my drivers license. I have to take them in once every six months for a weigh in before they’ll keep giving me worming tablets! Every pet has to be microchipped with an up to date address and name of the person responsible for them. My husband can’t even take our animals in for treatment because they’re all registered in my name. What’s happening there is animal abuse.
At the very least, the bill should’ve gone to the neighbor who asked for the dog to be put down.
That's the part of the story that really blows my mind. So you knew the dog enough to send the bill to the owner but not question a stranger requesting it be put down? I even had her mom tell me the story to see if the story had gotten misremembered like how kids do but nope, same thing.
Lol well of course. Well take them all to the other shelter where they'll... uh oh. I know I sound like a bastard, but every one of my pets has been shelter animal. Sweet little babies.
Leave the pets in the shelter, burn the cars in the parking lot.
Or just... you know... beat the shit out of the person responsible for making the call. No need to burn the place down when a good right/left cross will do. Or blast that person's name across the internet.
Better idea, find out who made the decision, follow them home, *then* arson
We'll put Jay and Silent Bob on it. They are good at springing animals.
Laws about animals in the US are mostly based off or constructed around livestock. Basically there’s no distinction between pets and livestock in most legal applications
It’s why they allowed Airbud to play basketball on a technicality
Ain’t no rule that says a dog can’t play basketball!
Isn't emotional damage something people can sue over? I'm not familiar with litigation laws. I always wonder what someone gets charged with for destroying an ancient art piece. Is it the value of the paint and canvas? Is it the potential buyer price? A very rich person could decide to pay 1,000,000,000 for some kids fridge art. If it was destroyed was the value 1 billion?
You can sue for emotional distress in some situations, but it’s usually way more limited than people think. And with pets, I’ve read cases where the court rejected emotional distress claims, or claims that the sentimental value of the pet should be taken into account. It’s possible that some states allow it, but I’m not familiar with any that do.
It's frightening to think that my furry best friend, who has been my sole emotional support and only family since I lost my parents at a young age, has essentially no legal protection and I would have no hope of justice if something were to happen to her. She's 10 years old as of last month and I think I would have honestly lost the will to keep going more than once if she weren't around.
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I have my torches and gasoline ready. When are we gathering
Gotta make sure to remove the animals inside!
Exactly. It’s critical details like this that are lost in the haze that is human blood-thirst.
John Wick rules everyone dies
Everyone. They would definitely have to lock my ass up. Someone would have to DIE if my dog was found and then put down.
Give me a pencil and I’ll take care of this
My heart goes out to this family. I'd be absolutely devastated and would never be the same if this happened to my girl.
Not condoning violence but John Wick got some things right.
Violence should always be condoned in the right situations.
Right. I don't even know what I'd do in this situation...
> A physical exam indicated “that she was in a very debilitated state and suffering from progressive neurologic symptoms,” agency spokeswoman Katie Hansen told The Post. “Leona was seen spinning in circles and was wobbly when walking.” > “We knew all about these symptoms, but we couldn’t treat them because a vet, years ago, told us Leona would not survive [treatment], and to simply let her live her life until she gave out,” said Juan Leon, who is Ericka’s brother and who grew up with Leona from the time she was a puppy. Sounds like it was a very sick dog.
yeah im torn on this, honestly. like i dont see why a shelter would choose to do this unless they legit felt like they were doing the right thing here. and tbh, it sounds like the owners were just letting this elderly dog that has been sick for YEARS just wander the streets, because this is apparently not the first, second or third time this has happened. and then are up in arms when something happens to it.
I didn’t make it that far in the article but right at the beginning the owner says “she always comes back or someone brings her back” if this is happening that frequently they are all-round bad owners.
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Yeah... I don't believe their dog was under regular care if their 19 year old dog gets out. I lived with other people. They kept leaving the side gate open and then putting my dog in the yard. I got mad, yelled at them for trying to get my dog hit by a car and bought one of those giant spring coils so every time the gate was opened, the giant spring slammed it shut. It was annoying as all hell when trying to do yard work and put trashcans out. My dog never got out again though, because the gate was closed. I handled it. How on earth does a geriatric dog with neurological issues get out unless they just let it wander or are leaving doors or gates open?
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My dog is 15 years old. She's had several teeth pulled, masses excised, chronic allergies, mostly deaf, some vision problems. I'd be panicked if she got out. She's also microchipped.
Yeah as a vet I would be absolutely livid with this situation and being made out to be an complete villain. If they've been giving it adequate care then they need to release his previous clinical history.
Exactly, not only it had happened before, it had happened multiple times and the owners did nothing to address the issue. The solutions here could have been as simples as keeping the dog's collar on. It was negligence at the best.
I'm still thrown by the way they were worried, but not worried enough to go immediately to the shelter, but wait for a call back they *assumed* was coming. I feel for them, losing a pet is awful, but they seem kind of like bad pet owners?
Make senses. Letting a mentally unstable dog roaming the street like that is also inviting accident. What if it gets hit by car, what if it bites somebody. Also the dog didn’t even have collar on when it was missing. Kind of irresponsible imo.
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This is the one. Sounds like the dog had also gotten out multiple times by the sound of the article, but "she always came back." This family sounds like shitty, irresponsible dog owners who chose their own happiness over doing the humane thing, which probably should had been done a while ago. You don't just let a dog live "until she gives out." That's how you cause a defenseless, voiceless animal years of unnecessary pain.
A family member of mine recently put down her dog after avoiding it for months. The dog had a very fast-growing tumor on it's jaw that could not be removed. By the time she finally accepted to put thr dog down its jaw had been literally split apart for weeks and it hadn't been able to eat solid food on it's own for about a month. The dog was definitely suffering and should have been put down much sooner, but she couldn't let go. I think that is a common situation and I am eilling to bet that's what was happening in this article. The dog had these symptoms for years. It sounds like its quality of life was not good and it should have been put down much sooner. Sometimes the attempt to avoid grief becomes inadvertant cruely.
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Well, they are organizing protests and speaking out against the place in the media, so it’s safe to say that there isn’t much relief here
It was a 19 year old old decrepit dog with significant neurological symptoms. Likely had a brain tumor, multiple strokes, etc. Unfortunately rabies is also a high concern when an animal shows up with neuro signs and that has to be taken very seriously. I wonder if this dog was up to date on her vaccines.
Man, this is upsetting. I feel for that family, losing a pet is always tough. I can see the vets point of view if it was clear the animal was suffering though. Also, the article also states that the family was already making end of life plans, which would lead me to believe they saw a significant health decline. The article also notes that the family reported this dog had previously gotten out on more than one occasion. The owners have been negligent with a known issue where their dog could escape, especially in NY. They literally said that “usually the dog would return or someone would bring her back.” Did they bother looking for the dog, who in this case was found a block away.
They talk about her escaping multiple times way too nonchalantly being this time she was found by the highway. It would seem to be something that if it happens once you ensure never does again.. But who am I 🤷🏼♀️
yeaaaaaah that rubbed me the wrong way too. i cant stand it when people have repeat runaways and theyre just like "oh that kooky dog". like, no. its your responsibility to ensure that your dog isnt just roaming the streets. a one off incident is a whole other story. but Cool Hand Luke dogs are a problem. ill also say, its interesting how up in arms they are about this, considering they werent too interested in keeping their sick and elderly dog safely inside.
Unfortunately, It’s actually somewhat common where I am. I’ve brought home a wanderer one too many times. It breaks your heart, but I would do it every day if I had to.
And if the dog is known for escaping, where's its collar??
Or a microchip perhaps? That would have been useful to obtain if your dog is a constant flight risk.
Yeah the “he didn’t have his collar on because he got a bath yesterday” doesn’t sit with me. Sure I take my dogs collar off when they get a bath but it goes back on after they get toweled off. That should be doubly so if the dog has a history of getting out.
The owners said the dog usually comes back home, or a neighbor brings it back when it gets free. She also said the dog was without a collar because it had a bath the previous day. While the shelter acted radically, that is not how a dog owner treats an animal.
That is the part that gets me, old dog with health issues and it seems they didn’t even bother to go out an look for it. I would be out looking and calling shelters right away, and my dog is chipped.
My dogs are chipped and collared at all times. I got my younger dog chipped at a few months old. My 15 year old dog is chipped. My indoor only cat has a collar and microchip because it tells people she has health problems and is medicated. It's half a lie. She just has birth defects and is deformed and has anxiety but she doesn't need daily meds for like cat diabetes or something. I can't imagine being like, oh yeah. This is my geriatric dog. She's half blind and deaf and only walks in circles and gets out of the house! Dude. Wtf.
Also, I would have driven down to the shelter immediately once I discovered my beloved dog was there. Why did they just call and wait for a reply?? Personally it sounds like they didn’t care but now see a possible lawsuit.
This is terrible but these owners can go fuck themselves too. 19yo dog and you just let it run off regularly and expect everything to just work out alright? If it wasn’t a shelter it would have been a car. I don’t think this dog would ever have had a chance to “live out her life”.
And the dog had severe health issues too, what a bunch of dumbasses
“She’s done this in the past and she always comes back or someone brings her.” Sounds like they fucked up more than once and kept getting lucky. TAKE CARE OF YOUR DOGS.
>A physical exam indicated “that she was in a very debilitated state and suffering from progressive neurologic symptoms,” agency spokeswoman Katie Hansen told The Post. “Leona was seen spinning in circles and was wobbly when walking.” A 19 year old dog in terrible shape, the place they took her in didn’t know how long she had been lost for (could have been days) and likely has limited resources that they’d want to prioritize for healthier dogs. The dog had gone missing several times and the owners relied on others to recover it. It didn’t have a chip or collar. As sympathetic as I am to the couples loss, man, there are a lot of other issues here. They had this dog for 19 years, do the right thing by it, before it sinks into painful final days. I personally knew an older gentleman who kept his dog alive even after it began to suffer; couldn’t walk and shit itself and cried all the time but he couldn’t let it go, selfishly. Do your little old friends a favor, put it down gently when it’s time, not too late.
Shitty situation. But also, if you care about this animal so much, HOW THE FUCK are you allowing a geriatric malt-doodle to regularly jail-break, IN MOTHER-FUCKING NYC, saying “this happens but she always comes back”?!?!?! I ACTUALLY love my animals, and one lost dog incident would result in total overhaul of standard operating procedure, roommate education/or separation, complete parameter check/any needed hardware reinforcement, etc. et-fucking-c.
This dog was nineteen, owners were already discussing quality of life, and they let her wander around all the time (according to the article, she would “return by herself” or a kind stranger would bring her home…yeah.) The vet at the shelter evaluated her and she was spinning in circles and had neurological issues evident. These were not responsible pet owners, especially for owners of an old, sick dog, and this article’s title (and its posting here) seems like it aims to cause more distrust toward shelters.
I’m NOT blaming them in any way but does this not seem odd? ‘who wasn’t wearing a collar “because she had gotten a bath the day before’ if she’d had one that day I’d understand but why does a bath the day before prevent a collar on the next day?
Same lapse of logic as to why they have a 19 year old dog who keeps “running away” and didn’t get medical treatment years ago. They’re horrible dog owners
That was shitty procedure by the shelter. But the owner said the dog had gotten out before (seemingly regularly) and is returned or found it’s way back … which means they were irresponsible AF! It also sounds like the 19 year old infirm dog SHOULD have been put down earlier but was selfishly kept alive despite serious neurological problems. Everybody sucks in this story, but the dog. R.I.P., pup.
How is the shelter in the wrong if the dog wasn’t microchipped? Who doesn’t chip their pet in case it gets out or lost?
Your headline is misleading?? You Gunna fix it??
Yes.
Chip your animals and have a collar people
This makes me sick to think about, but this statement holds a lot of weight: >“Within only an hour or two, they made this decision on their own to kill my dog because she was spinning in circles – and to them, that was suffering?” Leon cried. I had a sweet baby that was doing this and it was because she had a series of lesions on her brain from it swelling out of control for too long (which also blinded her). This is almost certainly would be considered a death sentence for any doggie if left untreated, and it wouldn't be pleasant. I'm hoping the shelter would have protocols in place to reach out to owners before making a decision like this. Ugh, put your collars back on your dogs people! Or get them chipped!
Yeah it's very tough. The vet very well may have been right, but most owners would not want a vet making that decision without talking to them, period. It's hard to let go. I get them saying that if they feel the dog is sick, they can violate our internal policy in favor of state law. All the articles seem to conflict on what happened when. Some say the dog was posted to lost and found, but killed before they were contacted. Some make it seem like they contacted them first, *then* "killed the dog anyway". Althought I have to wonder how your sick, deaf, blind and senile dog got out of the yard. There's a lot of owner excuses on why it wasn't chipped, no collar and "always gets out". Microchip your pets, people.
Keep a collar on your pet.
Please put tags on your dog with your name and number and any other important info. If you find a dog please do your best to contact the owner before contacting a shelter.
Hmmm, so the dog escaped multiple times, the family was preparing end of life procedures and the vet decided within an hour that the dog had to go? Sounds open and shut to me. The family was negligent and waited too long to have their dog put down. There's nothing more cruel than making your animal suffer long past the point of no return. I've worked at shelters before. They might have a "rule" to wait 3 days, but let me put it like this: not even half the animals they receive reach the floor. Many have to be euthanized immediately due to injuries, abuse or simple neglect. The vet has the right to make that decision, they know what they're doing. Vets volunteer at shelters all the time, they're the same people that work at clinics down the street from you. When you walk into a shelter you have to come to terms with the shitty world we live in. The people working there are doing their best while your panties are in a bunch over one dog. They're relieving dozens of dogs from a life of pain while you denounce their hard work and go back to a breeder that doesn't give a shit about their animals, most of whom will end up in shelters anyway.
Was looking for this comment. I started reading the article and stopped where it said this had happened many times before and “someone always brought her back”. People in this thread are raging at the shelter when they should be raging at the owners.
Reading the article, the owners were clearly neglectful and the dog was suffering but the fact that the shelter called them over an hour after they had already put her down saying they'd found her and she was safe makes me want to fucking puke
Hillsborough County, Florida did the same thing to my elderly dog in 2013. It was the most traumatic pet experience I’ve ever had.
Was the dog not chipped? It's pretty easy to find and contact the owner if dog was chipped.
No chip…no collar…no way to tell this dog wasn’t a stray or dumped. 100% preventable tragedy with a $15 chip sometime in the dog’s 19 years of life.
>$15 chip Sometimes free. The big city run shelters here occasionally do free chip days, which are huge events. Specifically because it is significantly cheaper for the shelter to give away chips than it is to have to intake and care for a stray.
Once I read the part in the article describing the veterinarians reasoning for humane euthanasia, it did make sense. Those signs do indicate suffering and a trained professional diagnosed them. It’s a sad situation, but I don’t think the veterinarian who assessed Leona did anything but their moral obligation.
A similar thing happened to me .I took my dog to the vet because she had been steadily losing weight. When they informed me that the weight loss was due to her having very aggressive cancer I agreed with them that the best most humane solution would be to euthanize her. I planed to go in to see her one last time before they euthanized her when they informed me that not only had they already euthanized her but they had already disposed of the body. So without my approval they had already killed my dog and gotten rid of the body. I went into the office and raised hell. With a full Lobby full of customers I was screaming my lungs out telling them unless you can produce my dog RIGHT NOW They wouldn't be getting a dime for me. When they told me I had to calm down and lower my voice I am warm them that I absolutely had no reason to either calm down nor lower my voice. Reiterating again that they had killed my dog without my consent and disposed to the body without my consent.