Would you shoot your dog?

[2dogs]

He continued to look down at the old dog. Candy watched him uneasily. At last Carlson said, "If you want me to, I'll put the old devil out of his misery right now and get it over with. Ain't nothing left for him. Can't eat, can't see, can't even walk without hurtin'."
Candy said hopefully, "You ain't got no gun."
"The hell I ain't. Got a Luger. It won't hurt him none at all."
Candy said, "Maybe to-morra. Le's wait till to-morra."
"I don't see no reason for it," said Carlson. He went to his bunk, pulled his bag from underneath it, and took out a Luger pistol. "Let's get it over with," he said.

Steinbeck- "Of Mice and Men"

A few years back there was a story in our city metro paper about a guy who was arrested for shooting his dog. It turned out that the dog was old and sick, and the guy who used to live in a rural area was euthanizing the dog. The paper tried to make him out to be a Son of Sam murderer, but apparently this was just an urban/rural culture clash. Don't recall what happened to the guy.

So would you/could you do it? Does it matter if you are urban vs rural?

 

[ojibweindian]

I'd only shoot my dog if there was no other option to relieve her suffering.

Boomer, my lab, was put down a few months ago after his leg was shattered when hit by a car. Our vet euthanizes pets for free. A good thing, as many around here are too poor to pay much for anything.

 

[Sisco]

Intended to shoot a roommates dog once. Didn't work out. He had a pomeranian (sp?) that was a pain in the butt. Kept tearing up the house when we were away. Came home from work in a bad mood already and found all my stuff scattered about, couple of album covers destroyed.
Took the offending canine out into the country, let him out & chambered a round in my .22 rifle. Stupid dog sniffed the muzzle wagged his tail and smiled at me.
Put him back in the car and went home.

I've known lots of people who put their dogs down when they got old & sick. Not a fun job but a necessary one. Some will say take it to the Vet, it's painless. My wife works for a Vet., usually it's quick but not always.

 

[Betty]

I probably would - as long as I'm not breaking any "Discharging a Firearm Within City Limits" law or similar.

I consider it humane to put down a dog who's terminally ill or seriously injured beyond help. It's also economical for folks who don't want to spend the money to have the vet do the euthanizing.

I almost had to put down one of my boxers when he attacked a neighbor's calf and repeatedly tore at it. Luckily, the calf did not die. Issues where a neighbor's dog kills another neighbor's livestock must be resolved swiftly to keep the peace.

 

[Pappy John]

naw... I had to have 2 put down in the past, both by the vet and that was emotionally traumatic enough. What if ,in the moment, something went awry and you caused your companion extra needless suffering along with what they were already putting up with. Whew, now I'm gonna be thinkin about my old dog, Sox all day. That was a tough one to lose.

 

[Gordon]

Doesn't everybody? My dogs(like me) are needle phobic.

 

[Neal Bloom]

When I was very young my mutt Bandit was run over by a car. Shattered its hip. The poor thing was in extreme pain. My father brought out the rifle and handed it to me and said "Its your dog and your responsibility." I had to put it down. I think Bandit knew what I was about to do, but I had to relieve his pain. I have had to put down a couple dogs since but I'll never forget having to kill Bandit.

Now feral dogs I can dispatch with no problem. They are dangerous and can hurt people and livestock. When the dog is part of the family it is different.

 

[Hkmp5sd]

I have shot a couple of injured dogs over the years. As stated, the attachment is too much to shoot an old sick pet of mine. With no alternative, I could do it, but I hope it never comes to that.

 

[AK103K]

"Its your dog and your responsibility."

As a kid, we heard this a lot..."you've got to shoot your own dog".
I think it was meant as a catch all for the responsibility part of the above quote, but it was also a "literal" thing. Nowadays, with having the vet available, it wouldnt be my first choice, but if its all you can do, then you do it. Even with the needle, its one of the hardest things I've ever had to do, I actually find it easier to loose people.

 

[Gewehr98]

Thought about it.

Wife suggested it.

But the dog got over her bad case of gas the next morning.

Thank goodness!

(When it's her time to go, I'll probably play the big man, like I've always done before, and take her to the family vet. I dread that day...)

She isn't real keen on vet visits to begin with:

 

[tomkatz]

I had to shoot a neighbors dog once, old dog, part basset. The elderly owner comes and gets me, says "hot dog" just got hit can you come help. When I get there the dogs head is crushed really bad, beyond hope, but the dog is trying to get up and walk. 14 yrs old. Took him out back, 38spl. behind the ear and its over, the neighbor thanked me. My own have all made it to the vet, just old age related euthenasia....tom

 

[Kevinch]

Nope. I won't. Got all the tools & multiple calibers to choose from, but I can't do it.

I paid the vet to put down my last dog - had the girl 14 years. Paid him too much too, but it was emotional enough without having to put the sights on her & pull the trigger. I cried like a baby.

Still miss her too - that was almost 2 years ago.

 

[bogie]

A few years back, I was on a date (first date too...) and drove past a cat that had been hit by a car. Cat was in bad shape, and wasn't going to make it, since some parts that shoulda been inside the cat were outside the cat. Cat was conscious.

My date saw the cat at about the same time I did...

I stopped the car, got into the trunk, and fixed the cat.

Date freaked out, since she thought I'd intended on wrapping the poor thing up and taking it to a vet (on a weekend evening) where they'd magically make it all better...

 

[triggertime]

I'd have no problem shooting a dog as long as it was attacking me or was displaying rabid behavior.

For dogs that are old and sick, vet assisted euthanization. Let them pass on with dignity.

Edit: typo

 

[PATH]

I'd use the vet unless there was no way to get to vet in time to save dog. I would not want the poor animal to suffer! I would shoot a feral dog with no problems.

 

[2nd Amendment]

I've done it a couple times. Not pleasant but considering a couple of the vet euthanasias I've seen it's at least as fast. Wild dogs, otoh, I've got no problem with. I was attacked by a pack as a kid and lost cattle to another pack later on. I managed to get away from the first pack and have no idea what ever became of them,. The second pack got its' collective clock punched when they came back for another taste of beef. I don't think they enjoyed the AK taste nearly as much.

 

[TallPine]

Yeah, I had to do that once to my wife's dog who got distemper (or something) and was going into fits and convulsions.

We were 35 miles from town and the vet, and gas money only allowed once a month trips to town.

I put a single shot .22 right behind her (the dog's, not my wife's) ear. Clean and instant, but I still broke down and bawled when I say the blood spouting out. (just like the russian roulette scenes in "The Deer Hunter")

Really sad part was that it was a young dog. Get their shots!

=====
Oh, the other thing is that up here you ought to be prepared to put down injured wildlife after being hit by a vehicle. Legal to carry loaded gun in vehicle, but IMO it ought to be required!

 

[Mike Irwin]

If I HAD to, to prevent undue suffering and I had no hope of getting her to the vet or saving her life, yes, I would.

Part of my personal contract with my dogs is that when the time comes, if necessary I will make the decision to prevent their suffering, even if it causes me great suffering.

 

[John Forsyth]

I have and would again if necessary. I had to do it to the family cat last saturday. Got hit by a car, broke both back legs and hip.

 

[Blackhawk]

What triggertime said.

Animals have an uncanny sense of what your intentions toward them are.

Does anybody think getting shot is painless, even if the shot is to a crucial part of the CNS that will cause death almost instantaneously? Think again.

If you care about the animal, pay a vet to give it a painless "just going to sleep" treatment.

That said, emergencies are emergencies, so do what you have to.

 

[El Rojo]

We eunthenized our old lab about a year or two ago. I think that is the best way to go if it isn't an emergency. We barried him in the back yard. He looked so peaceful when I lowered him into the hole. It would have been a lot harder if he would have had a hole in his head and that thick brain blood all over his black coat.

Only in some extreme emergency if you ask me. Even then, it is hard to imagine shooting you wife if she gets hit by a car. You always try to take her to the hospital and no matter how much she is suffering you wouldn't just "put her out of her misery". So why would you do that to your dog? Especially since the dog never nags you and never says she isn't in the mood to be pet. Some priorities some of us have out there.

 

[Guyon]

Date freaked out, since she thought I'd intended on wrapping the poor thing up and taking it to a vet (on a weekend evening) where they'd magically make it all better...

So was there a second date?

 

[dev_null]

If it seemed absolutely necessary. I had to "put down" my mother's cat, about 18 years old and no longer able to eat (not me, the cat).

-0-

 

[bogie]

Nope. No second date.

 

[Cal4D4]

Big on the hard questions, aren't you? If vet was not available, would do what's necessary. The blue shot from the vet works so quickly and painlessly I would be hard pressed to do a better job.