Opinions Please

[Mommysongbird]

Thank for ALL of your comments and opinions, it has been very helpful. I know my mom would not want to put her down if we can find a home for her.

And there is that word "IF". So what IF we can't find anything?? What would you do in that situation??

I have sent an e-mail out to a local rescue, they speacialize in cats, but will sometimes try to help with dogs. They do a lot of Foster Care. So I am hoping to hear back from them.

I have also put it out on my Facebook page and have contacted our local shelter (no-kill) and a new Spay/Neauter organization, they sometimes do Foster Care as well. I think that foster care would be good until they can find a macth for her.

I will be calling the no-kill shelter tomorrow as well, unless I hear back from them over FB. I will also call some of the local vets, which aren't that many, to see if they no of anyone that would like a dog her size and maybe someone who has a farm or something.

 

[flnatv]

Quote:
Thank you for getting the OP all that information. I didn't have the time to search for her... you are AWESOME!!!

Rescues are a real blessing sometimes!!!!

 

[redhen]

I would put the dog down if it cant stay at home. Its much much kinder to do that then send it from place to place with strangers...
Dogs get really attached to their humans and their home... i think it would be VERY cruel to re-home a dog that old.
Just my opinion...

 

[Mommysongbird]

Quote:
Thank you for getting the OP all that information. I didn't have the time to search for her... you are AWESOME!!!

Rescues are a real blessing sometimes!!!!

Thank you, I will check out all of these. Thank you, Thank you

 

[Mommysongbird]

Quote:
Thank you for your opinion

This is the same thing that a friend told me. She helps with rescues all the time and with the older animals, especially dogs they tend to not do very well with either the rescuers or new familis/foster families.

 

[AinaWGSD]

If you can't find a rescue or private individual to adopt her, then I would seriously consider taking her to the vet and being there with her to the end. Adoption would be my very first choice, but finances are tight for everyone right now and even rescues are feeling the squeeze. If you are absolutely unable to find a rescue to take her and you aren't able to find someone to foster her until a new home can be found, then euthanizing her yourself would be far kinder than sending her to a kill shelter where she will likely be euthanized fairly quickly because she will be difficult for them to adopt out and they need to spend their resources on more adoptable dogs or shipping her off to the no-kill shelter where she will probably sit in a cage until she dies because she will be difficult to adopt out. I don't think rehoming her would necessarily be cruel, as it seems she has limited interaction with your parents anyway and sounds like she is generally friendly towards strangers, but I don't think a shelter situation would be best for an older dog.

 

[Mommysongbird]

Quote:
Thank you too for your opinion.

I do HOPE to find someone who can take her. If we have to go the route of euthanization, then we will have our (my) vet come to my mom and dad's house where she is and she will be buried there as well.

I have just thought about the day that my uncle brought her to my grandma. She lived in a fairly descent neighborhood, but he insisted that she needed a dog. He just thought that Shannon would be a smallish dog, but we could tell by her paws that she was going to get BIG and she did.

I have done the euthanization with one of our dogs and I know first hand how difficult it is to make the decision to do that. And I know how hard it is to sit by them and watch them pass on.

I am just praying that we find the right thing.

My mom tries to spend as much time as she can with Shannon, but it is hard. She is always trying to keep her kennel as clean as possible and take care of her the best she can. I wish that we had room for her at our house, but the is no place here.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Thank you for your opinion

This is the same thing that a friend told me. She helps with rescues all the time and with the older animals, especially dogs they tend to not do very well with either the rescuers or new familis/foster families.

That and i've SEEN it first hand..
I took in a 2 yr old Great Dane... that dog was nuts for his owner... he kept going to the door(the door that she left from)..and whining... pacing...
It was PLAIN to see that this dog was hurting.... I'll NEVER forget it.
I KNOW that i will never do that to my dog. So help me god..
So sorry you have this hard decision...

 

[flnatv]

Quote:
Thank you for your opinion

This is the same thing that a friend told me. She helps with rescues all the time and with the older animals, especially dogs they tend to not do very well with either the rescuers or new familis/foster families.

That and i've SEEN it first hand..
I took in a 2 yr old Great Dane... that dog was nuts for his owner... he kept going to the door(the door that she left from)..and whining... pacing...
It was PLAIN to see that this dog was hurting.... I'll NEVER forget it.
I KNOW that i will never do that to my dog. So help me god..
So sorry you have this hard decision...

But at the same time... I have worked rescue for many years
This is NOT always the case.
Yes, I have seen some distraught, but more that have moved on and done really well.

Seeing that Shannon is an outside dog in a run, she will adapt much, much better than a dog that was by the owners side.
Shannon has obviously adjusted to the loss of her owner and moved without incidence (it appears)... another move is most likely not going to make her overly distraught.

I have also fostered blind/deaf older dogs that lived on huge farms and then had to become a house dog... they did fine as well.

Dogs, like children, are pretty resilient, but deserve a chance.

On another note, I have put dogs down due to behavior issues that could not be resolved, illnesses, age... it is never easy, but at the same time it is what is best.

 

[KFox]

I have worked in rescue for years. Some dogs do well and others just do not.

Personally, I would have her take the big nap. Rescues are up to their ears in dogs with the economy being what it is. Either have the vet make a house call and do it at home or take her in. Whichever would cause less stress. Realistically, there are millions of animals put down each year because there aren't enough homes. If she takes a space in rescue while learning to behave herself, she is taking that space that could have been used for a well-behaved dog in a bad situation that may be younger. Not to say she is worth less because she is older or less behaved. It's hard to explain...but being the person that used to visit the shelters full of dogs and having to choose one or two to pull for rescue, it's difficult. I always looked for the ones that were most likely to find homes.

I did have a friend that specialized in the older and special needs dogs, however, she found out after having 16 semi-permanent residents that rescue for that type often means they are there for life. If one has the space and funding for that, great! Most don't.