Opinions Please

[Mommysongbird]

Well I have talked with the people at the local Humae Society (No-Kill) Shelter and they told me the best thing for Shannon at her age was to have her put down. They told that they have taken in older dogs and usually within a week or so of arriving the dog is so depressed that it gets very sick and dies.

She told me that if I could find a new home, that it MIGHT work, but she even doughted that. I have called our vet (mine) and they have to call me back about coming out to put her down. Since my mom and dad are NOT their clients, they are iffy about cetain things. So I am not even sure if they will do this. My uncle may just have to bite the bullet and start taking care of her, which I don't see that happening. He doesn't like big dogs, he is affraid of them, that might be why she doesn't like him???

I will let you all know what happens.

Thanks for all your help with this situation.

 

[punk-a-doodle]

Darn, if I lived a state away or so, I'd take her because of her age, but I don't.

. I would wait to hear back from some of the other rescues and from friends. Some vets also adopt out or adopt animals like Shannon themselves. If your uncle is just afraid of large dogs in general, an idea would be to shift her (at zoos, you do this to shift over truly dangerous animals so you can feed and clean them). Get a dog crate (shelters and Craigslist often have them for free, or see if you can borrow one), or a run/playpen where you can close the door or gate. Line it up with the gate of her run, and have a noticeable treat in the crate. Close the door behind her. Sweep out run and add feed and water. Place treat in run. Close run door after dog. Another idea would be to fill food and water bowls through the fence using tubes, and hosing out the run if it was large enough for Shannon to move out of the way of the water while your mom heals. But, living in a run permanently would not be good for a dog.

It doesn't sound like she has a great quality of life right now if she really is in the run all day with only her food being changed. So yes, I'd rehome or find a no kill geared towards old dogs. This really doesn't sound like a situation where Shannon will be depressed in a new home, as it sounds like she is not bonded to anyone in particular, and that she is excited to get out of the run. But, if that is not possible and you can only see a normal shelter or euthanasia as options, euthanasia would be best I believe. I will say that it would not be an option for me personally if Shannon does not have aggression or health issues, but your parents have to decide what is right with them. I still feel like I don't have a full understanding of the situation, that I am not fully grasping it, so my opinion may not be applicable to the situation.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
Putting him down is the kindest thing you can do for that dog. What the shelter said is true... it is HARD and hurtful to re-home a dog at that age. Its best to just let them go to sleep in peace and not be stressed out and scared.

 

[Mommysongbird]

Quote:
Thanks for all your imput punk-a-doodle

I think I know why you are not understanding. Let me try to explain better.

You see, when my uncle (not the one that lives with my parents) gave the dog to my grandmother, Shannon was just puppy, about 6 or 7 weeks old. My grandmother lived in an area that my uncle thought would be good for her to have a dog, but he was told that the dog would be small. You could see by her paw size that she would NOT be a small dog when fully grown. When Shannon was about 6 months old (maybe 8 months) my grandmother ended up in the hospital and my mom and dad took over caring for both Shannon and my grandmother. My mom and dad don't like dogs in the house (not to live) so Shannon was put into her new run and was brought inside only when my grandmother was well enough to see her. The dog really helped my grandmother heal but she always knew that she would never be able to care for Shannon like she was. She asked my mom and dad to care for her (Shannon) for as long as they could and that is what they have done.

About a year after my grandmother passed away my mom thought that it would be best to give Shannon to someone who could do more with her and she also thought the my uncle and his wife (since they are the ones that brought her home in the first place) should take her, they refused. We tried to find other people to take her and even the shelters then, but they were just too full. My mom has ALWAYS made sure that Shannon has plenty of food, water and a shelter. They got her spayed before my grandmother passed away so that there would not be any unwanted puppies. They have spent lots on her over the years and now they are both on Social Security and cannot really afford her but that is in no way of why we are trying to find her a home or to put her down. As I have said, my parents are getting on in age and Shannon is just too much for them, she always has been but they have coped with her.

I do hope to find another way, but we only have 1 NO-kill shelter in our area, so we have limited options.

I hope that you understand better now. And again, thanks for all of your imput.

 

[aggie9296]

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.

x2.
Humane euthanasia is not cruel. It is a very pleasant way for a dog to go. It is ALWAYS an option. There may not be a "perfect" solution for her to go live happily on a farm. She is a large, elderly dog. They typically do not get adopted. Small elderly dogs are a little easier as you can pick them up.

Perfectly healthy dogs are put down all the time due to lack of resources, no shelter space, or no other options. But I doubt a elderly large dog is perfectly healthy. If it were my dog, I'd put her down rather that traumatize her with a re-home.

 

[carolinagirl58]

Shannon is a very old dog (especially for a large breed). She has had a full live. It would be unfair to her to expect her to cope with being rehomed, if a home could even be found. Very few people are going to be willing to take a dog who does not have much time left anyway. Personally, I think the kindest thing to do for her given the circumstances is to euthanize her.

 

[Mommysongbird]

Thanks everyone.

Yes, Shannon is old to be a big dog, most dogs her age don't live this long, so I guess my mom and dad have been doing something right all these years.

I have taken one last step before we FINALIZE anything. Some of our homeschool friends live in places that dogs are pretty much free to run and there is no leash law, so I thought maybe if one of them would be willing to take her for what ever time she has left, she can live a little more lively for the remainder of her life.

If I don't get any 'takers' then I will call our vet back and set up a time for them to come out. If it comes down to it and we have to put her down, she will be buried on my mom and dad's property, so she will still be home. I am trying to type though tears right now, so I guess I better stop.

Again, thanks to all of you for your comments

 

[dutchhollow]

"I have taken one last step before we FINALIZE anything. Some of our homeschool friends live in places that dogs are pretty much free to run and there is no leash law, so I thought maybe if one of them would be willing to take her for what ever time she has left, she can live a little more lively for the remainder of her life."

Please, just take her to the vet and have her put down. Living all that time in an outdoor kennel with limited human interaction, has been enough on her. Don't let her end up getting hit by a car, shot by a farmer (and being a chow x if she doesn't get hbc, she will go hunting), there is no place dogs are free to run without disasterous consequecens either to the dog or to anyone that lives in the vincinity that has livestock.

 

[redhen]

Quote:
x2! Yep..and she will hAVE to establish herself in the dog pack... which can mean fighting and stress for her. Thats not a good idea at all.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

Maybe I've missed something, although I have tried to read the entire thread and pull out all the pertinent facts. Am I understanding that you PARENTS want some other solution for this dog? Do THEY no longer wish to care for it, or is it a case of you don't feel they are up to it?

I ask this particular question because I am 64 and my partner is 70, yet we both care for a barnful of horses and a houseful of dogs. Plus we have chickens, a substantial garden, and a small orchard. We are taking up competitive distance riding after years of competing in cutting and reining.

Most people our ages are quite active and remain so well into their 80s. I apologize if I am being rude or insensitive, but grown children (if mine are any example) seem to think their parents when they reach our ages are WAY more fragile than we really are, so I just want to be sure your parents really want this solution, and not that you think it is what they SHOULD want.

If it is what they want, I'll butt out with only the comment that after 15 years, this dog has earned the right to die at home with her family around her, and not to be shifted off to strangers or left to run just because it sounds easier and magically more humane. It is not. It is cruel, and I know you don't want that.


Rusty